08-04-2025
At DeVos Place, vendor shows off new ‘Pothole Punisher'
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Winter may be behind us, but the snow removal and treatment industry is already getting ready for next year.
The North American Snow Conference continued Tuesday at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, with vendors showing off their technology.
More than 3,000 people have signed up to attend this week. Over 150 vendors are on hand to display their technology and equipment to city crews. The event also provides education and training on clearing snow and ice from roads and bridges.
One product being shown off is aimed to deal with the damage left behind from cleanup: potholes.
Plows, equipment, ideas on display at 'Show for Snow'
It's no shock to you if you drive around West Michigan: There are potholes all over the place.
'Potholes cost the insurance company and cost you as consumers millions and millions of dollars a year,' said Kurt Schwartz, the territory manager for KM International, an asphalt maintenance equipment manufacturer based out of North Branch, Michigan. 'Vehicle damage, trying to dodge a pothole, hitting something.'
If you ask Schwartz, a pothole's worst enemy may be his company's Pothole Punisher. He says it's used by Grand Rapids, Lansing and Michigan Department of Transportation crews. It's a trailer that allows crews to keep asphalt at a hot working temperature for two days, so it's ready to go to fill the potholes.
'It's a big issue and we have the solution to help you fix the potholes in Michigan,' Schwartz said.
KM International is one of the vendors taking part in the so-called 'Show for Snow' this week. The event gives crews like Grand Rapids Department of Public Works the chance to check out new snow equipment and technology for the future.
'We get to look at new technology, new types of equipment and of course interacting with each other,' Grand Rapids DPW Director John Gorney told News 8 Sunday. 'There is always someone trying something new and that interaction with each other is fantastic. When it's snowing, we just don't have time. That's the main reason. Now, while we are looking at current budgets and future budgets, if there is new equipment or tech it is the perfect time to get those orders in and plan for next year.'
The equipment is not just for clearing the roads. METEC Metal Technology, based out of Toronto, focuses primarily on clearing sidewalks. On Tuesday, they showed off their compact snow blower made specifically for sidewalks. Grand Rapids has used a different contractor the last few years to clear nearly a thousand miles of sidewalks around the city.
'I don't know how the snowfalls are here in Grand Rapids, but where we're from, you can get a couple feet,' said Ben Martin, METEC Metal Technology's marketing manager. 'Clearing the sidewalks is important to keep everybody safe, we salt them to make sure nobody's going to slip.'
The final day of the snow conference is Wednesday.
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