GARDENPlants and seeds

The Ice Plant

I am currently the plant manager of a plastics manufacturing plant in the mid west and I have a few niche sites. I got my start in manufacturing almost 20 years ago in an Ice manufacturing plant. There was a lesson I learned at that facility that I have never forgotten. I’d like to share that story with you.

I had recently been promoted to crew leader and was pretty proud of what my department had accomplished in a very short time. We had increased machine up time and efficiency by almost 45% in less than a month. Ok, I’ll be honest, the guy I replaced wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and it wasn’t that hard to improve on just about anything. The bottom line was we dropped the cost per 8 lb bag of ice from 32 cents to 25 cents. This was a significant savings for a local company that produced and sold 8 tons of ice a week during season.

Our little Ice Company serviced a fairly good size area in northern Texas. There was a national company who serviced the Dallas Ft Worth area and for years the two companies co-existed peacefully. Neither one crossed into each other’s territory. Until that is, my department made this unprecedented improvement to the cost structure. The owner decided he would go after the big guys and try to expand into the Dallas Ft Worth area. To do this, he cut the price that ice had been selling to retail locations to 0.28 cents per bag. This was almost 10 cents cheaper than the competition.

Well his plan worked, for a little while anyway. Did I mention that we were basically a “mom and pop shop” and that the competition was a national company? After our little Ice Company got to where we were a thorn in the competitions side they dropped their price and went back after their customers. Not to be outdone, the owner of our company slashed the price again. He lowered it to 23 cents per bag. I remember asking him if he understood that it cost us 25 cents a bag to make. He told me yes but that he’s make it up in volume!

Three months later, the doors closed for good on our little ice plant. I had been asked by the bank (who now had control of the company) to stay on a few weeks to help shut the facility down properly to protect their equipment. I remember standing in the middle of the refrigerated vault with a representative of the electric company. There was still a substantial amount of ice in the vault and they were getting ready to turn off the power. They asked me what was going to happen when the power was cut. The only response I could give them: We’re going to finish liquidating the assets!

What did I learn? Well, if you turn off power to a refrigerated vault full of ice you are going to see water seep from the building for 3 or 4 weeks. I also learned that while it was important in business to be assertive, set goals and make reasonable plans to achieve those goals, it is equally important to make sure that the goals you set are what you really want!

Please visit one of our stores at http://www.fantasylandlighting.com or http://www.mykidsrides.com

 

About the Author

Manufacturing plant manager with a background in remodeling construction, gemology and sales.

Tube Ice Plant

Magic Carpet (“Ice Plant”) Along Ocean Blvd.- Pacific Grove, CA $1.25

12 pcs 7″ to 8″ Cuttings ICE PLANT Succulent Ground Cover Delosperma $4.79

Delosperma Ice Plant Congestum 10 Seeds Pase Seeds $3.99

Delosperma Ice Plant Starburst 25 Seeds Pase Seeds $3.99

Delosperma cooperi PURPLE ICE PLANT Hardy Exotic SEEDS! $2.00

Ice Plants from the Garden of Jack Frost Stereoview Dainty and Beautiful $8.95

VINTAGE 1948 ADVERTISING MIRROR CALENDAR COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPII ICE LOCKER PLANT $19.99

Bllra. Tropic Lily ‘Ice Palace’ Orchid Plant in spike $9.95

10 Assorted Colors Ice Plant Seeds $0.99

Postcard-4 Newfoundland-Ice berg, puffin, outport,plant $2.00

B0128 Sedum Autumn joy stonecrop Gold Moss Worm Grass Ice Plant 500 Flower Seeds $0.99

Lo & Behold® ‘Ice Chip’ Butterfly Bush PPAF -Buddliea- Potted – Proven Winners $9.99

Banana Tree Musa ‘Ice Cream’ (Blue Java) $18.99

Pretty AND Hardy ICE PLANT- Cuttings, Delosperma cooperi, DROUGHT Tolerant $8.00

Micro-Trains 499 90 918 Ice Plant w/Deck Kit $39.95

12 pcs 7″ to 8″ Cuttings ICE PLANT Succulent Ground Cover Delosperma $4.79

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

Hosta ‘Fire & Ice’ Fantastic Dramatic Varigation Lg Pictured Plant #C $6.00

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

18 pcs 7″ to 8″ Cuttings ICE PLANT Succulent Ground Cover Delosperma $5.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

ICE PLANT FLOWER SEEDS – 25 FRESH SEEDS – MIX COLORS – FREE SHIPPING $0.99

Nicaragua Postcard Port Cabezos Ice Plant USS Overton Posted at canal zone! $9.99

African violet PLUG starter plant ICE FANTASY $4.50

HOSTA FIRE AND ICE PLANT SPRING NOT SOLD IN MISSOURI $4.99

HOSTA FIRE AND ICE PLANT SPRING NOT SOLD IN MISSOURI $4.99

HOSTA FIRE AND ICE PLANT SPRING NOT SOLD IN MISSOURI $4.99

RARE variegated ice cream blue jave banana friut plant $90.00

Ice Plant Seeds * Mixed Shades $0.99

Ice Plant Seeds * Mixed Shades $0.99

Palm Tree Beverage Tub with Oval Tabletop Wrought Iron Stand $69.95 This beautiful galvanized metal beverage tub will make your entertaining times fun and easy. It comes with a wrought iron tabletop stand that makes your entertaining look fun, yet elegant. Its handles will make it easy for you to lift up and take from place to place and adds additional beauty to this tub. Fill it with a variety of beverages for a special occasion or use it as a magazine rack for …

Bubble Magic 5 Gallon Herbal Extraction Ice Oil Wine Extract 3 Bag Set $57.18 Bubble Magic extraction bags are made of extremely durable and distinct-looking black canvas. Each seam is double stitched with extra strong nylon thread. These bags have a unique extra level of micron screen along the lower layer. Each set comes in it’s own personal black carrying bag….

Marijuana Leaf Candy Mold $3.69 2 cavity pop mold, uses 2.2 ounces of chocolate, pop measures approximately 4 inches long X 3 1/2 inch wide, uses a 6″ pop stick and a 4 X 6 inch poly or cello bag to wrap.This is a chocolate mold, will not withstand high heat and is not dishwasher safe. For general care: wash and rinse in warm not hot water and dry thoroughly….

12 Pack Kids Party Favor Super Songs CD (Packaged in carrying case with Stickers, Crayons and Coloring Book) $34.50 This 12 Pack Kids Party Favor Super Songs CD will be a big hit at your next birthday party. This party favor set includes 12 individual activity kits. Each kit has: 1 CD with 50 Super Songs that kids are sure to love (see track listing for entire list of songs), Stickers, Crayons and a Coloring Book all packaged in a convenient carrying case. This product is a perfect party favor to hand out at yo…

The Spectacular World of Classic Film Scores THIS IS A VINYL RECORD ALBUM WITH MUSIC CONDUCTED BY CHARLES GERHARDT CALLED “THE SPECTACULAR WORLD OF CLASSIC FILM SCORES”, & IT’S ON THE RCA LABEL #RL-42005 IN STEREO, & IT CAME OUT IN THE U.K. 1976! IT CONTAINS EXCERPTS OR THEMES FROM (19) CLASSIC FILMS LIKE: “FANFARES FOR MOTION PICTURE STUDIOS: UNIVERSAL, MGM, SELZNICK INTL., W/B + 20th CENTURY FOX IN CINEMASCOPE, CAPTAIN BLOOD(OVERTURE), NOW…

Flora Hydroponics Bubble Bag Extraction 5 Gallon 5 Bag Kit $42.00 The Micropore Bag Kit is a great way for cooks, gardeners, and proponents of self-sufficient living to extract countless oils and essences from their favorite plants and herbs. This kit comes with a carrying case, a 25 micron pressing screen, and five bags at varying sizes (25 micron, 73 micron, 110 micron, 160 micron and 220 micron), all color coded for easy identification and assembly. Each bag …

Vanilla Ice Sunflower Seeds $1.99 This unusual off white color will add interest to your arrangements….

Suncast 4 Industrial Coiled Edging, 4-inch $5.20 20 foot x 4 inches Black polyethylene industrial grade lawn edging Includes six inch connector…

Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series $19.80 With an unprecedented production budget of $25 million and from the makers of Blue Planet: Seas of Life comes the epic story of life on Earth. Five years in production over 2000 days in the field using 40 cameramen filming across 200 locations shot entirely in high definition this is the ultimate portrait of our planet. A stunning television experience that captures rare action impossible location…

Frozen Planet: The Complete Series (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) [Blu-ray] $24.94 The makers of “Planet Earth” literally go from pole to pole with this remarkable documentary series, as the majestic landscapes and hardy fauna of the Arctic and Antarctic are captured as never before…and, given the changing climate, may never be captured again. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish; featurettes. 6 episodes on 3 discs…