Be prepared: severe winter weather can catch managers off guard.

While the memories of a sweltering summer are fresh and much of the Northeast is enjoying an unseasonable warm Fall, executives at Harvard Maintenance, Inc., a leading New York-based independent building services provider, remind building owners and managers that now is the time to prepare for the often swift arrival of Winter weather.

"It's never too early to prepare for the often sudden onslaught of winter in New York City," said Stan Doobin, president of Harvard Maintenance. "That's why we make sure by early October that each and every building we serve has a Snow Emergency Contingency Plan in place, and that all building employees are aware of their responsibilities when a major storm hits."

Harvard has consistently received high marks for overall preparation and snow removal operations from office tower owners the company has under contract in Manhattan, and hundreds more throughout the tri-state area.

In addition to calling in extra workers to deal with the increased workload when a winter storm hits, Harvard's senior executives make advance sweeps throughout the area prior to the storm to insure that each building is adequately stocked with snow-blowers, fuel, salt, shovels and foul weather gear. When storms begin, Harvard executives continue to travel from building to building to supervise operations, trouble-shoot problem areas and fulfill special requests from individual owners.

"It's not enough to just stock supplies. You have to make sure that salt-spreaders are loaded, blowers are fueled and everything is in place for workers to spring into action as soon as necessary," said Mr. Doobin. "Despite the severity of some storms, I'm happy to say that the feedback we receive from our clients is overwhelmingly positive."

High profile properties such as those under contract with Harvard, many with sweeping plazas, large public areas, multiple entrances and lots of pedestrian traffic, present unique challenges to snow removal operations. Harvard's carefully thought-out and executed contingency plans insure a safe, efficient and orderly removal process.

Harvard Maintenance is the fastest growing privately owned company in the janitorial services industry. Family-owned and operated since its founding in the early 1900s, Harvard is responsible for maintaining millions of square feet of commercial buildings in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Maryland, Wisconsin and Florida. Harvard Maintenance provides a full spectrum of building services, including cleaning, security, metal, marble and wood care, messenger center and concierge services.