What Is the Liquid Network? The Origin Story
Episode notes
This is the first episode of the Liquid Network Podcast. Antonio Vacciari, who has spent decades helping contractors and municipalities move from rock salt to liquid deicing programs, sits down with Dan Schissler of ConSalt to talk about how they each found their way into this industry, and why they built the Liquid Network.
Dan studied environmental science and computer science at the University of Waterloo, then spent three years at Environment Canada researching how road salt affects freshwater ecosystems, years before he ever sprayed liquid deicer himself. Antonio discovered liquid deicing in the Pacific Northwest almost 25 years ago and brought the idea back to Canada. Together they trace that evolution and explain why they built the Liquid Network: a hub for the equipment, product, consulting, and education contractors need to get started with liquids.
What You'll Learn
- Dan's path from aquatic toxicology research at Environment Canada into the snow and ice industry
- Dan's first time spraying liquid deicer, and the honest mistake that came with it
- Antonio's origin story, from a family landscape company to liquid deicing almost 25 years ago
- Why the first ten years of Eco Solutions were an uphill battle, and how salt management plans changed that
- What ConSalt does for contractors: tech enablement, software development, and process automation
- What the Liquid Network is, and lessons from the first eco-filling station at Eco Solutions
In This Episode
00:00 - Welcome and introducing Dan Schissler
01:00 - Dan's background at Waterloo and Environment Canada
02:40 - The leap from science to snow and ice
04:45 - Dan's first liquid deicer spraying story
06:40 - Antonio's origin story
10:40 - How the industry reacted, and what changed minds
12:25 - What ConSalt does today
18:00 - What the Liquid Network is and the problem it solves
21:15 - A walkthrough of theliquidnetwork.ca
23:20 - The first eco-filling station: what worked and what they'd fix
26:55 - Where the Liquid Network goes from here
29:25 - Advice for contractors thinking about getting started with liquids
About the Guest
Dan Schissler is the founder of ConSalt, working with contractors and companies across the snow and ice, construction, manufacturing, and supply chain industries on tech enablement, software development, and process automation. He spent time at Environment Canada researching road salt's effects on freshwater ecosystems, and has partnered closely with Eco Solutions for almost four years.
Links and Resources
- The Liquid Network: theliquidnetwork.ca
- Eco Solutions: https://ecosolutionsproducts.ca/
- ConSalt: https://www.consalt.ca/
About the Liquid Network Podcast
The Liquid Network Podcast is hosted by Antonio Vacciari of Eco Solutions. Each episode is a real conversation with the people actually doing the work of winter maintenance, talking about what's working, what isn't, and where this industry is headed. No fluff, just real conversations.