Behind The Scenes At Towmaster Where Snow Plows Are Born

It won't be long before we see snow plows clearing our roads in Central Minnesota.  There's a good chance the snow plow you see was constructed at Towmaster of Litchfield. I was joined on WJON by Truck Equipment Sales Manager Tim Erickson from Towmaster.

Assembling Snow Plows

Erickson says Towmaster assembles snow plows with the accessories which includes the addition of the plow and wings.  Erickson says basically when they are done with them they are ready to go.  He explains the vast majority of the MN-Dot snow plows are manufactured in Litchfield including the ones that are named each year.

Cost

The cost of one snowplow can be as high as $500,000.  Erickson says the majority are valued at $300,000 - $400,000 range.  At Towmaster about 150 to 200 man hours are needed on each snowplow with an additional 100 hours for accessories.  Erickson says 90% of every component done on the truck is from the United States.  He says there are some pieces coming in from other countries due to supply chain concerns.  Erickson says they use as many U.S. products as they can and they are one of 2 facilities that use Minnesota products exclusively.

Plow Lifespan

Erickson says the life of a typical snowplow is 5-10 years although some townships may push that out to 15-20 years, depending on usage.  He says the plows used in high population areas, like the Twin Cities, have a 4-year lifespan.  Erickson says the technology of the plows has changed quite a bit over time.

2 Divisions of Towmaster

Towmaster has 2 divisions with one being their trailer division where they manufacture heavy duty industrial open deck trailers of all sizes and the other is truck manufacturing which works with state, counties, townships and city municipalities.  The trailers are distributed throughout the nation.  The truck division was created in 2008 and distributes snow plows throughout Minnesota with a few requests out of state.

Job Opportunities

Erickson says like many manufacturing facilities they are always looking for new talent.  He encourages anyone looking for a new opportunity to consider Towmaster.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Tim Erickson it is available below.