Holiday Ice has been family owned and operated since 1974. From the products we produce to the services we provide, everyone at Holiday Ice is committed to the safety and satisfaction of all of our employees and customers.
It all started with one 15 ton ice maker and a pickup truck in 1974. Today, with 2 ice plants and 4 distribution centers, Holiday Ice has the capability to produce almost 500 tons of ice per day in order to best service customers in Virginia and North Carolina.
Holiday Ice Mission Statement
Holiday Ice Inc. and it’s employees will always strive to produce the best quality packaged ice products and services by providing a sound workplace, continuous reinvestment in our facilities, and constant re-evaluation of our processes. We will be good stewards of the environment around us and we will work to support the charities and needs of the communities in which we live and work.
History
Holiday Ice began its operations under the vision and leadership of Jim Russell Sr. in 1974. At that time, he recognized the needs of packaged ice in the local community of Suffolk, Va. and he felt like it would be a good compliment to his home heating oil business and growing convenience store chain.
The company began by operating from a 30’ x 50’ freezer panel building with 15 tons of daily production and 1 pickup truck to make deliveries.
As sales for packaged ice grew and the demand for services expanded beyond the normal routes, the decision was made to increase production and fleet operations accordingly. In the early 90’s, two sons returned to the business to help Jim push the business to the next level. In 2005, the company opened a brand new, state of the art ice manufacturing facility. This facility was capable of producing 170 tons of packaged ice each day utilizing the most advanced packaging equipment available. Sales steadily grew and once again outpaced production so an additional 100 tons per day capacity was added in 2007. Customer demand for Holiday Ice’s extreme level of service and quality products forced the company to move into additional markets. From 2010 through 2016 Holiday made several acquisitions that enabled the company to reach new markets to the west of Tidewater and strengthen operations in North Carolina in order to enhance customer service and satisfy the requiremnts of its growing customer base. Today, Holiday Ice operates from 2 production facilities and 5 distribution centers in 2 states. The Russells still maintain ownership of the company but we like to think of all of our team members as “family”.
Why Holiday Ice?
“All ice should be this safe”
We believe that most people today ASSUME that the products they purchase for consumption are safe. While it is true that many packaged ice companies have some sort of “basic” water treatment, it is also true that many do not. Unfortunately, most people believe that once you freeze water all the contaminents and impurities are removed. This is simply not true and further information about ice contamination can be obtained by viewing SAFEICE.ORG.
A closer look at the level of commitment to customer satisfaction and quality products shared by all of the employees at Holiday Ice should answer the question of why you need Holiday Ice.
For starters, our ice goes through a rigorous process of tests and filtration to ensure only the best, cleanest, most pure product is put into our bags.
- Filtration: our water comes from both the local municipalty and local wells. We then run it through a 10 micron filter, then a 5 micron filter, then a process called Reverse Osmosis filtration. Once the water passes through the RO filter, it passes through an Ultra Violet light filter before being suitable for freezing and final product packaging.
- Audits and Testing: All packaged ice products are tested monthly (at minimum) by outside testing agencies. Our plants are inspected frequently by auditors such as FDA, Local Health Dept., NFS and IPIA (International Packaged Ice Association).
- Food Safety Training: All key employees must participate in Food Safety training classes provided by professional agencies yearly. All production employees attend bi-annual food safety and personal hygiene classes. All employees receive Food Safety and Security training before attending work and on an annual basis. Each production facility maintains it’s own Food Safety Manager on site.
Our Commitment
We are committed to providing a safe and satisfactory working environment for our employees. Through the use of technology and best management policies and procedures we will only produce the best products and deliver world class services to our customers.