Water vending machine for sale near me

The Ice Merchant, Ice Kiosk, and Ice House

THE #1 ICE VENDING MACHINES:  Our ice machines are engineered to perfection. We equip each one with our SmartIce Remote Management System & HealthWise Filtration, ensuring a superior product is delivered at every vend. That’s why our machines represent over 90% of all the ice vending sales in the world. Don’t believe it? Visit our manufacturing facility to see our process for yourself.

RIGHT SIZE: When selecting the right ice vending machine for your business plan, size matters. We understand that choosing the right ice vending model depends on your planned investment levels, the market demand, and the constraints of your location. That’s why we designed our ice vending models to cater to the wide range of investors, markets, and locations. Whether you’re considering the sleek Ice Merchant or the best-in-class Ice House, we’ll help you evaluate your options to determine the right fit for your business goals.

LOCATION SERVICES: IHA will help you find the model size and capacity that meets your investments goals and location specifications. We will help you explore your market’s potential, and find the perfect location.

MAXIMIZE INCOME POTENTIAL:  IHA’s three models of ice & water vending machines allow you to maximize the earning potential of your location. Your vending business can become a destination that you will grow over time, or your existing location can be expanded to maximize earning potential. It is up to you, we provide flexibility.

• Ice House America is looking to expand its footprint in Maricopa County
• The company franchises and manufacturers large-scale ice and water vending machines
• There are 17 locations in the Phoenix area, and more than 2,000 in the nation
• A 20-pound bag of ice typically costs between between $1.75 and $2.25

A franchise business specializing in ice is hoping to make a mark in the desert.

Ice House America, a manufacturer and franchiser of ice and water vending machines, is looking to add as many as 40 units in Maricopa County. The machines are “freestanding, fully automated, 24/7 vending machines that sell bulk ice made with reverse-osmosis purified water,” Michael Little, vice president of marketing, said.

There are currently 17 locations in Maricopa County, and more than 2,000 across the United States.

“We just see the potential for providing a valued, very fresh, healthy bag of ice to consumers, but also because there’s definitely entrepreneurs in Phoenix who can jump in and really support it and do well,” Little said.

The corporation is made up of two brands: Twice the Ice, the distributor and legacy leg; and IceBorn, the franchise leg, which is available in Arizona. IceBorn was listed in Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top Hot Franchise Trends” list for 2015 in the vending category.

Three IceBorn models range in price from $19,000 to $150,000, according to the company website.

IceBorn ice is made fresh on site daily. Customers can get the ice in a bag or have it dispensed directly into their cooler.

A 20-pound bag of ice typically costs between $1.75 and $2.25 and can be dispensed in 12 seconds, Little said. Customers can pay with cash, credit card, Apple Pay or Google Wallet.

“For the client, we tried to make it very simple and quick,” Little said.

Once the unit is set up by the franchisee, costs are rent, utilities and maintenance, Little said. The life cycle of the machine is projected at 20 years or more.

“Once the machine is up and running, you could probably (manage) it on a weekly basis at a minimum five hours a week,” he said.

Ice House America was launched in 2003 by Bob Alligood, of Moultrie, Ga. He heard that the machines were being developed in his hometown, so he bought the patent and rights and started the business. He headquartered the company in Jacksonville, Fla.

The business was a way to break into the packaged ice industry, which is a $4 billion business in the United States, according to Ice House America’s website. The company started by marketing its product’s value, offering “Twice The Ice” at half the cost of a grocery store bag.

After Alligood sold the business in 2011 to Ulysses Management — a private equity company based in New York City — the company’s new executives began targeting the sanitation side of the ice manufacturing business.

They began offering IceBorn, which sells ice from a “fresh source,” in 2012. Unlike grocery store ice, IceBorn ice is not handled by a number of people before getting to the customers, and does not require being broken apart on a hard surface such as the ground, Little said.

Ice House America recently targeted specific markets in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest. They have been offering Twice the Ice units in Phoenix since 2008 but hope to grow the IceBorn footprint in Maricopa County.

In May, Little hosted a local seminar for prospective franchisees.

“We’re working with a select few of those (people) to really penetrate the Phoenix market as best as possible,” he said.

The company also offers support for veterans who want to enter the business. They offer deals such as 50 percent off franchise fees and waiving the first year of royalties for service members.

“The more we can give back to them, and support them, the better,” Little said. “They have a really strong work ethic and regimented system. What they’ve learned in the military fits very well into the system we have in place.”

IceBorn already has a footprint in Tucson. Joe Tooke moved to southern Arizona in 2012 from El Paso, Texas, after selling his business there and buying the Ice House America rights to Pima and Santa Cruz counties.

His first unit opened Jan. 1, 2013, and he now has eight units in Tucson and one in Nogales. He said IceBorn was a way to diversify his investments and stay mostly retired.

“The neat thing about this business is it’s a machine,” said Tooke, who is in the process of installing another unit in Tucson. “If you want to, you can be completely employee-free.”

The business consists of a lot of one-time payments, such as building and shipping the machine, hiring contractors and architects for the site and obtaining permits from the city, Tooke said. He hired his son-in-law to take care of maintenance.

Tooke keeps track of the business with Ice House America’s Smart Ice service-management system, which turns the machine into a “smart machine.” The website notifies the owner when the bags are empty, when the bill validator is full of cash or when the machine needs maintenance.

“You’re not trying to sell a store with 200 products,” he said. “All your normal simple business headaches are not present.”

Tooke said the most difficult part was trying to find a location for the machines. Most units are placed in strip malls because big shopping centers typically are prohibited by their lease clauses from housing them.

Ice House America helped by providing demographic breakdowns of Tucson.

“If I pick a location in Tucson I want to put a machine, they give me a rough number of what sales might be in that location based on demographic study,” he said.

Tooke said the business has been received well by customers because of price, quality and convenience.

“I’m very pleased with Ice House America,” he said.

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