For years the company supplied not only refrigerated storage, but also ice to merchants and the railroad alike. In 1903, ice was cut from the Boise River and local ponds, stored in the cold storage facilities, and then sold to the railroads and merchants. Then came the early ice production using a salt-brine process to make 300-pound blocks of ice, which were then cut up and used in block form or crushed. This process was used into the late 1950’s.
One of the keys to this premium ice is the pure water drawn from an artesian well located hundreds of feet below the current plant. The result is a pure, tasteless, colorless, clear, ice that has become the absolute favorite of many in the valley.
For nostalgia buffs, refer to the Idaho Statesman contained an ad placed on June 30, 1932, which featured this pure ice "made from deep artesian well” water and noted a two digit telephone number used at that time. Also the historical pictures show the plant in its early days, the loading dock, and the railroad tracks near the plant.
Today we have three over efficient ice-making machines to produce our ice; we are capable of producing 200 tons per day. We have a packaging line as well as a fleet of drivers who then distribute our crushed and block ice to commercial grocery retailers, convenience stores, manufacturing plants, restaurants and special events all over the Treasure Valley.
