WEST POINT — Following the sudden announcement last week that Arctic Glacier Premium Ice in West Point would be closing, the facility’s former employees and community leaders are working to figure out what comes next.
Last Tuesday, employees learned that the business had been sold to Home City Ice of Cincinnati, that operations were being moved to the company’s facility in Ottumwa, and that the business was ceasing operations at the West Point facility immediately.
The West Point facility employed about 12 people.
West Point City Administrator Randy Welding confirmed the sale and closure of the business to the Daily Democrat. He said Home City Ice purchased Arctic Glacier’s equipment, business accounts and routes, but said they were not interested in continuing operations in West Point.
One former Arctic Glacier employee, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Democrat they were not certain if any employees were offered positions with Home City Ice in Ottumwa but said those who were not able accept such an offer were given severance packages.
The former employee also said they believed most of the employees who were laid off have already found new jobs, with two or three believed to be West Point residents and the others being residents of either Lee County or the surrounding counties in southeast Iowa.
Originally known as Crystal Ice, the company was founded by Dennis Menke in 1978. In 2001, the company became a franchisee of Arctic Glacier Premium Ice. And in 2013, the business was sold to Arctic Glacier’s corporate owners.
The company manufactured and delivered ice to retail customers.
Almost 20 years ago, the West Point facility employed around 35 people, had the capacity take in over a million gallons of water within the span of a month and turn nearly half of it into ice, and on busy days, the facility could freeze as much as 25,000 gallons of water into 200 tons of ice, and ship thousands of bags of ice out to retailers all over the Midwest.
Arctic Glacier Premium Ice was founded in 1882 in Manitoba, Canada. Today, the company produces and delivers over two billion pounds of ice annually to over 75,000 customer locations across the United States and Canada, employes thousands across North America, and still has operations in several other states in the Midwest (but no longer in Iowa, as of last Tuesday).
Founded in 1893, Home City Ice began in Home City, Ohio (now known as Sayler Park) serving residential customers with home ice delivery prior to the modern refrigerator becoming common in homes.
Today, the company conducts annual sales of over $200,000,000 and has operations in Ottumwa, Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids, Rock Island, Quincy, Omaha, and many other locations spread throughout the Midwest, South, and East Coast.
The Daily Democrat attempted to contact Home City Ice on Wednesday to learn more about the acquisition but was unable to speak with any representatives.
With the facility having such a small staff, and with all tax revenue generated by the business going to Lee County and not the City, Welding said he does not foresee the closure having any significant impact on West Point in the immediate future.
Welding said Arctic Glacier still owns the West Point building and that he is working to contact the company to see what their plans they have for the future of the property.
Dennis Fraise, president and CEO of Lee County Economic Development Group, told the Daily Democrat on Wednesday that he has been in contact with West Point city officials and that attempts have been made to contact Arctic Glacier to see are any proactive steps that can be taken at this time to find a new use for the building, but said they are still waiting to hear back.
“Any time there’s a small community like that and they lost jobs, the community takes a hit,” Fraise told the Daily Democrat on Wednesday. “(West Point) is a very tight-knit community and it’s a very frustrating situation when you’re just caught up in those type of circumstance...
“We have put out feelers through local channels to make sure that they know that we’re here and would love to help them find a way to adapt or reuse that building.”
West Point Mayor Gary Peitz told the Daily Democrat he is not certain what the economic impact will be to West Point, but said he plans to work with Welding to see what the city can do moving forward.
“It’s always disappointing to lose a local business and having the lives of employees disrupted,” Peitz said.
