story by Kim Souza
ksouza@thecitywire.com
Editor’s note:The Supply Side section of The City Wire focuses on the companies, organizations, issues and individuals engaged in providing products and services to retailers. The Supply Side is managed by The City Wire and sponsored by Propak Logistics.
It’s been a busy first year for Dave Yonce, serial entrepreneur from Tulsa, and partner Andrew Jenkins who soft launched a patented cooler that also works as personal air conditioner. In other words, it’s another one of those “only in America” devices that keep you and your beer cold.
Yonce, an avid outdoor enthusiast and family man, was camping with his kids in the near-100 degree summer heat a few years ago. He wondered why the family ice chest keeping drinks and food cold couldn’t also double as a personal air-conditioner. The result is the IcyBreeze, which is made in Bixby (near Tulsa).
Working with local designers Yonce came up with a prototype and began working on local production. Jason Shackelford, marketing director, joined the company a year ago. He said Yonce has a technology background having already sold-off at least one startup venture and is always dabbling in more. But now that the IcyBreeze invention is resonating across multiple sectors — from pilots who fly small aircrafts to soccer moms, tailgaters and pet enthusiasts — the small company is working to get the product in front of more consumers.
“It’s been a very exciting year for this startup company. We set up our own manufacturing center in Bixby and also bring in parts from Kansas and Arkansas to assemble and finish the products in Bixby which uses temporary workers to make large production runs as needed,” Shackelford said.
He said a large production run was made earlier this year and product is being sold at multiple online retailers as well as in Sharper Image stores, and a local lumberyard in Tulsa also is carrying the product. Much of the past six months has been spent working to get the product placed with more retailers.
“We met the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club teams earlier this year at a trade show. They have been so good to work with us. We were asked to pitch the product in Bentonville to a group of shareholders visiting in early June for the shareholder events. One executive in the group bought one on the spot, which was incredibly exciting for us. That was also the first week that the product began its Road Show demo in Sam’s Club,” Shackelford said.
The hydrid drink cooler/personal air conditioner is now part of a Road Show swing through 48 Sam’s Clubs this summer that stretch from Arizona to the Florida coast and includes Northwest Arkansas. Shackelford said the product was recently added to several online sites including Bass Pro Shops and Amazon. IcyBreeze recently obtained a Wal-Mart vendor ID and will soon be placed on Walmart.com.
Shackelford said the company has come a long way since it purchased a used motorhome and he took the product on the road from January through May logging 20,000 miles going to trade shows, outdoor events and other venues where he could let consumers see the product.
“Seeing is believing with his product. It can be incredibly hot outdoors and when you turn on the air conditioner which is embeded in the top of the cooler, and flex the hose upward the cool air will blow up to 35 degrees colder than the air outside,” Shackelford said.
If it’s a humid 95 degrees the unit, when filled with two quarts of water and ice, will blow air at 60 degrees. It also will keep drinks and food cold at the same time. The battery-powered unit will operate from two to seven hours. There are also adapters that allow the unit to be plugged into vehicle power plugs and 110 electrical plugs for patio use.
Shackelford said the units retail anywhere from $349 and $425 depending on the power plug options, but in all Sam’s Clubs the $375 Flurry Model which includes the 12-volt charging adapter for use in cars is being offered to members for $298 starting July 2. He said the promotion was something the company worked out with Sam’s Club to help provide more value to their members.
One interesting use for the IcyBreeze coolers the company had not originally considered was for cooling pets inside cars while their owners dine inside restaurants.
“My graphic artist today is working on a sticker to go on the automobile that lets a passersby know the pet is not sitting in a hot car, but it’s being cooled by an IcyBreeze air conditioner. Our customers have asked for this because they don’t want people to think they are abusing their pets and we are happy to help,” Shackelford said.
He said sales are growing with each retailer they sign on and the company expects to sell at least 10,000 units this inaugural year which is a great first step.