Dealing with snow is a significant part of winter life in Chicagoland. In 1978, at the age of 16, Randy Strait launched Arctic Snow & Ice Control with a pickup truck with a plow and lots of determination. His timing couldn’t have been better. The winter of 1978-1979 was the snowiest on record in Chicago.

Today, Randy is still in the snow removal business. But instead of one vehicle, he now commands the largest private snow removal fleet in the country. Arctic Snow has more than 500 CASE wheel loaders and skid steer loaders staged and ready to work at a moment’s notice when the snowflakes start to fall.

A two-decade partnership with CNH Capital has made financing this large fleet of new equipment possible. “Financing is truly the heart of this business,” says Randy. Flexible retail installment skip payment terms from CNH Capital are the key to financing this large fleet of new equipment. Arctic Snow makes payments from November- April, the months when income is coming in. 

“CNH Capital has a unique financing program where we can pay new equipment off in six months. It really helps with our cash flow,” says Randy. “Working with CNH Capital to give us those terms has been instrumental to our success.”

Fueling the Snow Business 

Arctic Snow sets itself apart from other snow removal companies because they own and operate their own equipment. Prompt snow removal is essential to minimize business disruptions and ensure safety for the hundreds of retail, industrial and commercial properties Arctic Snow serves. 

To provide that level of service, Arctic Snow needs reliable equipment… and lots of it.
 
“We buy brand new equipment every year so we can maintain an up-to-date fleet,” says Randy. “No client ever wants to hear that we can’t plow their lot because we had a breakdown. When I buy all these new machines, I’m providing my customers with the assurance that we can park snow equipment on their site. Then they know for sure that we are going to be there when they need us.”

Arctic Snow partners with CNH Capital in a unique multi-phase business model designed to maximize the utility and value of the machinery. 

After the first season of use, they sell the equipment to more than a dozen snow removal contractors throughout the U.S. CNH Capital facilitates these sales with skip payment retail installment contracts tailored to the contractors' seasonal cash flow, allowing them to defer payments during the off-season.

After the second season of use, Arctic Snow purchases all of the equipment back, utilizing 12-month retail contracts provided by CNH Capital. Arctic Snow then sells the used equipment to a diverse range of customers, not limited to snow removal, on a 12-month retail contract. These customers benefit from gently used machinery that has already proven its durability and performance. 

Looking Into the Future

Randy’s son, Lucas, is the next generation that is building the Arctic Snow legacy. He credits his parents for their entrepreneurial spirit, and to CNH Capital for helping make their dream a reality.

“I can firmly say that our relationship with CNH Capital is one of the big keys to our success,” says Lucas. “In any business, partnerships are crucial. It's one of the best partnerships we have.

“Our experience with CNH Capital has been fantastic. The people really do care about what they're doing. They understand us, they understand our clients, they understand the snow removal industry. No other equipment financing company has ever taken the approach CNH Capital has. They truly want to understand our business, and they have done a phenomenal job of polishing the relationship with us to provide that. 

“Building a legacy for my dad has been very important to me,” he continues. “When I wake up in the morning, I think to myself, ‘Get out of bed, earn it.’ I'm always looking to add to that legacy and add to my own legacy one day. When I look at where we go from here, CNH Capital is a part of that. It's been a fantastic partnership.”

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