By Cheryl Higley
Note: When SIMA and Snow Business created the CEO of the Year award to honor the industry's top-lever leaders, we were optimistic that the concept - based on more than the bottom line - would be embraced and fill a need in the snow and ice management community. Judged on professionalism and ethics, advancement of the industry, community involvement and financial success, 14 candidates were narrowed to a top three. The winner was chosen in a vote by the Snow Business Editorial Advisory Board and representatives from the SIMA Board of Directors during the Snow & Ice Symposium. The CEO of the Year will be honored during the Snow Strategies Forum in Boston on August 22.
Thank you to Buyers Products, proud sponsor of the inaugural CEO of the Year Award! Watch Dave Zelis, Director of Sales & Marketing, as he shares why Buyers Products sponsored the award.
View a video interview with Sam Granados at the end of the article!
Passion. Heart. Desire. For Sam Granados, CSP, owner of Integrated Snow Removal in Wheat Ridge, CO, those three qualities top the list of what makes a great leader. He certainly needed all three during the 2010-2011 snow season, when his market suffered through a winter that was 3 inches shy of the driest ever. Achieving success in this industry—especially when the snow doesn’t fall—requires the company leader to have a strong vision and broad shoulders to help carry the weight. His love of and passion to succeed in the snow business formed Granados’ vision and is among the many reasons that he was named the first Snow Business CEO of the Year.
Sam Granados, CSP
An early start
Granados started Integrated Snow Removal in 1995 to complement his striping business (Integrated Resource Systems) and to generate revenue in the off-season—but his passion for snow was formed years before when, at the age of 4, his godfather put him on his lap on a tractor and showed him how to plow in the backyard. By the age of 6, Granados was plowing on his own. Today, Integrated Snow Removal is a multimillion-dollar company specializing in large-volume snow removal for clients such as the Denver Broncos, United Airlines, UPS, colleges and expansive office and shopping complexes.
“I never thought it would come this,” says Granados, who is also involved in oil and gas exploration, real estate and is launching emagineIF.com, a web-based company that will help kids discover their life’s passion, in November.
While there have been growing pains along the way, Granados’ determination to succeed never wavered. That focus helped shape him into the businessman he is today. His passion and determination is inspirational to all who know him—whether they are his employees, his vendors or his customers—and shines through in the qualities that embody a visionary leader.
Financial success
Profitability in the snow industry requires a forward-thinking strategic plan that takes into account the many variables the business world and Mother Nature may throw the company’s way. Staying ahead of the competition is critical—especially given corporate America’s increased focus on cutting costs—but growth must be measured and sustainable.
Granados takes his strategic plan very seriously: “Thinking a week or two ahead doesn’t work. We are constantly evaluating our plan and seeing what’s working, what’s not and whether we’re on track.” Last season, as the Integrated team continued to revisit the plan—and the weather didn’t cooperate—Granados was forced to make tough decisions that, while painful at the time, proved beneficial in the end.
“We had to make decisions based on needs, not wants. Managers had to take on more responsibility. In the end, we were able to increase our efficiencies,” he says. “It was a challenging year, and we couldn’t have achieved this level of success without our employees, who are paramount to our success.”
Keeping a firm grasp on the company’s growth is only part of the battle. Despite his success, Granados is not content to rest on his laurels. Rather, he continues to look for ways to improve himself. He finds a helping hand for both through his relationship with The Alternative Board. He enlists the services of business coach Blair Koch and also participates in a peer advisory board that provides fresh perspective from business leaders who, while not in the industry, face similar leadership challenges and experiences.
“Sam continues to push himself to become a better leader and to not only build himself but to grow his team because he knows his organization is only as good as the people who work for him,” Koch explains. “Without a doubt, Sam knows snow. But he takes to heart what the peer group has to say, and it has made a difference in his business.”
Unlike other industries, in which the CEO may be far removed from where the actual work gets done, Granados remains very hands-on, whether he’s shoveling, plowing or running a snow melter. “Being hands-on and really knowing every facet of the business is so important. I’m sure there are times when my managers would like me to get out of their area and go home,” Granados says. “I wish all that I could do is plow. If I could go out in a storm and plow, with no cell phone and no interruptions…that’s paradise.”
He may be deeply involved in the operational side of the business, but Melvin Richardson, Integrated Snow’s operations manager for the past seven years, appreciates that Granados trusts his team to do their jobs. “He has never looked over my shoulder, and he gives all the managers the freedom to make decisions. He’ll stand behind that decision, and if it turns out to be a bad one, he helps us learn from it,” Richardson says.
Reed Bennett, general manager of Denver Pavilions, met Granados six years ago when the Memphis native moved to Colorado and needed a quick lesson on snow and ice management. He says the fact that Granados is so hands-on sets him and Integrated apart. “There is a huge difference between being a partner and being a contractor,” Bennett says. “During storms, Sam is ubiquitous; but after being out all night, he shows up at the office the next morning to make sure you’re happy with [the] service. This is customer service that is thoughtfully managed and gets results.”
Professionalism and ethics
Dedication to customer satisfaction is central to the core values that guide Integrated Snow Removal. Koch says the desire and commitment to do the right thing for his business, employees, suppliers, customers and the industry is important to Granados. “He doesn’t tolerate going against the core values of his organization. When it doesn’t snow, it’s a challenge, but he has managed through that beautifully because of the foundation and the core values he instilled a long time ago and that he enforces,” she says.
Jacquelyn M. Curtis, general manager for CB Richard Ellis Asset Services in Westminster, CO, has been the beneficiary of Granados’ all-in approach to snow and ice management for nearly 12 years. She says property managers often “live in the moment,” but Granados uses his expertise to look beyond a single event to make decisions that will best serve the client.
“I’m confident that when I arrive at the property, regardless of time or circumstances, his team has taken care of the property,” she says. “I imagine Sam doesn’t get much sleep during the winter months. I don’t know how he manages the challenges—all I know is that he does. It gives me great joy to see him recognized for his contributions to the industry.”
Bennett says Granados’ professionalism has always been front and center in their business dealings: “Sam always gives more than he gets. You can always count on getting full measure from Integrated Snow Removal. If at any time you express a doubt, Sam will immediately take steps to ensure your confidence in him and his company’s processes.”
Granados credits his mentors—in life and in business—for his moral foundation. “My mentors have always told me, ‘What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. If you’re going to do it, do it right to the best of your ability,’ ” he says. “Your ethical compass doesn’t come from what you write down in a mission statement or in an employee handbook. It comes from practicing it daily.”
For Granados, “what’s right is right” extends beyond serving his clients and treating his employees with respect. It goes into his work in the community (see "Giving back" below) and helping out in times of need.
Bennett told a story of when snow paralyzed southern Colorado and ranchers were cut off from their cattle that were stranded in snow-covered fields. Granados and Integrated brought relief, plowing back roads and delivering supplies. “It is fairly easy to talk about professionalism and ethics, but it is much more convincing to see it in action,” Bennett says. “There was no real recognition and certainly no reimbursement for the out-of-pocket expenses. But that’s not what matters to Sam Granados.”
Advancement of the industry
One thing that does matter to Granados is the snow and ice management industry, and he has spent years helping bring professionalism and recognition to it. He is a lifetime SIMA member and was the first CSP in Colorado. “SIMA introduced me to people who share my passion for snow and for business. The networking and relationships I’ve built have helped me grow and have enabled me to share my experiences in business,” Granados says.
Scott Zorno, CSP, of Care Enterprises in Bailey, CO, is among those who have benefited from Granados’ experience. They met in the mid-2000s at a SIMA conference. A few years later, when Zorno needed a mentor to help with a big bidding project, Granados showed him how to analyze equipment and labor needs, site nuances, financials, etc. When Zorno lost out to the lowest bidder, Granados encouraged him through the disappointment.
“Sam has built his business with integrity,” says Zorno, who still visits each year to catch up and to check out one of Integrated’s key differentiators: its state-of-the-art equipment. Granados continues to upgrade and invest in the best snow and ice tools and technology. That investment was put to good use in February when Granados and his team were hired and drove more than 1,000 miles with snow melters and other equipment to help Chicago dig out from a blizzard.
Embracing the best technology the industry has to offer is yet another example of how Granados promotes integrity and pro-fessionalism, which can be difficult in an industry still dogged by “snowplow guy with a rusty truck” misconceptions. “People don’t realize what it takes to provide a safe winter environment. We’ve worked hard through SIMA and have been successful at raising that bar,” he says. Granados encourages everyone in the industry to take up the charge and knows that if they do, great things will happen. “Learn the industry, take a business approach that enhances the professionalism in the industry. Have a vision and never lose sight of it,” Granados says.
Giving back
When SIMA & Snow Business began crafting the criteria that would determine what makes a great CEO, we believed that the definition of success needed to look beyond the bottom line. Community involvement had to be part of the equation. Sam Granados is a huge believer in giving back to the community that has helped him achieve personal and professional success. You won’t find him boasting about his contributions; rather, his actions speak much louder than words.
Many of the organizations Granados and his wife, Alicia, support link back to family. As a self-proclaimed kid from the wrong side of the tracks, Granados looked to sports and education as his ticket toward achieving success. His prowess on the sports field and his dedication to learning brought him scholarships and opportunity.
His work with the Police Activities League (PAL) in Denver, which focuses on bringing sports to the inner city, allows him to instill in children the value of sports and education. He often donates equipment or tickets to sporting events for those who achieve academic goals. “Being in athletics from an early age helps prepare you for the real world. You learn to deal with adversity and learn how to prob-lem-solve,” Granados says. “It is gratifying to be able to provide that opportunity to children who otherwise would not be able to experience it.”
As executive director of the PAL, Russ Parisi sees first-hand the impact Sam’s contributions, whether financial or through hands-on vol-unteerism, have on Denver’s children. “He has a zest for living life. He is more than willing to share his success with so many less fortunate, and he always treats everyone with respect—regardless of their status,” Parisi says.
A cause very close to the hearts of Sam and Alicia is their support for Children’s Hospital in Denver. Seven years ago, their son Matthew was born; and little did the Granados family know that their lives would be changed forever as Matthew faced global developmental delays and was eventually diagnosed with autism. “Matthew is a blessing, and his diagnosis has had a huge impact on our family—in a good way—because it helped change our perspective on what is really important,” Sam explains.
Matthew has undergone multiple therapies since he was an infant and much of his treatment was provided by the occupational, physical and feeding therapy teams at Children’s Hospital. As the family got to know the therapists and the staff who were helping Matthew, Sam and Alicia found that there was no budget for many of the learning aids and toys—even something as simple as a whistle—that are used as therapeutic tools. “Everything that they have done for Matthew and helping our family and others, we really wanted to give back. We are lucky that we have the means to care for Matthew, but there are families who can’t,” Sam says.
He created a golf tournament that ran for several years, and part of the entry fee was to donate a therapeutic toy to the hospital. In addition, proceeds from the tournament allowed the staff to buy exactly what they needed to best help the patients. “It was great to see our staff, clients, vendors and partners in the community come together for these families,” Sam explains.
Winning ways
CEO of the Year is the latest in a long string of accomplishments attained by Sam Granados, CSP, and Integrated Snow Removal. Among his other honors:
- SIMA Excellence in Business – 2007
- CB Richard Ellis Vendor of the Year – 2003, 2004, 2005
- NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Common Cents Awards – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- SAMBA Safety Excellence Award – 2009, 2010
- TAB “T.H.E.” Award – 2009, 2010
"When you look Sam in the eye and shake his hand, you know without a doubt that his word is good.” — Jeremiah Brodal, sales representative, Transwest
"Sam is passionate and loves what he does, and he wants to share that passion with everyone else.” — Blair Koch, business coach, The Advisory Board
"Sam has integrity, and that quality seems to be less and less apparent in today’s economic environment. He is a sharp, savvy individual and I consider him just as much a friend as I do a customer.” — Brad Burris, sales representative, Wagner Equipment Co.
"It is very humbling to think I was chosen out of all these candidates, but at the same time it reaffirms that I’m doing things the right way. There aren’t words to express how honored I feel to be the first CEO of the Year recipient.” — SamGranados, President, Integrated Snow Removal
Cheryl Higley is editorial director of Snow Business magazine. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
