Omaha landscapers welcome snow after having to travel south to find business

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – After a long wait, Omaha metro residents saw some snow across the area Wednesday.

But many businesses needed to leave Nebraska and Iowa to get their snow removal operations kick started this winter.

In January, First Alert 6 spoke with co-owner of Owen’s Mowing Owen Kobes. He and his crew went to Bentonville, Arkansas for a snow removal job. Wednesday, his team went out in the metro removing snow for their customers.

It’s a welcome sight after a dry winter in Nebraska.

“Last night about 2 o’clock we had the whole crew come in. Which was great, we were able to get everyone involved,” said Kobes. “All of our plow trucks, salt trucks, snow blowers, sidewalk crews, every piece of equipment and all the guys we got.”

Crews were out all day, focusing mainly on business parking lots.

“We are plowing the lots, shoveling sidewalks, getting the salt or ice melt down,” explained Kobes. “Making sure everyone is safe, no one falls, that is the main goal.”

A lack of snowfall has been tough for their winter snow removal operations but his snow crews have remained steady at about 25-30 members.

“We do cut hours in the winter as needed, usually we do it as minimal as possible,” said Kobes. “With snow removal they get some added benefit of snow pay. So, doing all of these things, its all about keeping the guys around and keeping them happy and money in their pockets.”

While work is beginning to come in, Owen has traveled out of state for work. Along with Arkansas, Owen took a smaller crew down south to Houston for a similar job. A few weeks ago, the region was slammed with snow, something Texas residents are not sued to but fully embraced.

“We have a lot of people in Omaha that are not fans of snow, we get it, we are annoyed of it, in Houston they do not get it, and they get really excited for it,” said Kobes. “They had snowball fights, building snowmen, jumping around waving at us so it really is a fun event.”

For now, Owen and his team are back in the Cornhusker State, just in time for some fresh powder. He tells First Alert 6, he will remain in Nebraska but is open for work outside the state.

“Winter is not over, we got a month and a half, two months,” said Kobes. “I have plowed snow in May, I do not anticipate that but it happens. So there is definitely opportunity to catch up on our average snowfall.”

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