John Allin

A year after leaving Gannon University, John Allin looked to create his own business in Erie, PA.  He established, as President and CEO of Allin Companies, a landscape and snow contractor business that served commercial and residential clients by providing professional landscape design/construction, maintenance services, snow and ice management, and holiday lighting.  With 55 employees, it was the largest landscape and snow contractor in Northwest Pennsylvania, with $2 million in annual revenues.  Fast-forward and John Allin is currently a full-time consultant to the snow industry.  

He was President of Snow Management Group (SMG).  SMG grew to service commercial sites in 40 states with over $42 million in managed revenues.  Overseeing 5,000 sites and 5,000+ pieces of equipment, SMG had 4,000+ employees and service providers.  In 2002, SMG conducted all snow and ice management at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.  As a result of this unique, $5 million contract, John invented and patented the Snow Dragon Snowmelter.  John Allin served as President of Snow Dragon, LLC, which was financed by Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation.  Mr. Allin traveled the world setting up distribution channels in Europe, Russia, China, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, as well as in North America.

Because of his extensive knowledge in the snow industry and vast experience, John Allin is recognized as the foremost snow and ice industry consultant in the country today.  He has been involved in the snowplowing industry for over 50 years.  He is the Founder of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) and served as its national board president for six years. 

John has authored several hundred articles on snow and ice management for numerous snow, landscape, and pavement maintenance national trade publications.  He has consulted on snowplowing projects all over the United States.  A popular and internationally recognized speaker and seminar leader, Mr. Allin has spoken about the snow and ice industry at trade shows all over the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia.  He has also been qualified as an expert witness on snowplowing in numerous states around the country and regularly assists legal representatives in actions involving winter accidents, such as slip-and-fall incidents on commercial sites.​

• Founder and Charter Member of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), served 6 years as board president.

• Member of Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA).

• Certified Landscape Professional (CLP).

• Member of Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA).

• Founder and Past Chairman of Snowfighters Institute, Inc.​​​​​​​

• Nationally recognized speaker on Landscaping and Snow Removal.

• Has provided presentation regarding snow removal at the following:

  • GIE National Convention on snow removal (1994-2003)

  • Power Equipment Expo in Louisville, Kentucky (1996, 1997)

  • Rental Dealers Association (1996, 1997)

  • Ohio Landscape Association annual meeting (1996, 1998, 2003, 2011)

  • Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (1999)

  • New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (1999, 2002)

  • SUNY Physical Plant Administrators Association Annual Meeting (1999)

  • Chicago Buildings & Real Estate Trade Show (1999)

  • Landscape Contractors Assoc. of MD (2000, 2002)

  • The International Cold Weather Show in Washington, DC (2000)

  • Keynote speaker at Michigan Green Industry Association (2005)

  • New England Grows (2002, 2005)

  • New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (2012)

• Contributing Editor to the following publications: Snow Fighters Quarterly, Lawn & Landscape Maintenance, Grounds Maintenance, Pro-Magazine, Landscape Management, Aviation Equipment Quarterly, Rental Product News, Snow and Ice Manager, Snow Business Magazine, Snow Magazine, Pavement Maintenance, The Landsculptor Magazine, the OLA's Landscape Contractor Magazine.

• Prior column contributor for Snow Magazine and Snow Magazine online.

• Served five years on the Editorial Review Board of the ALCA Advantage Magazine published quarterly by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America.

• Member of ASCA's Industry Standards Committee which established the first written set of Industry Standards for the professional snow and ice management industry.

• Past three-year member of the ASCA Advisory Board.

• Assists in writing Snow Response Plans, quoting large plowing contracts and reviewing on-site capability.

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