January 20, 2016
Massachusetts Man Has Snow Plow Stolen Right Before First Storm
While most people have enjoyed the extremely mild winter weather so far this year, there is one group of people not particularly happy about it: Snow fighters who depend on their equipment such as snow plows and heavy duty Sno Pushers to make a living. The only thing worse than not having any snow to remove is having your plow or snow pusher stolen right when the the snow finally hits.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to one Salisbury, Mass. man. According to the Boston Herald, Rich Hughes has been struggling ever since he broke his ankle a while back and spent five years out of work. The virtually non-existent winter so far hasn’t helped matters.
In perhaps his worst stroke of luck yet though, Hughes discovered that his 500-pound plow had vanished right around Christmas and just days before the first real snow storm of the season was set to hit.
“I went home yesterday to hook it up on the truck because I knew there was a storm coming today, and it was gone,” Hughes said. “It just hasn’t been a very good week.”
Hughes is offering a $100 reward to anyone who can help him locate his precious piece of equipment that he uses to support himself and his family. It’s not just his own well-being he’s concerned about, though. There’s also the numerous businesses and individuals he could have been helping.
“I had a guy text me and say, ‘What am I going to do?'” Hughes said of one of the businesses he had agreed to service with his now missing snow plow.
The damage that can be caused from neglected snow removal and winter weather in general can be devastating. In 2014 winter weather was second only to thunderstorms in total cost of weather-related damages in the U.S. and overall losses from winter-related disasters totaled $3.7 billion.
Despite the misfortune of his own situation, Hughes was able to offer some perspective on the importance of a snow fighter’s equipment via social media. As he points out, the right tools are crucial to success.
“I am a working man, this was my tool,” Hughes posted on Twitter. “Not right to steal a man’s tool.”
If you ever find yourself in an unfortunate position like Hughes and need to purchase a new snow pusher, we here at Pro-Tech are ready to try and make the best of a bad situation. Our emphasis on enhanced durability guarantees your Sno Pusher will see decades of use, and help you to better serve your community.