When folks think about companies that rely on ice machines, they automatically think of the hospitality industry. Sure, restaurants and hotels depend on ice, but so do a lot of other industries — including contractors.
Marketing Iceologist, Heidi, nailed down some time with Tracey Dean, CEO of Dean Contracting Roofing & Sheet Metal, for a chat about his business and, of course, ice. For decades, Dean Contracting has been one of the go-to commercial roofing companies in the Austin area.
As Tracey expresses, any company that puts workers on the road each morning needs an ice machine.
The Iceologist: Thanks for your time, Tracey. What kind of contracting company do you own?
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Tracey: We’re a commercial roofing company and we’ve been around about 30 years. Dean Contracting is a family business & we’re known for our quality work. We specialize in commercial projects including universities and schools in the Austin area. In fact, we roofed the original Reddy Ice* facility “about 100 years ago” (laughing).
The Iceologist: What’s been the key to your long-running success?
Tracey: It’s all in the leadership and our work speaks for itself.
The Iceologist: What’s the state of contractors these days? Were you hit by the recession?
Tracey: It was hit and miss for a while. A lot of folks were trying to do things on the cheap. So we ended up with a lot of roof rescues — you know, finishing what others didn’t do correctly or finishing jobs.
The Iceologist: How many employees do you have?
Tracey: Typically, between 40 -50. During busy periods, we employ up to 100 people.
The Iceologist: Why does a roofing contracting company need an ice machine?
Tracey: Every truck that leaves in the morning carries water and ice for the guys. Before we went with Easy Ice, I didn’t have an automatic ice maker and the guys would buy bagged ice every morning for their crews. But the costs of bagged ice add up quickly.
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I have an average of eight crew trucks leaving every day, and they need to stop & buy a couple of bags of ice every morning. And they need to buy more in the afternoon if it’s a hot day. On average, I was spending about $32 a day on bagged ice — that’s over $600 a month!
Plus, buying bagged ice was a time-waster. I was paying for my employees’ time while they stopped at convenience stores.
Easy Ice has been a great decision for us. Sure we’re paying for the water and electricity to run the machine, but we’re still saving a lot of money. Easy Ice is convenient, cost-saving, and a time saver. I’d recommend Easy Ice to any roofing or electrical contractor company.
Ice Maker Machine subscriptions make a lot of sense. They’re a no-brainer!
The Iceologist: What made you decide on Easy Ice?
Tracey: We were thinking about buying an industrial ice cube maker, then we learned about Easy Ice. The price and convenience are what sold us. The service has been seamless.
During the summer, we leave early for jobs, and time on the road is a big deal and we have jobs all over. Some days we’re working 12-14 hours. I’d rather have my guys get straight to the job, not to the store.
We go through about 600 lbs. of ice every morning. And by the next morning, the bin is full again. If you have a company like mine or any company where employees haul water to the site, Easy Ice is a no-brainer!
About Dean Contracting www.deancoroof.com Located in Kyle, TX, Dean Contracting is the premier commercial roofing company in the Austin area. Their decades of experience have earned a solid reputation for quality work, accurate estimates, and an impeccable safety record.
As the Co-Founder and COO of Easy Ice, John Mahlmeister has been working in the commercial ice machine industry since 2009. Co-headquartered in Phoenix, AZ and Marquette, MI, Easy Ice is the only national provider of full-service ice machine subscriptions in the industry. Since Easy Ice was founded, the number of ice machines under its management has grown to over 30,000 units across 47 states, with no signs of slowing down.