Ice House America Of Lufkin
Long-term
Lufkin-area residents, Mark and Traci Airington, have realized their
dream of business ownership with the opening of ICE HOUSE AMERICA of
LUFKIN. The business - located near the northwest intersection of
Timberland and Chestnut – is a freestanding ice production unit that
will vend ice directly to customers. The Airington’s state “our ice is
unique in that it is produced and dispensed at the production site. It
is not produced at a remote plant and then delivered to our location
for sale. This allows us to offer a better quality ice at a lower
cost” according to the owners. “Twice the Ice” is our motto, according
to Mark. Another benefit is the ice is not frozen together in the bag,
unlike many competitors’ ice. “One does not have to bang our bags
against the ground to loosen the ice”, states Mark. The water runs
through a water softener and filter before being frozen into ice,
resulting in ice that tastes good and is soft to chew. The customer
has two options for the purchase of the ice. The ice can be dispensed
into 16 pound bags provided at the site, or it can be delivered in 20
pound amounts into customer-provided containers. Another advantage
cited by the owners is that the ice is available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week without having to stand in a checkout line to pay for it.
Because the machine is fully automated, it allows Mark and Traci to
work full time in their respective careers.
“I first heard about this business after reading a newspaper article
my Dad had sent back in September 06’,” reports Mark. “I soon realized
this was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. My wife was very excited
after I explained the concept. Without her support, I couldn’t have
made this happen.” After researching the equipment and installations
in other areas of the country, they contacted the Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) at Angelina College for assistance in
developing a feasibility study and a business plan. Mark and Traci
state that the work of SBDC consultant Richard Hughes was a key factor
in the successful launch of their new enterprise. Brian McClain, SBDC
Director commented that “the Airington’s were an ideal client to work
with which allowed us to construct a business plan that was a
reasonable projection of financial expectations for their enterprise.”
Traci already had a strong business relationship with Joe Rich, JR.,
Branch President of Bancorpsouth of Lufkin. “This relationship with
Joe coupled with a professional SBA business plan Dick Hughes
constructed, was a major factor in the process of obtaining the
necessary financing for our project,” reports Mark. “I highly
recommend the services of the SBDC at Angelina College. Brian and Dick
have very experienced business minds and would be very beneficial to
anyone contemplating a business plan.”
The Airington’s own the rights to develop the Lufkin market and
surrounding areas. They are delighted with the response to the first
ice machine and plan to open a second location in Diboll in July 07.
