October 30, 2025 - Bristol, CT — Construction projects often create temporary workspaces that present unexpected maintenance challenges. During a major expansion of ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut, campus, employees were relocated to temporary office trailers connected by elevated metal-grated platforms and stairways. When winter arrived, keeping those entrances safe quickly became a unique problem.
Unlike conventional sidewalks or concrete walkways, the grated metal stairs and platforms could not be effectively cleared using traditional snow removal methods. Shoveling proved difficult because snow passed through the grating, while salt and deicing materials were not an ideal long-term solution for the temporary structures.
Looking for a safer and more practical alternative, ESPN’s facility operations team installed HeatTrak Snow Melting Mats on the trailer entrances and stair landings, creating heated walking surfaces that automatically melted snow and ice as it accumulated.
“The temporary trailers presented a challenge we really hadn’t encountered before,” said Ron Coe, Facility Operations Supervisor at ESPN. “The elevated metal platforms and stairs didn’t lend themselves to conventional snow removal. We needed a solution that would keep employees safe throughout the winter without requiring constant maintenance, and HeatTrak fit that need perfectly.”
HeatTrak’s electrically heated snow melting mats melt snow and ice on contact at rates of up to two inches per hour, helping maintain safe pedestrian access even during active snowfall. Because the mats simply plug into standard electrical service, they were easily installed on the temporary structures without permanent modifications.
“One of the advantages of HeatTrak is its ability to solve snow-removal problems that traditional methods can’t,” said Hillel Glazer, CEO of HeatTrak. “Temporary construction sites, modular offices, metal stairs, scaffolding walkways, and other non-traditional pedestrian areas often present challenges where shoveling or deicing chemicals simply aren’t practical. Our portable heated mats provide an immediate solution that keeps employees safe while requiring virtually no ongoing maintenance.”
HeatTrak is the original inventor of portable snow melting mats and now has more than 1,000,000 mats in use throughout North America. Available in 120V, 208V, and 240V configurations, the mats plug into standard electrical service and automatically melt snow and ice as it falls. HeatTrak systems are used by Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, universities, transportation facilities, and commercial campuses to improve pedestrian safety while reducing winter maintenance challenges.
“Our goal was simple,” Coe added. “We wanted employees to be able to safely access their temporary workspaces regardless of the weather. HeatTrak allowed us to accomplish that without constantly sending maintenance personnel back to those trailer entrances after every snowfall.”
HeatTrak is the developer and original manufacturer of portable snow melting mats. Founded in 2004, the company’s products provide a safe, efficient, and economical way to prevent snow and ice accumulation in commercial, industrial, and residential environments. Today, more than 1,000,000 HeatTrak mats are in use throughout North America. Learn more about HeatTrak’s complete line of snow melting solutions at heattrak.com.
