One local hardware store owner says now is the time to begin preparations for the snowy season that is fast approaching - to get ahead of a potential supply chain issue.

Alan Butrico, owner at Brooklyn’s Best Locksmith and Hardware, says he had a feeling shovels and salt would be hard to find. He made sure his business is fully stocked. 

MORE: Bronx hardware store owner says plan ahead to get in front of supply chain issues

“We normally start out with one trailer around this time of the year, but this year we have three trailers,” says Butrico. “We usually stock up with about 500 shovels, but now we have 3,000.” 

Butrico tells News 12 he had a hard time trying to get what he needed. He says when called his distributors in the summer to stock up, they laughed at him. 

“Now nobody has shovels, and they can't get them everything stuck on containers coming from China or wherever it's coming from,” says Butrico. 

It took calling 14 different distributors, from Canada to Pennsylvania, to make sure his shelves were fully stocked with shovels and salt. 

Butrico offers this advice to everyone. 

“Don't wait for it to snow. Because once we run out, there is no more. We can't get any more shovels at all,” says Butrico. 

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