Snow Removal Contractor – New Richmond WI

5 Things to Look for in a Snow Removal Contractor – New Richmond WI

Living near New Richmond, Wisconsin we all know how fast the weather can change from the near-perfect weather of the summertime to the cold that starts to come in the Fall and proceed through the Winter. Inevitably snowfall comes with the winter season. This change in the seasons, in turn, gets people once again thinking about Snow Removal and De-icing services for their driveways, parking lots and sidewalks. Well, if you don’t have the equipment needed to remove the snow and ice then you have to find someone to do it. How do you know what to look for in finding a Snow Removal Contractor? This article was created for both Residential and Commercial customers to discuss this very subject in detail. I will go through 5 Things you should Consider when finding a Snow Removal Contractor.

Snow Removal Contractor - Plow TruckThe first subject to touch on is 1.) Experience. The contractor that your considering should have a good reputation in the field with both word of mouth and website presence. Ask around, do you know anyone who uses the contractor? Do they have only good things to say? Also, the type of their web presence may help to determine if they are the professional contractor you’re searching for. Do they have a Snow Removal/ Snow Plowing Page? Do they have online reviews on Facebook, Google or perhaps Testimonials on their web page? Web Presence can help prove their credibility because typically only an older, more established company will likely have one in great detail with lots of credibility in the form of reviews. If they do have a web page, look for the quality of the different pages. Does it look genuine? Look at the photos on the various pages. Are they real or photo-shopped, it is often easy to spot the difference? How about wording? Are there lots of spelling errors and wording that doesn’t make sense? An elaborate website may prove they care a lot about their reputation and show the level of detail the contractor provides to their customers. Have you tried reaching out to them? Try giving them a call, sending an email or possibly reaching out to them via Social Media, such as Facebook. Also, you may want to find out how long they have been in business to help prove both their credibility and reliability. We here at Lake Kountry, Inc. have been in business for over 29 years serving our customers. We have been providing Snow Plowing and Snow Removal Services to our Customers in New Richmond WI for almost 20 of those years.

The company you consider should also have 2.) Professional Employees, people that will perform the work needed in an efficient, yet safe manner. Imagine you have just received a large snowfall in the middle of winter and you’re watching the company you hired plowing the snow in your driveway. They come up your driveway at a high rate of speed and then turn around and back into your garage by accident because they were in a hurry, weren’t paying close attention and don’t really care about you the customer. Unfortunately, some businesses have employees that can be careless like the example I used. Find out as much as you can about the snow removal contractor’s employees. Once again, through word of mouth. You could also talk to the owner of the company. Ask who will be doing the work and how long have they been with the company? These details should be comforting to hear and shouldn’t make you nervous going into the winter season. Also, consider the number of employees the snow removal contractor has. Do they have enough people, so that when that big 12 or 16-inch snowfall comes they have the people needed to perform the work? You probably don’t want to be stuck at home or unable to open your business because your contractor hasn’t shown up yet. We at Lake Kountry, Inc. hire only the best employees, so that every one of our customers get the work performed in a safe and efficient manner.

Both the Contractor’s Snow Removal Experience and Employees lead into the next consideration 3.) Trustworthiness. Do you trust the business to get the snow removal performed at the correct time at the quality you desire? For example, you are a business and open at 8 am. It has snowed overnight and you need to have both your parking lot and sidewalks clear for business before 8 am, do you trust your contractor to perform the work in the middle of the night so you can open on time? What about quality – is there still snow left on the parking lot or sidewalks that could cause one of your customers to fall and possible sue you for injuries? You may not think of the liability when it comes to snow removal, but it is very important and comes back to the subject of trust between you and your snow removal contractor. With all the talk about liability, have you thought about the insurance of your contractor? Having a Fully Insured Snow Removal Contractor is something you can never regret and give you piece of mind if something were to happen. Lake Kountry, Inc. is Fully Insured to help our customers feel safe and secure.

Snow Removal Contractor - EquipmentThe next consideration has to do with the tools they use to do their job, 4.) Equipment. Have you ever seen the contractor’s equipment that you are proposing to use? This can tell you a lot about them. Do they have equipment that’s bent, rusty and leaking oil? This could be a sign you are looking at a snow removal contractor that may not reliable. The company may not take care of their equipment or have employees that don’t care about the equipment they use or whether or not they cause property damage. What about the types of equipment they have? If you just need a driveway plowed this may not be as important to you as it is for a business. Does the Snow Removal Contractor just have a few Snow Plowing Trucks or a complete fleet of equipment? Big equipment may be needed to remove the snow in a timely matter and can even be cheaper with additions like a snow-pusher. Also, it may be nice to know that when that massive snowstorm hits your business or residence that your contractor can clear it. We at Lake Kountry, Inc. pride ourselves on our equipment. We maintain and service our equipment regularly so that when it snows we are their clearing your lots, not broke down unable to perform the work. We have the heavy equipment it takes to efficiently remove snow or move snow piles back for the next big snow storm. Along with considering their equipment, what other types of snow services do they offer? This brings me to the last point.

Lastly, consider 5.) Additional Snow Removal Services. A Full-Service Snow Removal Contractor will be able to perform all other desirable snow removal duties to keep your property or business clear of snow. Do you or may you have a need for salting or salt-sanding of a parking lot or driveway? What about sidewalks, do you or may you need to have sidewalks shoveled, snow-blown, swept and/or salted? A Full-Service Snow Removal Contractor will be able to perform these services for you to ensure you have a clear driveway, parking lot and/or sidewalk. The Contractor should have all the specialized equipment needed to perform these duties for you, such as large capacity salters and salt-sanders for their trucks. They should also have snow-blowers, sidewalk brooms and sidewalk salters to keep you sidewalks safe in the winter months. One thing I failed to mention was the consideration of snow relocation. You may have the need to move snow from one area of your property to another or even completely off-site because of space or visibility restrictions. Think about this important point before hiring a snow plowing contractor. Wouldn’t it be nice to use just one company for ease of convenience of all things snow removal? Check to see if the business has dump trucks, loaders and experience in moving snow.Snow Removal Contractor - Snow Hauling Services

Considering all the points I have made, I hope you feel much more informed about the process of searching for the best Snow Removal Contractor. If you pay close attention to the contractor’s experience, professionalism of employees, trustworthiness, appearance of equipment and the additional services they have you should be on track for picking the best suited Snow Removal Contractor. Lake Kountry, Inc. offers our customers the best in each of these key points. Come Experience Lake Kountry, let us take care of your Snow Plowing/Snow Removal, Salting, Salt-Sanding, Sidewalk clearing /De-icing and/or Snow Hauling needs.

 

 

Tips for Pruning Flowering Shrubs

Tips for Pruning Flowering Shrubs
The novice gardener may be reluctant of pruning flowering shrubs for fear of permanently damaging or killing them. In most instances, more long-term damage results from lack of pruning than from any pruning that was done. Following a few simple rules will help you sustain a beautiful landscape.

Pruning flowering shrubs is necessary in the maintenance of your landscape for the following reasons:
• To control, develop and maintain plant size
• To improve branching structure
• To increase sunlight to the center of the plant
• To renew and invigorate the remaining branches
• To increase air circulation which aids in disease control
• To remove dead and diseased wood

Different types of flowering shrubs require pruning at different times of the year. As a rule, spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac, magnolia, rhododendron and azaleas should not be pruned in the fall as you will cut off their flowering buds and they will not bloom the following spring. You can trim them in the spring after they have flowered. Other flowering shrubs like weigelas can be pruned in the fall. Hydrangeas can also be pruned back in the fall but it is somewhat a matter of personal preference as their dried flower buds add winter interest.
Helpful Tips: Spireas and potentillas benefit from rejuvenation pruning every few years. These plants should be pruned back to within 3-6 inches of the ground. Spireas will re-bloom in late summer if you cut the spent flower heads off. Overgrown or neglected shrubs can be renewed by cutting them back 1/3. There are often times dead wood inside the shrub that will need to be cut out as they restrict light and can often harbor fungus or disease. Shrub roses and dogwoods are excellent examples of plants that benefit greatly from eliminating the dead wood.
If you have any specific questions regarding pruning flowering shrubs, we at Lake Kountry, Inc. are happy to help answer them. We carry all the high quality products you need to get the job done. Give us a call or stop in today!

 

LAKE KOUNTRY INC. OFFERS A COMPLETE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS JUST MINUTES FROM ALL OF WESTERN WI INCLUDING; NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , AMERY, WI , OSCEOLA, WI ! WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES, WATER PLANTS AND TROPICALS!

How to Care for Perennials – New Richmond WI

How to Care for Perennials

Early October is a great time for fall cleanup and preparation of your perennials for winter and spring. It is also a good time to take inventory and think about what you have planned for next year.

Fall is a good time to divide or remove any perennials that are crowding, spreading into unwanted areas, forming tight clumps with diminished bloom or that have developed a dead space in the center because if the foliage becomes damaged or the plants look misshapen, all of that will be gone when the plants reappear in the spring.

Hostas, iris, daylilies, rudbeckia and ornamental grasses are some examples of perennials that do well with division. If rain is insufficient you should continue watering until a hard freeze occurs especially with newly planted or divided perennials. There is no need to fertilize until spring.

A question we get asked a lot here at Lake Kountry is this: Should you cut back your perennials in the fall or in the spring?

The answer: It depends. Provided you have selected plants that are hardy for your area there really is no wrong way.

You may want to wait until spring to cut back your perennials. Ornamental grasses and sedum provide winter interest while the seed heads of coneflowers, liatris and joe pye weed provide food for birds. Leaving the foliage on the plant or only slightly pruning it can also help protect and insulate the plant from harsh winter weather. The foliage helps to catch and hold the snow which provides natural insulation to the plant.

Pruning and removing all the foliage from your perennials now will save you work in the spring – we all know how busy spring can be! Some people prefer the” cleaned up” look going into winter and may prefer working outdoors in cooler temperatures.

Fall gardening work should also include removing dead annuals and excess fallen leaves and debris, including dead or diseased foliage from your perennial beds so that they do not harbor disease or pests. This also helps prevent rot and mildew.

If you have any other gardening questions just give us a call here at Lake Kountry, Inc. – we’re happy to help! As always, thank you so much for thinking of us! Happy Fall!

LAKE KOUNTRY INC. OFFERS A COMPLETE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , AMERY, WI , OSCEOLA, WI AND ALL OF WESTERN WI! WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES, WATER PLANTS AND TROPICALS!

History

Nortrax Customer Spotlight Article About Lake Kountry

Articles

Irrigation Service

Yard Sprinklers New Richmond WI

Irrigation Service

Lake Kountry is proud to be your Irrigation Headquarters for Irrigation Services and Parts. We offer a full line of high quality products for all of our customers and Do-it-yourselfer’s, including Toro®. We also provide Irrigation Services, whether you need an existing system repaired or are looking to have a system designed and installed we do it all.

  • Installation & repair of all major Irrigation Systems, including Toro®
  • Specializing in both conventional & lake pump systems with water-saving rain sensors
  • All systems include State Registration & Plans (if required), Backflow Preventers (installed by licensed plumber) & Annual Backflow Testing
  • Start-up & Winterization services
  • We service and store all the lake system pumps in a heated shop during the winter.

Serving all of Western WI including New Richmond WI, Amery WI, Somerset WI, Osceola WI, St. Croix Falls WI, Hammond WI, Baldwin WI, Roberts WI, Hudson WI…

Irrigation Work Gallery

History

 Lake Kountry - Sign With All 4 Boys

Our Humble Beginnings

Lake Kountry’s History began its inception in 1988 with three simple things: a 2-place trailer to display nursery stock, $2500 cash (from the sale of the family boat) to buy that nursery stock, and the vision to develop a family nursery and landscaping business to encompass the skills and passion of a young and growing family. Parents Steve & Lori and sons Steve Jr. (7), Joe (5) and newborn baby Brian (aptly named “Buggy Boy” by endearing customers who would scoop him up out of his buggy and cuddle him as “mom” checked them out). The addition of son #4, Chad, in 1990 completed the first “employee list”! With no “official” employees yet, when Lori needed to bring the boys to various appointments she would simply leave a note at the checkout counter asking customers to please leave a note on wMorning Gloryhat they had purchased and she would send them a bill in the mail! No credit cards back then – just good, honest “gardeners” who felt totally at home shopping in a beautiful and relaxing environment! Believe it or not, many customers would figure out their bills and just leave cash or a check – those were truly the “good old days”! For the boys, “playing in the dirt” meant working alongside mom, dad, grandmas and grandpas, creating landscaping areas and planting/caring for trees, shrubs and flowers! Joe loved planting morning glory seeds “all by himself”, then happily selling them for 25 cents to customers as they checked out, saving the money for a new toy John Deere tractor. (That tradition continues today, in his memory, as all customers coming to the nursery each year receive a “heavenly blue” morning glory plant. Hundreds are given away each year, along with a note that reminding all to cherish and love those we hold dear to us.)

 

“Word-of-mouth” advertising from satisfied and loyal customers soon took Lake Kountry, Inc. from part-time landscaping and limited nursery sales to full-time as the dream of creating a successful family business became a reality. As the demand for landscaping services quickly grew, the family embarked on a journey to build their business based on hard work, integrity and honesty – the end goal being to offer their customers top quality products and services. More equipment and vehicles were added to keep up with the demand. With the addition of skilled and valued employees who were always regarded as “family”, Lake Kountry, Inc. grew to new heights not only in landscaping sales, but additional greenhouses, an expanded garden center and a “drive through” tree-yard were added to accommodate the growth in nursery sales.

Lake Kountry's History - Old Nursery Setup

Ongoing training for team members and keeping all company vehicles and equipment updated and well-maintained continues to be a high priority at Lake Kountry, Inc. Along with complete landscaping services, excavating, irrigation and snow removal services are all integral pieces of the business. Nursery offerings include the newest and greatest in plants, offering new dimension and vigor to landscaping plantings.

The values and implementation of providing top quality products and services along with honesty, integrity and the ability to instill peace of mind to our valued customers remains the instrumental cornerstone of Lake Kountry, Inc.

The family continues to work side-by-side each day – mom and dad (now grandma & grandpa) and those “little boys” whom are now grown and married. This amazing second generation with Steve Jr. heading up business and financial operations, Brian handling the irrigation division and office operations and both helping mom and dad with the nursery and landscaping divisions as well. Lake Kountry, Inc. has also been blessed with an upcoming third generation beginning with the addition of three beautiful granddaughters thus far.

lake-kountry-family

Those basic principles of hard work, integrity and honesty continue – going on 30 years. Simple family values combined with faith, hope and love…and some of the most loyal and amazing employees and customers ever!!! Such were the humble BEGINNINGS of Lake Kountry, Inc. – if you haven’t already experienced the LAKE KOUNTRY DIFFERENCE, stop by soon. You’re sure to be greeted with friendliness and enthusiasm by both the family and team members! They’ll work tirelessly to help you to accomplish your goals as well!