A Gondola Ride to the Top

One might say it has been a gondola ride to the top for the new general manager of Prinoth’s North American snow grooming team. It has taken a while to get up the mountain, but the view has been great and Scott Jones is preparing for the next challenges.

With more than 20 years of experience in the fluid power world, Jones has taken on many key positions. He has worked in senior leadership, engineering, sales, operations and distribution in various organizations. For the past 13 years, he served as the regional vice president for the Womack Machine Supply Company, where he helped oversee operations for one of the largest distributors in North America. 

“I am extremely excited to be a part of the Prinoth organization,” Jones said, adding that the people he works with and the company culture are amazing. 

“As the North American general manager, I plan to bring different strategies and perspectives from my previous experiences while working closely with our resort partners.” 

Prinoth specializes in snow groomers, tracked vehicles and mulching attachments. The company belongs to the HTI Group, which is active worldwide in ropeways, urban transportation systems and wind energy markets. The snowmaking division was added at the end of 2010 to provide a complete offering for a one-stop shop for all winter-based technologies.

Jones’ interest in Prinoth sparked from a childhood love of skiing. 

“The ski industry has always been an interest of mine as I have been a skier much of my life,” Jones said. “From an engineering point of view, the grooming industry continues to be innovative and exciting in both technology and performance.”

Jones says that business relationships are fundamental to him, and he takes pride in offering a high level of care and support to all his clients. Listening to slope and trail grooming customers is vital to understand their needs. By working together, the company’s customers are better able to manage their grooming operations.

“The voice of the customer is the most important. I want to truly understand their needs and focus on making their job easier. This, in my opinion, is why it is so critical to be ahead of the game with innovation, performance and sustainability,” he said. 

Prinoth’s innovations

Some of these innovations are making great strides throughout parts and equipment industries, with advancements in alternative fuel sources being produced daily. Jones says this could also play a significant role in Prinoth’s business. 

“I believe alternative and clean fuels will continue to push the envelope,” he said. “More efficient park building technology, snow measurement, fleet management and true zero emission grooming solutions are well within our sights as well.” 

Throughout his years of work experience, Jones overcame many challenges along the way. These obstacles included major market corrections, acquisition integrations, enterprise resource, planning platform changes and supply chain constraints. Navigating these challenges now serves as a source of strength as he and the rest of the industry face future obstacles. 

Intending to move the company forward and upward strategically, Jones hopes to harness Prinoth’s full potential. 

“I believe the snow grooming sector has continued to invest in innovation as well as research and development, and I am excited to be a part of the new technology coming on board, including clean vehicle technology, reducing emissions and striving to provide a true zero emission solution,” he said. 

“The voice of the customer is the most important. I want to truly understand their needs and focus on making their job easier. This, in my opinion, is why it is so critical to be ahead of the game with innovation, performance and sustainability.”

Scott Jones, Prinoth

He also says that fleet management and snow measurement technology are evolving and could provide better solutions that potentially benefit Prinoth’s target markets.

“I feel very fortunate to be a part of a company like Prinoth with a very long and respected presence in the grooming market,” Jones said. 

The company is now celebrating its 60th anniversary, which he says is a testament to its resiliency and innovation. 

These values still exist within the company, as evident with the electric Husky eMotion being in series production and the hydrogen-powered snow grooming concept vehicle, Leitwolf h2Motion, which could revolutionize the process of snow grooming.

Jones says he looks forward to using his experience to help Prinoth thrive and contribute to a successful and sustainable future. 

“I am thrilled to be a part of this evolution and to help ski areas more efficiently manage their fleets and operational costs.”