Media
Feb 2, 2012
In April of this year, the North American Snow Conference will return to Milwaukee. This will be the fifth time in its over fifty-year history that APWA’s Wisconsin Chapter has hosted this annual event (most recently in 1994), and they’re anxious to welcome the conference back. You work hard all winter long…after this snow season is over, come join other snowfighters at The Show for Snow in Milwaukee, April 29–May 2.
Known for decades as one of America’s beer-brewing capitals, Milwaukee is likely to conjure up images of brats on the grill, cheese curds and ice-cold beer. It’s certainly that—and so much more!
Milwaukee is the birthplace of some of America’s most thirst-quenching companies including Miller, Pabst and Schlitz. When German immigrants began to arrive in the 1840s, they brought with them their passion for the art of beer brewing. And over the next 100 years this heritage made Milwaukee the world’s leading beer producer. While it’s no longer the city’s major industry, its legacy is everywhere. Reminders of the old beer barons can be seen at the Pabst Mansion, Blatz Building, and Miller Brewery, where over eight million barrels are still produced annually.
A wave of Polish immigrants arrived soon after the Germans, and established Milwaukee’s south side. Bringing their faith with them, they built many of the churches and steeples that shape the city’s skyline. As Milwaukee grew into a manufacturing center other immigrant groups appeared, each giving rise to new neighborhoods. It’s this constant introduction and development of new communities that Milwaukee celebrates today in their annual summer festivals.
This legacy of diversity, along with a reputation as a humble and friendly Midwestern city, has inspired a revitalization of the city today. With its prime spot on Lake Michigan’s shoreline, Milwaukee’s industrial past has given rise to neighborhoods as independent and diverse as ever and an economy as varied as its residents. Today’s Milwaukee is eco-friendly, with a developed RiverWalk complete with pedestrian pathways, public art and restaurants. Milwaukee’s bike lanes and bus networks run throughout the many unique and charming neighborhoods—like the Historic Third Ward. Once a hearty Italian community and warehouse district, today the Third Ward is known for the bustling Milwaukee Public Market, warehouses converted to condos, trendy boutiques, art galleries, and some of the coolest and best restaurants in town.
Milwaukee is also home to Harley-Davidson, and the Tuesday evening dinner at the Snow Conference will be held at the Harley-Davidson Museum. It all started in 1901 when William Harley, age 21, completed a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. Then he and his friend Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle in a 10’x15’ wooden shed with the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” crudely scrawled on the door. Today, Harley-Davidson motorcycles bring heart-thumping adventure, life-changing freedom and a bit of rebellion into the lives of people around the world. Whether you were born to be wild—or mild—you’ll enjoy the final evening of the Snow Conference. You can hang out in The Garage for dinner and drinks, like being at a rally crossroads having a good time with good people who share a common thread. You can also spend time browsing the Museum, home to over 450 motorcycles and thousands of artifacts that tell the stories of the extraordinary people, products, history and culture of Harley-Davidson. It’s more than a nostalgia trip for motorcycle enthusiasts; it’s a glimpse of American history and culture like you’ve never seen before.
Along with a great city and fun social events, the Snow Conference will offer outstanding education and exhibit programs at Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee.
The exhibit floor promises to be the biggest and best yet, with more than 130 companies showcasing everything you need to help keep the streets clear and your community safe in the winter. Show hours have been increased, providing more time for you to explore the floor and talk with our exhibitors. You’ll see innovative new equipment, ground-breaking technologies, and products and services focused on snow and ice removal, winter road maintenance, and streets and fleet operations.
The education program has been developed by a committee of APWA members and winter maintenance professionals, and it really delivers this year with longer sessions and more variety. In addition to the usual Winter Maintenance and Weather presentations, there’ll be a Fleet track and sessions about Sustainability and Emergency Management in winter operations.
This year’s Talk Show session is titled From Shop to Storm and Back Again – Best Management Practices for Operators and Fleets. This interactive session will focus on the relationship between fleets and equipment operators, with specifics on what can be done to enhance communication and understanding between these two critical components of storm response. Different expectations regarding communication, inspections, fuel, and facilities will be discussed. Our panel of fleet and operations experts will lead the session and lend their experience in addressing the issues and providing strategies you can take back to your agency.
Tuesday’s General Session will feature Mark Mayfield, a professional speaker equally adept at presenting high-content speeches and performing standup comedy. Always entertaining and inspiring, Mark talks about very serious stuff in a very funny way. This session, titled The Glass Ain’t Half Empty, It’s Just Too Big, is a fast-paced program about change theory that will leave you laughing and also leave you with some great change management skills.
Back by popular demand is the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Workshop, which made its premiere as a pilot program at the 2011 Snow Conference in Spokane. Designed for individuals charged with supervising their winter maintenance operations, this one-day workshop provides a well-rounded overview of all aspects of snow and ice control. Held on the first day of the conference, it provides a great foundation for deeper investigation, throughout the rest of the conference, into specific topics of interest.
Our exhibitors have some knowledge to share too. There will be special 45-minute Exhibitor Showcase Presentations held on the exhibit floor and presented by exhibiting companies. Presentations will demonstrate how their company’s technology or service provides a solution that addresses the needs of the snowfighting industry.
The conference ends on Wednesday with technical tours. There will be three tours this year, of which you may choose one. One tour will go to the City of Milwaukee’s Repair Garage, and the other two will visit the facilities of snowplow manufacturers Wausau-Everest and Western.
Milwaukee Repair Garage Tour:The City of Milwaukee’s Central Repair Garage provides repairs for approximately 4,100 pieces of heavy- and light-duty vehicles and equipment used by Street Maintenance, Sanitation, Forestry, Sewers, Water Works, Police and other city departments. You’ll see a variety of snow and ice equipment. Mechanics, parts personnel, operators and managers will be on hand to discuss the equipment, snow operations, and how Milwaukee keeps its snow fleet operational. Software displays will show how Milwaukee uses technology for diagnosis and to track repairs, inventory use, fuel usage, and costs. This facility also houses welding and fabrication, body shop, central parts distribution, and the operations and dispatch section responsible for administering snow and ice operations.
Wausau-Everest Tour:This tour of snowplow manufacturer Wausau-Everest’s headquarters will include an inside tour of the plant where you will see these manufacturing areas: parts department, plasma table/roll/press brakes, weld shop, shot blast booth, paint booth, plow assembly, and blower assembly. An outside display will include municipal plows/wings/scrapers, airport plows, Tyler Ice deicer, SnoDozer and attachments, brooms, loader mount blowers, and a snowplow demonstration.
Western Tour: This tour will take you to Western’s headquarters to see Western, Fisher, and Blizzard branded snowplows and salt spreaders being built in a modern manufacturing setting. You’ll learn how Western utilizes a “lean” philosophy that provides efficiency and quality to their processes. In addition to a few hands-on demonstrations, you’ll see first-hand how plows are cut and formed from flat steel, welded and assembled, powder coated, crated and shipped all over the world.
Make plans now to attend the 2012 North American Snow Conference in Milwaukee. You can find more information and register online at www.apwa.net/snow.
2012 Snow Conference Reporter Article
Milwaukee Welcomes The Show for Snow
In April of this year, the North American Snow Conference will return to Milwaukee. This will be the fifth time in its over fifty-year history that APWA’s Wisconsin Chapter has hosted this annual event (most recently in 1994), and they’re anxious to welcome the conference back. You work hard all winter long…after this snow season is over, come join other snowfighters at The Show for Snow in Milwaukee, April 29–May 2.
Known for decades as one of America’s beer-brewing capitals, Milwaukee is likely to conjure up images of brats on the grill, cheese curds and ice-cold beer. It’s certainly that—and so much more!
Milwaukee is the birthplace of some of America’s most thirst-quenching companies including Miller, Pabst and Schlitz. When German immigrants began to arrive in the 1840s, they brought with them their passion for the art of beer brewing. And over the next 100 years this heritage made Milwaukee the world’s leading beer producer. While it’s no longer the city’s major industry, its legacy is everywhere. Reminders of the old beer barons can be seen at the Pabst Mansion, Blatz Building, and Miller Brewery, where over eight million barrels are still produced annually.
A wave of Polish immigrants arrived soon after the Germans, and established Milwaukee’s south side. Bringing their faith with them, they built many of the churches and steeples that shape the city’s skyline. As Milwaukee grew into a manufacturing center other immigrant groups appeared, each giving rise to new neighborhoods. It’s this constant introduction and development of new communities that Milwaukee celebrates today in their annual summer festivals.
This legacy of diversity, along with a reputation as a humble and friendly Midwestern city, has inspired a revitalization of the city today. With its prime spot on Lake Michigan’s shoreline, Milwaukee’s industrial past has given rise to neighborhoods as independent and diverse as ever and an economy as varied as its residents. Today’s Milwaukee is eco-friendly, with a developed RiverWalk complete with pedestrian pathways, public art and restaurants. Milwaukee’s bike lanes and bus networks run throughout the many unique and charming neighborhoods—like the Historic Third Ward. Once a hearty Italian community and warehouse district, today the Third Ward is known for the bustling Milwaukee Public Market, warehouses converted to condos, trendy boutiques, art galleries, and some of the coolest and best restaurants in town.
Milwaukee is also home to Harley-Davidson, and the Tuesday evening dinner at the Snow Conference will be held at the Harley-Davidson Museum. It all started in 1901 when William Harley, age 21, completed a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. Then he and his friend Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle in a 10’x15’ wooden shed with the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” crudely scrawled on the door. Today, Harley-Davidson motorcycles bring heart-thumping adventure, life-changing freedom and a bit of rebellion into the lives of people around the world. Whether you were born to be wild—or mild—you’ll enjoy the final evening of the Snow Conference. You can hang out in The Garage for dinner and drinks, like being at a rally crossroads having a good time with good people who share a common thread. You can also spend time browsing the Museum, home to over 450 motorcycles and thousands of artifacts that tell the stories of the extraordinary people, products, history and culture of Harley-Davidson. It’s more than a nostalgia trip for motorcycle enthusiasts; it’s a glimpse of American history and culture like you’ve never seen before.
Along with a great city and fun social events, the Snow Conference will offer outstanding education and exhibit programs at Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee.
The exhibit floor promises to be the biggest and best yet, with more than 130 companies showcasing everything you need to help keep the streets clear and your community safe in the winter. Show hours have been increased, providing more time for you to explore the floor and talk with our exhibitors. You’ll see innovative new equipment, ground-breaking technologies, and products and services focused on snow and ice removal, winter road maintenance, and streets and fleet operations.
The education program has been developed by a committee of APWA members and winter maintenance professionals, and it really delivers this year with longer sessions and more variety. In addition to the usual Winter Maintenance and Weather presentations, there’ll be a Fleet track and sessions about Sustainability and Emergency Management in winter operations.
This year’s Talk Show session is titled From Shop to Storm and Back Again – Best Management Practices for Operators and Fleets. This interactive session will focus on the relationship between fleets and equipment operators, with specifics on what can be done to enhance communication and understanding between these two critical components of storm response. Different expectations regarding communication, inspections, fuel, and facilities will be discussed. Our panel of fleet and operations experts will lead the session and lend their experience in addressing the issues and providing strategies you can take back to your agency.
Tuesday’s General Session will feature Mark Mayfield, a professional speaker equally adept at presenting high-content speeches and performing standup comedy. Always entertaining and inspiring, Mark talks about very serious stuff in a very funny way. This session, titled The Glass Ain’t Half Empty, It’s Just Too Big, is a fast-paced program about change theory that will leave you laughing and also leave you with some great change management skills.
Back by popular demand is the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Workshop, which made its premiere as a pilot program at the 2011 Snow Conference in Spokane. Designed for individuals charged with supervising their winter maintenance operations, this one-day workshop provides a well-rounded overview of all aspects of snow and ice control. Held on the first day of the conference, it provides a great foundation for deeper investigation, throughout the rest of the conference, into specific topics of interest.
Our exhibitors have some knowledge to share too. There will be special 45-minute Exhibitor Showcase Presentations held on the exhibit floor and presented by exhibiting companies. Presentations will demonstrate how their company’s technology or service provides a solution that addresses the needs of the snowfighting industry.
The conference ends on Wednesday with technical tours. There will be three tours this year, of which you may choose one. One tour will go to the City of Milwaukee’s Repair Garage, and the other two will visit the facilities of snowplow manufacturers Wausau-Everest and Western.
Milwaukee Repair Garage Tour:The City of Milwaukee’s Central Repair Garage provides repairs for approximately 4,100 pieces of heavy- and light-duty vehicles and equipment used by Street Maintenance, Sanitation, Forestry, Sewers, Water Works, Police and other city departments. You’ll see a variety of snow and ice equipment. Mechanics, parts personnel, operators and managers will be on hand to discuss the equipment, snow operations, and how Milwaukee keeps its snow fleet operational. Software displays will show how Milwaukee uses technology for diagnosis and to track repairs, inventory use, fuel usage, and costs. This facility also houses welding and fabrication, body shop, central parts distribution, and the operations and dispatch section responsible for administering snow and ice operations.
Wausau-Everest Tour:This tour of snowplow manufacturer Wausau-Everest’s headquarters will include an inside tour of the plant where you will see these manufacturing areas: parts department, plasma table/roll/press brakes, weld shop, shot blast booth, paint booth, plow assembly, and blower assembly. An outside display will include municipal plows/wings/scrapers, airport plows, Tyler Ice deicer, SnoDozer and attachments, brooms, loader mount blowers, and a snowplow demonstration.
Western Tour: This tour will take you to Western’s headquarters to see Western, Fisher, and Blizzard branded snowplows and salt spreaders being built in a modern manufacturing setting. You’ll learn how Western utilizes a “lean” philosophy that provides efficiency and quality to their processes. In addition to a few hands-on demonstrations, you’ll see first-hand how plows are cut and formed from flat steel, welded and assembled, powder coated, crated and shipped all over the world.
Make plans now to attend the 2012 North American Snow Conference in Milwaukee. You can find more information and register online at www.apwa.net/snow.
