[avatar user=”jessemirelesiii” size=”160″ align=”left”]Jesse Mireles, III
Chairman of the Southwestern Ice Association[/avatar]
I would like to start out by thanking everyone who came to the International Packaged Ice Association in my home town of San Antonio, Texas this last month! It was truly a pleasure having everyone out to tour our new plant. We have come a long way and having everyone here was a wonderful experience. Thank you again to all the sponsors and board members for hosting such a great week!
As we enter what are the slowest months for most of us ice men, something I want to focus on during this time is a quality product and a satisfied customer. We must all start to make much needed repairs on those pieces of equipment we put bandaids on during the peak months. This will ensure that we will be ready to produce a quality product next season and keep up with the demand from our customers.
While it is important to focus on our product, it is equally important to have a customer who is pleased with the product and service provided. During this time, it can be beneficial to check on the customers who you have serviced all summer to ensure you are meeting their needs. It is also a great time to visit any potential new customers to earn their business. Nurturing relationships with customers is an important part of our success.
As for our association, the SWIA is heading in a positive direction with the help of great board members and much needed support of our suppliers. As always, we are interested in getting new members and we encourage all of our current members to be more involved.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! I look forward to seeing everyone at the SWIA Convention in February.