Not all ice machines are tough enough for hotel foodservice. Some don't work well, and others are just too much work. Difficult cleaning and slow ice production prompted Gary Novak, VP of engineering, and Chris Jones, HVAC manager, at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, to search out better equipment. They eventually chose Manitowoc's "S" series ice machines.
“Ever since Foxwoods switched approximately 30 ice machines to Manitowoc back in 2005, ice shortages have never been a problem. The bins are always full and keep our operations running smoothly,” Jones and Novak describe.
The cleaning process is no longer an issue either. "The ease of service allows us to clean the machines in minutes instead of hours, and our health inspectors like the design because the food zone can be thoroughly cleaned with no inaccessible areas,” they add.
These easy clean ice machines offer other benefits as well. "The water consumption is half of what the competitive machines we removed used, and the power consumption has been reduced by a minimum of 25 percent.”
"The durable design and reliable operation of these ice machines is outstanding. Overall cost have been cut, not only by lower power and water consumption by the ice machines, but also by the significant reduction of man-hours required to service the Manitowoc compared with the competitive machines we removed,” they add.