accredited snow contractors association

What accredited snow contractors association does

The Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) is a private, non-profit membership association founded in 2012 and headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, serving professional snow and ice management contractors across 37 US states and Canada. ASCA operates as the standards-setting and certification body for the industry, anchored on four pillars: the ANSI/ASCA A1000-2014 Industry Standards (the only nationally approved standards for snow and ice management services, recognized by insurance carriers as the documentation framework for slip-and-fall lawsuit defense), the ASCA-C individual certification (requiring 10 hours of annual ASCA-sanctioned education), the SN 9001 quality management system (layered on ISO 9001 with snow-industry-specific requirements verified through independent third-party audit), and legislative advocacy (the Snow Plow and Deicing Limited Liability Act model legislation, signed into law in Illinois, Colorado, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania).

ASCA's core product portfolio includes the ASCA-C certification program, ISO 9001/SN 9001 quality certification, the ASCA Learning Center (24/7 online education platform), Snow Magazine (the industry's leading business management publication), the annual Executive Summit conference, the Top 100 Awards and Leadership Awards programs, a member directory, and a bi-weekly newsletter. Distribution occurs through direct online sign-up, phone, email, and mail channels, plus insurance carrier partnerships that deliver a 15% average insurance rate discount to ASCA-C certified members.

The business model is membership-subscription based. Annual corporate membership dues are tiered by contractor revenue ($300 under $500K, $375 for $500K-$1M, $450 for $1M-$3M, $600 over $3M); supplier memberships are a flat $600 annually; associated memberships are $375 annually. A 10% discount applies to 3-year commitments. Certification fees, event revenue, and publication income supplement dues. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, executed by a 3-person core team (Executive Director Kevin Gilbride, Editor Mike Zawacki, Conference Manager Annemarie Gilbride), supported by content marketing, the bi-weekly newsletter, the annual Executive Summit, and 11 named Industry Partner relationships with equipment and materials suppliers.

Name

accredited snow contractors association

Legal name

Accredited Snow Contractors Association

Website

https://ascaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Accredited Snow Contractors Association is a non-profit membership association that provides standards, certification, education, and advocacy for professional snow and ice management contractors across 37 US states and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

24/7 Snow & Ice Response / Seasonal Contract Services (HSAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG), Contractor Onboarding, Vetting & Credentialing (BPACAGAC)

Keywords

• Snow and ice management
• Industry certification programs
• Trade association services
• Industry standards development
• Legislative advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Avon Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on company revenue tiers. Corporate members pay between $300-$600 annually depending on yearly snow revenues. Multi-year commitments receive 10% discount.
2. Supplier Membership Dues: Annual membership for companies selling products/services to snow and ice management companies. Flat rate of $600 annually.
3. Associated Membership Dues: Annual membership for individuals with interests in the industry who do not fall into other categories (e.g., consultants). Rate of $375 annually.
4. ASCA-C Certification Program: Certification requiring 10 hours of ASCA-sanctioned education annually for individual professionals in the snow and ice management industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) is a non-profit membership association that provides education, certification, written industry standards, quality management systems, and legislative advocacy for professional snow and ice management companies. It offers the ASCA-C individual certification, ISO9001/SN9001 quality certification, the ANSI/ASCA A1000-2014 standards, the Snow Plow and Deicing Limited Liability Act model legislation, and the annual Executive Summit.

Product overview

The Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) operates as a unified membership-based professional association offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on elevating the professional snow and ice management industry. The core offerings include the ASCA-C Certification program (the leading individual certification requiring annual education), ISO9001/SN9001 Certification (quality management system certification), and the ANSI/ASCA A1000-2014 Industry Standards (the only nationally approved standards for the industry). Supporting these are the ASCA Learning Center (24/7 online education platform), Snow Magazine (industry business management publication), and the ASCA/Snow Magazine Newsletter (bi-weekly publication). The association also hosts the annual Executive Summit featuring the Top 100 Awards and Leadership Awards, and maintains a Member Directory. Through advocacy, ASCA promotes the Snow Plow and Deicing Limited Liability Act as model legislation for industry protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASCA-C: Annual certification program for individuals working in the professional snow and ice management industry. Requires completion of 10 hours of ASCA-sanctioned education annually and membership in good standing. The leading certification in the snow and ice management industry.
• SN 9001
• Snow Magazine
• Executive Summit

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% average insurance rate discount for ASCA member companies with ASCA-C certified employees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Arctic Snow and Ice ProductsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner listed on ASCA Industry Partners section. Provides plows and snow removal equipment to the industry.
• BOSS PlowminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Manufacturer of snow plow products for professional contractors.
• Buyers ProductsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Provides snow removal equipment and accessories.
• CASE CEminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Provides construction and compact equipment for snow and ice management.
• DBK Salt SupplyminorOthersMaterials supplier partner. Provides salt and deicing materials to the industry.
• Fisher PlowsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Manufacturer of snow plows including Storm Boxx HX hydraulic-wing pusher plow.
• GDC LiquidsminorOthersMaterials supplier partner. Provides liquid deicing products for the snow and ice management industry.
• Meyer ProductsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Manufacturer of snow removal equipment.
• SnowEx ProductsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Provides spreaders and snow removal equipment.
• StormEQminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Provides storm and ice management equipment.
• Western PlowsminorOthersEquipment supplier partner. Manufacturer of snow plows including PRO-PLOW 3 stainless steel straight-blade plow.
• SnowCare for TroopsminorOthersCommunity partnership program that pairs snow contractors with families of deployed service members for free snow removal services.
• Project EverGreenminorOthersPartner organization for SnowCare for Troops program that supports military families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA): SIMA is the other major US trade association serving professional snow and ice management contractors. It directly overlaps ASCA's member base (commercial snow removal companies) and competes for the same education, certification, and event dollars, making it ASCA's closest comparably-positioned peer.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): NALP is the largest US trade association for the broader landscape industry, of which snow and ice management is a significant service line. It competes for snow contractors' dues and offers education, certification, and events at a broader but less specialized level than ASCA.
• Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS): PGMS is a US association for grounds management professionals, with overlap in commercial property maintenance including winter services. It represents an adjacent member base and competes for education and event dollars with ASCA's broader audience.
• American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA): ASLA is the professional association for landscape architects in the US. While it does not serve contractors directly, its members frequently specify winter services and standards for commercial properties, making it an adjacent influencer of ASCA's member buyer environment.

Others

• ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI is the US national standards body that accredits ASCA's A1000 standard. It is comparable as the umbrella standards ecosystem in which ASCA participates and against which future competing standards for snow services could be developed.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization): ISO owns the ISO 9001 quality management system that underpins ASCA's SN 9001 certification. It is the global standards authority whose framework ASCA extends into snow and ice services and which could, in theory, publish its own competing snow-specific standard.
• Project EverGreen: Project EverGreen is ASCA's nonprofit partner on the SnowCare for Troops program, serving military families with free snow removal. It is comparable as a community-impact partner organization that extends ASCA's reach into philanthropy and government-relations positioning.

Emerging players

• IACET (International Association for Continuing Education & Training): IACET is the leading US accreditor of continuing education and training programs. It is comparable because ASCA's ASCA-C certification is built on annual continuing education hours, and IACET accreditation (or a competing CE standard) could become a parallel quality signal for snow contractor training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ascanews
• Facebookfacebook.com/ASCAOnline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accredited-snow-contractors-association-asca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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