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Shops See Boost In Business As Winter Approaches

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota has yet to see its first major snow fall of the year, but there are plenty of people who aren't waiting to pull out the snow blower. Repair shops are seeing a rush in business.

There's already a flurry of activity at Cedar Small Engine in Minneapolis.

"I don't wait for it to come down," said Pedro Chavez, who bought a snow blower.

Chavez is thinking winter and the work that Minnesotans know all too well.

"You got to be ready for this. You don't want to shovel do you?  You sure don't want to shovel," said Chavez.

Last year' s snowfall is fueling an early surge in business.

"It's typical if you have real snowy season, the next year is typically early and hard with people coming in. They're panicky," said Derrick Wood of Cedar Small Engine.

Snow blowers are selling as soon as they hit the floor.  Some are even on hold before they make it to the store.

"If you're thinking of getting a machine, don't think too long," said Wood.

It's not just new sales that are seeing a boom. The waiting list for repairs is about three weeks, but when the snow starts falling, Wood said it'll jump to a month or more.

"They did work hard last year, so, now's a good time to do oil changes, check paddles and scrapers," said Wood.

Mechanics are even coming in on weekends, a workload similar to last January.

"We're trying to get them in and out of here as quickly as we can," said Wood.

It's preparation for the inevitable, and winter is just around the corner.

"Snow is coming. Snow is coming," said Chavez.

The last time Cedar Small Engine saw this kind of rush this early in the season was about 15 years ago. Several other repair shops around the metro are also seeing a surge in business.

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