From a fountain soda in a quick serve outlet to a high-end cocktail on the rocks, you’ve probably seen the power of Scotsman family of ice making solutions to drive your bottom line.
The company supplies cubes, flake, superflake, scale, nugget, and gourmet ice. Its team understands the importance of ice for discerning customers in the restaurant industry: many of whom can understand the P&L implications of utilizing the right between cube or superflake.
We talked with Ken Harris, Regional Sales Manager at Scotsman, and Jon Bowerman, President at P3 Reps, about their recent partnership and three-channel approach to marketing.
Within this innovative three-prong framework, P3 Reps – which offers foodservice solutions for New York, New Jersey, and Fairfield County, Connecticut – manages all of Scotsman’s interactions with foodservice dealers and consultants. ABCO, a long-time partner of Scotsman, will handle the HVAC channel and other ice machine parts. And Easy Ice, which offers commercial ice machine subscriptions, will partner with Scotsman alongside Kold-Draft: the creator of a specialized, 1 ¼-inch ice cube that elevates any cocktail.
When asked about the Scotsman P3 partnership behind this approach, Harris first paid homage to PBAC, the former sales representatives for Scotsman in Metro New York. “I want to express thanks, respect, and gratitude for PBAC. They’re great people and they worked hard for Scotsman and now Kold-Draft for several years.”
With PBAC’s traditional rep model and the 2022 supply chain challenges, the visionary Harris ready saw the need for Scotsman to rethink its approach to distribution. In response, Harris connected with Bowerman, who he’s known for years – and together, they began exploring the idea of distributing via P3.
P3 Reps is now the rep for Scotsman, and it’s distinct from Bowerman’s new P3 Distribution initiative. This latest branch will provide distribution services for both Scotsman and Kold-Draft throughout New York and northern New Jersey.
As partners, Harris and Bowerman are initiating the next chapter of ice machine distribution – and one of their main objectives is to cut lead times on product. P3 is set to open a warehouse in northern New Jersey, where local customers can pick up orders the day of purchase or request delivery for the next day, facilitated by high-volume movers in the area.
“Inevitably, all ice companies have lead time issues, and we do too,” Harris acknowledged. “But in the near future, Scotsman will have products stocked in northern Jersey, and high-volume movers will transport their products locally and efficiently.”
In a highly commoditized world, ice cubes are simply another product: so, what makes Scotsman unique?
Next to your neighborhood ice machine, Scotsman’s cutting-edge designs stand out – coupled with its sheer breadth of products. Since inventing nugget ice over 40 years ago, Scotsman has developed machines for an impressive range of ice forms. Its machines include intuitive, front-facing lights: green lights indicate a well-functioning system, while red lights alert operators to a system failure.
Every Scotsman machine also features a handy QR code. When scanned with a smartphone, the code provides information about the machine’s model and serial number, warranty information, parts list, and cleaning instructions.
To simplify cleaning, owners of Scotsman’s newest Prodigy ELITE® ice machine can download a smartphone application called Icelinq, which ensures intuitive operation and cleaning. “Owners should clean their Scotsman machines at least every six months; for bars and bakeries with yeast in the air, cleaning should occur more frequently,” Harris explained.
Aided by smartphones, it’s easy for owners to stay current on machine maintenance – but what happens when technology goes awry? Customers can take comfort in Scotsman’s competitive warranty portfolio, which includes three-year and five-year warranties: three years for machine parts and labor, and five years for the major refrigeration components. And because the Scotsman warranty is onsite, authorized service providers travel to customers and fix their machines.
Going into 2023, Scotsman upholds a strong warranty and fast, easy access to its product. Yet in view of a global climate crisis, Scotsman places equal emphasis on energy efficiency. “As leaders in the ice machine industry, we strive to make everything as energy efficient as we can,” said Harris, referencing the WaterSense probes inside every Scotsman machine. These probes measure the water quality of every ice batch: if the water quality is high, the machine reuses the remaining water to make the next batch, producing high-quality ice with less water and electricity.
With these probes, lights, and whistles, it may take some time for new owners to feel comfortable with their new ice machines. To make it easier, Harris points owners toward Scotsman’s online Resource Center. Preexisting customers can use the Comparison Tool to upgrade their current machines, while another tool helps new customers decide which machine suits their space.
Restaurants can utilize an energy-efficient Scotsman machine to chill their customers’ waters and soft drinks; and for higher-end bar orders, they can enlist the help of a Kold-Draft machine.
Under Harris’ and Bowerman’s partnership, P3 can transport both Kold-Draft and Scotsman products on the same truck, on the same day. “Currently, the highest-volume markets for Kold-Draft machines are New York and Los Angeles, where ice aesthetics are top of mind of some of the nation’s leading mixologists,” Harris concluded.
As P3 and Scotsman merge to meet the needs of customers and their cocktails, Harris and Bowerman look forward to a productive partnership: one defined by smart product distribution, energy efficiency, and great-looking ice.
To learn more about Scotsman, visit their website
To learn more about P3 Reps, visit their website
