SIMA Symposium Booming

SIMA continues to rapidly establish itself as the leading national organization for snow and ice professionals. The association's membership is nearing 800 - which is nearly double from a year ago - and at this year's Symposium, SIMA President John Allin announced a new certification program - the Certified Snow Professional (CSP) Program.

"Our ultimate goal with this program is to raise the standards of the profession and recognize those individuals who have made the commitment to being true snow and ice professionals," explained Allin. "We've seen what similar programs or certifications can do for other industries like plumbing or electricians, and while we've got a ways to go to get to that level, we think this is an important first step."

Individuals can obtain CSP certification by taking a day-long exam and scoring at least 70 percent on each of the six sections of the exam, which are:

• Risk, law and contracts;
• Business planning, accounting and management;
• Technical aspects of snow and ice management;
• Mechanics of snow and ice management;
• Sales, marketing, communications and public relations; and
• Health, safety and human resources.

The first CSP exam will be offered Aug. 25, 2001, in Pittsburgh following SIMA's first Fall Leadership Meeting. The CSP will also be offered at this year's Green Industry Conference, Nov. 10-13, 2001, in Tampa, Fla. In the future, the exam will be offered three times a year, and individuals who receive the certification will be required to meet ongoing certification requirements to maintain their CSP status.

"I think being a CSP can offer real benefit to snow professionals," explained Allin. "The most obvious benefit is the personal satisfaction of knowing you are among the best in your industry and at what you do. People should take a lot of pride in that. At the same time, I think individuals will be able to help their businesses grow by promoting that they are a CSP and letting customers know they are more than just a plow jockey."

Next year's Snow & Ice Symposium will be held June 6-8, 2002, in St. Louis. For information on attending or exhibiting, contact SIMA at 814/835-3577.