From a High School Side Hustle to a Rochester Business Journal Feature

Every business has an origin story. Northland's starts with one truck, one high schooler, and four clients back in 2018 — and it's grown into something the local business press has taken notice of. Here's how it happened.

One Truck, Four Clients, and a Lot of Ambition

Founder Greg Monrad began plowing driveways in high school, working a route by himself with a single truck. What started as a side hustle grew steadily year over year, first through word of mouth and referrals from happy customers, then through a reputation for showing up when other companies didn't. Today, Northland serves over 500 customers across Fairport, Webster, and the surrounding area, with a growing commercial base across Fairport, Brighton, Webster, and Victor as well.

An Unlikely Edge: Insurance Meets Snow Removal

Greg's other career as a commercial insurance broker shaped Northland in ways you wouldn't expect. Years spent insuring the properties other agencies turned away — the tough, high-claim risks nobody wanted to touch — built a mentality he brought straight into snow removal: take on the tight driveways, awkward commercial lots, and nowhere-to-put-the-snow properties that traditional plow operators pass on. It's the kind of perspective that only comes from seeing risk from the other side of the desk, and it's a big part of why Northland says yes to properties other companies won't.

The Rochester Business Journal Takes Notice

That growth and approach caught the attention of the Rochester Business Journal, which featured Northland in August 2026 for integrating technology into Rochester-area snow removal. The piece highlighted the systems that set Northland apart: live tractor tracking that lets customers watch their driveway get cleared in real time, geocoded property mapping that flags hazards like sprinklers and manhole covers before a crew ever pulls in, and dynamic route optimization that keeps storms moving efficiently as tractors finish routes and get reassigned. It's the kind of coverage that validates what customers have been saying in reviews for years — that Northland treats snow removal less like a chore and more like a logistics problem worth solving well.

A Team Effort, Not a One-Man Show

While Greg's story anchors the feature, the growth behind it has always been a team effort. Lucas Parkison's work keeping the fleet running and Justin's work keeping the office organized are just as much a part of how Northland scaled from four clients to hundreds without losing the reliability that built its reputation in the first place. Press coverage tends to focus on a founder, but the day-to-day execution is what actually earns a 5.0-star rating.

Why This Matters for Customers

Recognition from a publication like the Rochester Business Journal isn't just a nice mention — it's third-party confirmation that the technology and systems Northland has invested in are genuinely ahead of the curve for a residential snow removal company. For customers, that translates into fewer surprises, more predictable service, and a company that's clearly planning for the next decade rather than just getting through this winter.

What's Next for Northland

With a growing commercial client base and a residential fleet approaching 1,000 customers, Northland's story is still being written — one storm, one route, and one satisfied customer at a time. The same instinct that took the company from a single truck to a regional operation is still driving it: figure out the properties nobody else wants to deal with, and build the systems to serve them well.

Curious what the fuss is about? Read the full feature or check out our About page for the full picture.