June/July 2023 - 19

A D V ERT O R I A L C OM P A N Y P R OF I L E
Are ice machines a
headache? Easy Ice
has the solution
As ice machines become increasingly popular
in the workplace, Easy Ice offers an attractive
solution for OCS and vending operators.
By Bob Tullio, contributing editor
If Easy Ice had been available
when I was an OCS operator, we
would have been all over it. Ice
machines can be bad news for
operators on many levels. Even
with a $250 monthly rental, ice
machines can easily make an
operator wait 18 months to two
years just to break even, especially
when the cost of installation and
service is factored in.
A simple model
If the need for ice machines is seen
by an operator as bad news, Easy
Ice offers a solution that is certainly
good news. " Our model is simple,
and operators love it. We buy the
ice machines that an operator
needs, and we lease them back to
the operator, " said Ryan Kelly, chief
marketing officer at Easy Ice.
At that point, operators can do
one of several things:
1. Either pass the cost on to the
customer.
2. Absorb the cost, if they need
to do that for some reason -
maybe as part of a very large
deal.
3. Charge the customer a monthly
rental that is higher than
the monthly lease cost - an
increasingly popular option that
results in immediate positive
cash flow.
There is another option that is
gaining interest. " Some operators
prefer to let us step in and deal
directly with their client. It simplifies
their life and allows them to focus
on their business, without having to
worry about ice machines, " he said.
Two enticing features
As Kelly points out, the Easy Ice
program allows operators to
preserve capital. While that is an
attractive feature, there is another
part of the program that may be
even more enticing to operators.
" We take care of the service - from
site surveys to installation (in most
cases) to any service calls. We will
even replace the machine if it goes
down and are prepared to step
in and provide bags of ice to the
client to hold them over, " Kelly said.
" For the operator, the biggest and
costliest headache - the service
component - is completely covered. "
Increasing demand
The increasing demand for ice
machines can put financial pressure
on operators of all sizes, but Kelly
feels that Easy Ice can level the
playing field for operators. " When
you are working with Easy Ice, a
smaller operator doesn't need to
flinch when they are told that getting
that new big account requires
multiple ice machines, " Kelly said. " In
many ways, our involvement levels
the playing field for an operator
who is trying to compete with the
industry's largest companies. "
The service challenge
While ice machines are an asset
and certainly do offer a return on
investment - a slow return, but a
return nonetheless - operators
have good reason to shy away from
trying to navigate the ice machine
business on their own. In addition
to the necessary capital outlay, the
current labor market has made it
difficult enough to find qualified
vending and OCS technicians;
finding one with ice machine
experience is a definite challenge.
" We have 35,000 machines
in operation, 20 branches, and of
those 20 branches, we have five of
them with refurbishing facilities, "
said Kelly. " We have been at this
for 14 years; we serve the entire
country, and we have numerous
third-party relationships with
service providers to strengthen our
ability to serve our customers. We
can service and replace machines
quickly and easily. "
The NAMA Show - A real
eye-opener
Kelly said the 2023 NAMA Show
in Atlanta was a huge success for
Easy Ice. " We had an opportunity
to introduce the concept to
operators - from both the vending
and OCS side. It was well-received
to say the least, " said Kelly. " Easy
Ice has generated tremendous
operator interest with our new
buyback program, which involves
buying out an operator's existing
ice machines, allowing them to
leave the ice machine portion of
the business to us. It certainly
has our phones ringing since we
introduced the opportunity to
operators in Atlanta. "
At the convention, Kelly and
his team found out something
that they knew already: operators
would love to get out of the ice
business for two reasons: the
equipment cost and the service
expenses. " The fact that we can
eliminate both of those issues and
allow operators to profit from day
one - it was a real eye-opener for
them, " he said.
To learn more about Easy Ice,
contact Bruce Trecek, national
affiliate program director, at
btrecek@easyice.com or
913-915-6162.
June/July 2023 * VendingMarketWatch.com 19
http://www.VendingMarketWatch.com
June/July 2023

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