How Many More Summers Do You Want to Work This Hard?

There's something about summer that tells the truth.

If you've spent your career building an ice business, you know exactly what this season feels like. Long before most people have started their day, technicians are already on the road responding to service calls. Restaurants, hospitals, hotels, convenience stores, and grocery chains all depend on ice to keep their operations running, and when something goes wrong, they need help immediately. The phones ring constantly, schedules change by the hour, and every decision carries a sense of urgency. It is the busiest, most demanding time of the year, but it is also the season that reminds owners why they built their businesses in the first place.

After spending decades in this industry and having the opportunity to meet with owners across the country, I've noticed something that comes up in conversation almost every summer. At some point, usually during one of those particularly demanding weeks, an owner will pause and say something like, "I'm not sure how many more summers I want to do this."

That statement is often misunderstood. It isn't an admission of defeat, and it certainly isn't a sign that someone has lost their passion for the business. More often than not, it's simply the result of perspective. After years of carrying the responsibility for employees, customers, equipment, payroll, and every unexpected challenge that comes with owning a service business, owners naturally begin thinking about what they want the next chapter of their lives to look like.

Most people don't build a company with the intention of selling it someday. They build it because they value independence. They want to create something of their own, provide opportunities for their families, build careers for employees, and establish a reputation that customers can depend on. Over time, those ambitions become reality. One truck becomes several. A handful of customers turns into hundreds or even thousands. Employees become trusted friends, and customer relationships span decades. Those accomplishments are not accidental; they are earned through years of demanding work and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing.

What often changes isn't the business, it's the owner.

The definition of success evolves over time. Early in a career, success is measured by growth, new customers, and expanding into new markets. Later, it becomes about building a stable organization with talented people and loyal customers. Eventually, however, success begins to look a little different. It becomes less about proving what you can build and more about deciding how you want to spend the years you've worked so hard to earn.

That shift doesn't happen overnight. It usually arrives gradually, one busy season at a time.

Every summer brings another round of long days, emergency service calls, staffing challenges, equipment failures, and customers who need immediate attention. Most owners are more than capable of handling it - they've been doing exactly that for years. The more meaningful question isn't whether they can continue doing it. It's whether they still want to.

That is a very different conversation.

One of the greatest ironies of entrepreneurship is that the business that originally created freedom can eventually begin demanding nearly all of it back. Vacations become difficult to schedule because something always seems to happen. Family gatherings are interrupted by phone calls. Weekends disappear during the busiest months, and even when things are running well, the responsibility never really leaves your shoulders. Owners accept those sacrifices because they care deeply about their employees and customers, but after enough years, it's only natural to begin asking whether there is another way forward.

Those conversations often lead to another misconception…that exploring the possibility of selling means someone has already decided to walk away. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth.

The strongest conversations I have with owners almost always happen when their businesses are performing well. Their customer base is healthy, their team is strong, and they have the time to thoughtfully evaluate their options. Learning what a business is worth or understanding what a transition might look like doesn't create an obligation to sell. It simply gives an owner more information, and information creates flexibility. Whether that transition happens next year, five years from now, or never at all, understanding your options while you remain firmly in control is almost always preferable to making decisions under pressure.

One of the things I admire most about the owners I've worked with over the years is how deeply they care about their legacy. Contrary to what many people assume, those conversations rarely begin with valuation. They begin with questions about employees, customers, and the future of the business they've spent decades building. Owners want to know that the people who helped them succeed will continue to have opportunities. They want confidence that customers will continue receiving the level of service they've come to expect. They want to know that the reputation they've built one relationship at a time will continue long after they decide to step away.

What legacy really means

It isn't defined by the transaction itself. It's defined by ensuring that everything you've spent a lifetime building continues to thrive under the right stewardship.

Every owner eventually experiences a summer that provides a little more clarity than the one before it. For some, it simply reinforces how much they still enjoy running the business. For others, it marks the beginning of thinking differently about the future. Neither answer is right or wrong, but both deserve thoughtful consideration.

If you've found yourself asking, even quietly, how many more summers you want to carry this responsibility, it may be worth having a conversation. Not because you're ready to sell, but because you've earned the opportunity to understand what comes next.

The best transitions are rarely driven by necessity. They happen when owners have the freedom to choose. After everything you've invested in your employees, your customers, and your business, having that choice may be one of the greatest rewards of all.

About the Author

Darren Boruff is Chief Acquisition Officer at Easy Ice andhas spent more than three decades in the commercial ice industry, helpingowners navigate growth, succession planning, and business transitions. Havingled more than 140 acquisitions, he understands that every owner's journey isunique. If you're considering what the next chapter might look like or simplywant to better understand your options. Darren welcomes a confidentialconversation.

To connect with Darren:
dboruff@easyice.com‍

602-686-5491