Hamden Journal
January 16, 2002
Ted Greiner is one of those people who is convinced there was more snow when he was a young person growing up.
"We would build snow forts and igloos throughout the neighborhood," said the 41-year-old native of Hamden's Spring Glen area.
As a youngster, Greiner looked forward to winters full of the white stuff. "There were piles of snow in the 1960s, even on Easter, and I have the pictures to prove it," he insisted.
Now, as Hamden business owner, Greiner is selling a product that will produce snow when Mother Nature comes up short, such as during the current winter.
Greiner is marketing two machines that, if the temperatures are cold enough, will make snow in people's yards. He both rents and sells the portable machines.
The BackYard Blizzard and Blizzard Sport essentially are smaller and simpler versions of the snow-making equipment ski areas use.
Greiner said the concept of home snow-makers needs to be publicized more. "No one basically knows you can make snow in your own back yard," he said.
The machines are basic, he said, but can produce a 30-foot-high pile of snow overnight. The manufacturer's promotional material claims the machines can cover 1,000 square feet with 1 to 3 inches of snow in three hours.
"It's just a water pump, air compressor and a bunch of valves," said Greiner, owner of TJB Inc., a landscaping company off Sherman Avenue that specializes in building walkways, patios, water gardens and retaining walls.
He has sold about a dozen machines this winter. The larger Backyard Blizzard costs about $3,000 and the smaller Blizzard Sport is about $2,000. The machines can be rented for $250 for 24 hours, which includes setup and delivery.
Greiner rents six machines - four large ones and two small ones - and all usually are out if the temperatures are cold enough. Temperatures must be in the mid- to upper 20s or colder to make snow.
One drawback for the business, of course, is real snow. "When it snows, the market drops off," he said.
The machines do have certain electrical amp and water requirements. Special filters sometimes are needed for homes with wells.
Greiner estimated the hourly cost of running the machines for those with town water at $2.50 for the water and 50 cents for electricity.
Large yard is needed
People need a large yard, since the machines shoot snow a distance of up to 30 feet, and even farther when it's windy. The nozzle needs to be turned regularly.
Manmade snow, Greiner said, is denser than natural snow and will last a long time, even when it rains. "It's an ice-crystal formation and doesn't melt as quickly," he said.
The market for the snowmaking machines is limited, but growing. "We have snow nuts, and they are the ones who buy and rent these things," he said.
Greiner said most people rent or buy the equipment so their children can play in the snow. "They want them to experience what they did as kids," he said.
Some people rent the machines for birthdays, and rentals were particularly busy around Christmas time. "I had a white Christmas at my house," Greiner said.
One woman purchased machine to give to her husband as a Christmas present.
Greiner frequently uses snow-making machine at his house in Wallingford, and said the result is a sledding hill that is popular with neighborhood kids.
"Everyone ends up at our house," he said.
In fact, his house has become somewhat of an attraction. "People drive by and the snow catches their eye," Greiner said. "It's something they haven't seen before. They will stop and ask questions."
Childhood entrepreneur
Greiner, who grew up on Filbert Street, has been an entrepreneur since age 9.
"I started off as the neighborhood kid who would rake your leaves, shovel your snow, mow your lawn and walk your dog," he said, noting his parents expected him to earn his spending money.
"I'd do anything and everything," he said. "I did the things husbands and people's kids wouldn't do."
One job always led to another, and by age 16 Greiner had his first employee. He
named his business Ted's Job Bank.
The 1978 Hamden High School graduate also began transporting local senior citizens to appointments for a fee and opened a security business for churches, checking their buildings at night.
After graduating from the University of New Haven in 1982, Greiner focused full time on his growing business.
About two years ago, he decided to scale back his business and stopped offering most maintenance services.
"I wanted to less stress, fewer hassles," said Greiner, who is married with two children and lived on Wintergreen Avenue before moving out of town a few years ago.
The snow-making machines are a way for him to keep busy in the winter, when landscaping activities slow down considerably.
His business also handles plowing for nearly 140 accounts, mostly commercial, so Greiner doesn't really mind that much when it actually does snow.
