Driving Efficiency in Winter Operations: A 10/10 Result from the Town of Ghent, NY

November 2025

How One Highway Superintendent Turned a Week-Long Winter Problem Into a 24-Hour Success Story

With winter operations it isn't as simple as throwing extra hours, extra staff, or extra budget to manage the incoming weather. Every storm is a pressure test on your team, your equipment, and your strategy.

But leaders who innovate and who are willing to rethink traditional methods, are the ones who set new standards for efficiency.

Highway Superintendent Benjamin Perry from the Town of Ghent is one of those leaders.

The Challenge: Persistent Hard Pack in Subzero Temperatures

Like many municipalities, Benjamin faced a recurring issue: hard pack that would cling to certain roads for over a week during extreme cold.

The Breakthrough: Treating 100% of his salt with ProMelt winter Liquids.

Benjamin made the decision to run a full test, treating all his salt with Magic-0 by ProMelt and applying it across his hardest-hit routes.

The results were clear and fast.

What changed:

• Hard pack that previously lasted a week disappeared in under 24 hours
• Trucks spent less time re-scraping and retreating
• Performance held strong in subzero temperatures
• Crews saved time, effort, and operational stress
• Neighboring municipalities came to observe and test the product themselves
• His entire team noticed the difference immediately

“It's a 10 out of 10.”

Benjamin describes the experience as the most effective improvement he's seen in his 12 years as Highway Superintendent.

“Every requirement we had, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, melting power, reduced time, ProMelt checked every box. I'd recommend it at a number 10.”

Why This Matters for Municipal Leaders

Benjamin's results show a broader truth about modern winter operations:

You don't need more hours in the day. You don't need to make major capital investments into brine generators and struggle with the associated steep learning curves and operational hassles. You need solutions that make each salt application work harder for you.

Liquids help operators:

• Maximize material usage
• Improve consistency across routes
• Increase melting performance in extreme conditions
• Save time without sacrificing safety

And that's why more municipalities are exploring treated salt and liquid integration as part of a smarter winter strategy.

Leadership Is About Choosing Better Tools

Benjamin a leader who embraced innovation to support his team, his community, and his resources.

Magic-0 by ProMelt was simply the tool that helped him unlock higher performance with fewer passes and less wasted effort.

If you'd like insights, data, or case studies on how winter liquids can support your operation, we're always here to start that conversation.

Smarter operations start with leaders like Benjamin and the tools that help them get more done with their existing resources.