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Cool Commodity, Hot Market

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Jul. 31--GULFPORT -- In the hottest months of the year, Keith Miller's job at Tegarden Ice Co. might seem like a burst of cool air.

"Slinging ice is real physical," said Miller, the facility's owner. "It's not as cool a job as everyone thinks it is. The ice is cool, but the work is hot. It gets really intense at times."

Tegarden Ice is one of very few remaining icehouses in South Mississippi. Fourteen ice companies produced ice for Coast residents in 1945, according to a phone book from that time. The numbers remained steady throughout the 1940s but began to fall during the late '60s. A 1973 phone book listed only five ice houses in the area. Only three or four companies that produce ice remain in South Mississippi.

This business that once thrived on residential customers is looking elsewhere to sell its product. Shrimpers, residents and city agencies lean on today's ice houses to provide ice for various needs.

During the two best times for ice sales, summer and hurricane season, Miller offers 16- and 40-pound bags of cubed ice for $2 and $5, respectively. Miller has a generator that allows him to continue producing ice even when the power goes out.

Sales are increasing steadily for dry ice, which goes for $1.10 per pound, and block ice, at $1 per block.

Sno-ball shops use the block ice in their shaved-ice treats.

But because of the growth of personal icemakers at businesses and homes, fewer people are heading to ice houses for cubed ice.

"If the icemaker broke and the dishwasher broke, most people would probably get the icemaker fixed first," Miller said.

Tegarden Ice and its five employees are now turning more toward dry ice to attract customers. Dry ice is a block of solid carbon dioxide that Miller keeps at 109 degrees below zero.

Dry ice serves many purposes, Miller said, such as helping agencies like the American Red Cross and police departments transport blood supplies. Up to 30 percent of Miller's customers are in the medical field. Shrimpers also use the ice to store or deliver their day's catch.

Modern refrigeration technology is bringing more change to the face of the icehouse. The walls of Tegarden Ice are lined with five icemakers and coolers. They have the capacity to make up to 13 tons daily, although the icehouse currently makes only about three tons on an average day. Typical machinery maintenance is all that's needed to keep these machines up and running, helping bring costs down.

Miller said he hopes to expand his business into the hot shot market. Hot shot delivery involves delivering ice to special events and to businesses whose ice machines are temporarily out of service.

Other local ice houses have made similar changes to keep up with different customers. Michael Glenn of Artesian Ice Co. in Gulfport said few ice producers remain on the Coast.

"You have to go further north to get more," said Glenn, whose business imports ice and distributes it to area businesses.

Meanwhile, the heat of summer is keeping Miller at Tegarden Ice busy.

"We harvest, so to speak, in the summer months," he said.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

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