How can you find snow contractors and suppliers?

Some tips on searching SIMA's popular Snow Contractor and Snow Supplier directories online.

The information below relates to SIMA’s directories.

Snow contractor directory
Even if you live in a rural area, the snow industry is a national marketplace. Finding quality subcontractors and companies can be difficult. SIMA’s Snow Contractor Directory is a searchable database of SIMA members who are dedicated snow contractors.  

Some quick tips for finding snow contractors:

• Company name: Sometimes you might know part of a company’s name and want to contact them. You can use the Company Name field to search for all or part of the name. Keep in mind that less is more in a search sometimes, so search for keywords that will reduce the number of results. Also, some companies may have hyphens or other elements to their name that are easily missed in a search if not included (e.g. Outdoor Services LLC but you searched for Outdoor Services Incorporated - the better search here would be “Outdoor Services” then refine by location).
• Zip code radius search: This allows you to search in a radius and find contractors. If results aren’t populating, try expanding the radius a bit, and keep in mind that many contractors may service multiple geographic regions, so expanding the radius is a good idea to get more results.
• Search by service: Many of our members have shared which types of services they provide, so this is another alternative way to seek help or a business partner. Keep in mind that many contractors don't necessarily always fill out this detailed information when joining SIMA.
• Search for credentials: On top of it all, you can cross-reference your search for companies that have at least one Advanced Snow Manager or Certified Snow Professional on staff. Keep in mind that many companies have at least one ASM or CSP, but not as many have both on staff. So if search results are not coming up or there aren’t enough options, try searching for just one or the other to begin with.
  
  Supplier directory
  Anyone in the industry can search our Supplier Directory for plows, salt, software, insurance, and other quality services that support the snow industry. Remember that only SIMA members show in this directory, so if you can’t find a specific supplier, tell them to join!
  
  You can search by product types, but a note of caution: if you aren’t getting great results in your searches, its likely that you are using too many search criteria, so unchecking a few boxes may help you find what you need. 
  
  Some quick tips for finding suppliers:
• Less is more: This list isn’t huge at any given time, so sometimes starting with a broader search will be more helpful. For example, if you search for ‘Distributors’ who sell 3 different products, and get 0 results, it is recommended that you widen your search and maybe remove the company type (in this case, Distributors) from the search list. If you are looking for a list of companies that provide an array of products, it may be more efficient to research one product type/line at a time.
• Radius search: For the Supplier Directory, this simply references the physical location the member provided to SIMA. It may have no connection to how far they are able to ship or provide a product or service.
• Full list: If you want a listing of all the suppliers to look through, you can simply enter in 0 search criteria/check boxes and click search.