About John Allin

John Allin, formerly president of Allin Companies and Snow Management Group, and currently a full time consultant to the snow and ice industry, is recognized as the foremost snow and ice industry consultant in the country today, with 35+ years experience in the snowplowing industry. John spent a good deal of that time developing and testing new snowplowing strategies from one of the most intense, lake-effect, snow belt regions in the country: the south shores of Lake Erie. As cold Arctic and Canadian air whips across the lake, a snowmaking machine kicks in, stretching from the shores of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and into New York, dumping 150” – 300” of snow each season. John saw this area as the perfect proving ground to bring snow removal into the modern age. With only one truck and one plow, he started Allin Companies, then Snow Management Group, which handled all the snow plowing for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, and went on to become the first national property management service company to deal specifically with snow removal. In 2004 John Allin initiated “Snow Dragon Snow Melter”, a machine used to melt snow on commercial properties in lieu of hauling snow off-site, and teamed up with Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ – PKOH) to build his patented concept, currently being marketed and sold throughout North America, Russia, Asia and Europe. After serving as President of Snow Dragon, LLC for three years, John sold his interest in Snow Dragon to Park Ohio.

Mr. Allin has authored several dozens of articles on snow removal for numerous national landscape and pavement maintenance trade publications. His book, “Managing Snow & Ice”, has become the industry bible by which plowing contractors in the United States and Canada now measure themselves and their businesses. In 1996, John helped create and organize the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), the first non-profit international support group serving snow-fighters everywhere.

A popular and nationally recognized speaker and seminar leader, Mr. Allin has spoken about the snow and ice industry at the Green Industry Expo (GIE), the National Pavement Expo (NPE), the Outdoor Power Equipment Expo (OPE), the Rental Dealers Association Expo, the Ohio Landscape Association (OLA), the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA), the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), SUNY Physical Plant Administrators, Chicago Rental & Real Estate Association, the New England Turfgrass Association Conference, The International Cold Weather Show in Washington, DC, and the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) Annual Snow Symposium. John has also been qualified as an expert witness on snowplowing in many snow area states in the USA.

John continually consults with contractors on snowplowing projects including airports, universities, large commercial properties and multi location accounts. Facility and property managers also rely on John to assist in writing specifications and SRPs (Snow Response Plans). They know John will make certain that his specifications call for efficient, state-of-the-art equipment, allowing the contractor (or property manager) to clear snow at the best possible price. John has also worked with lawyers for years on both sides of the legal table, providing expert witness testimony for claimants, plaintiffs and defendants. A shining example of John’s trusted reputation came when the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee chose SMG to manage all snow removal operations for the 2002 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES. He has also consulted to the City of Beijing, China on their snow removal operations. Additionally, John consulted on snow and ice management operations for several venues at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

John Allin john@johnallin.com 814.452.3919