How Much Ice Plant Owners Can Make on $158M First-Year Sales
Based on the researched assumptions, this ice plant generates about $158M in first-year revenue from 265M units sold, rising to about $284M from 413M units by the fifth year Listed production costs total about $082M in the first year, leaving about $150M before fixed overhead, delivery, financing, taxes, and reserves Average ice plant owner income cannot be stated from this data alone because those owner-level cash items are not provided Treat the numbers as planning assumptions, not guaranteed salary or automatic distributions
Owner incomeN/ANet margin81.8%–84.7%Revenue for target pay$15.8M–$28.4MBusiness difficultyMedium
Want to test your ice plant owner income?
Owner income calculator
This calculator estimates owner take-home and the target-pay gap from revenue, margin, costs, reserves, and target pay.
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Planning note: Research-based planning estimate only. Actual owner income depends on sales mix, collections, payroll, taxes, debt, and reinvestment needs. It is not guaranteed salary, tax advice, or owner distribution advice.
An Ice Plant can be profitable year round, but only if sell-through by season stays strong; production capacity alone won’t tell you that. The model grows total units from 265M in year one to 413M in year five, but it does not split demand by month, so summer demand, events, retail accounts, restaurants, construction customers, and emergency orders all matter. Cold-weather slowdowns can squeeze cash, so plan reserves by peak, shoulder, and off-season months.
Peak demand drivers
Summer orders lift cash fast.
Events create short spikes.
Restaurants need steady supply.
Emergency demand can jump suddenly.
Slow season controls
Track off-season sell-through monthly.
Hold cash for cold months.
Use scenario plans by season.
Match production to real orders.
What ice plant operating costs reduce owner income the most?
For an Ice Plant, the biggest hit to owner income is usually electricity at 4% to 6% of revenue, then indirect plant labor at 3% to 5% and maintenance at 3% to 4%. Here’s the quick math: at $100,000 in monthly revenue, electricity can run $4,000 to $6,000 before you even count the rest. If you want startup context, see What Is The Estimated Cost To Open And Launch Your Ice Plant Business?, but the real margin pressure is in operating costs.
Biggest margin drains
Electricity: 4% to 6% of revenue
Indirect plant labor: 3% to 5%
Plant maintenance: 3% to 4%
Water treatment: 2% to 3%
Unit costs to track
$0.08 packaging bag
$0.25 bulk liner
$0.20 large-block film
$0.05 to $0.40 labor per unit step
How much revenue does an ice plant need to pay the owner?
At $158M of first-year revenue and about $150M of gross profit, an Ice Plant can pay the owner only after fixed overhead, delivery, debt service, maintenance reserves, and working capital are covered. Here’s the quick math: $150M ÷ $158M is about 94.9% gross margin, so the cash left for owner pay depends on those missing costs, and every extra $100,000 in reserves or debt service cuts take-home by $100,000.
Owner pay math
$158M revenue sets the top line.
$150M gross profit is the starting pool.
94.9% gross margin is implied.
Owner pay comes after all fixed costs.
What cuts pay
Fixed overhead comes out first.
Delivery and debt service reduce cash.
Working capital ties up money.
Every extra $100,000 lowers take-home by $100,000.
Want the six ice plant income drivers?
1
Production
2.65M-4.13M
More ice sold spreads payroll and rent over more units, so owner take-home rises with plant load.
2
Pricing Mix
$15.8M-$28.4M
A bigger share of bulk and block ice lifts revenue faster than small bags, with little added cost.
3
Uptime
94%-95%
Tight control of power, water, and downtime helps hold the mid-90s gross margin.
4
Packaging
5%-6%
Bags, film, fuel, and commissions look small per unit, but they cut deep at scale.
5
Contracts
60 mo
Longer sales deals smooth demand across the 60-month model and reduce cash swings.
6
Overhead
$1.17M
Fixed payroll, rent, and reserves set how much profit is left for the owner in slow months.
Ice Plant Core Six Income Drivers
Production Capacity Utilization
Production Capacity Utilization
When the plant sells more of what it makes, fixed costs get spread over more bags, blocks, and bulk units, so owner pay improves. Modelled total volume rises from 265M units in year one to 413M units by year five, about 56% more output. First-year source volume also grows from 15M cubed bags and 750,000 crushed bags to 23M and 115M by year five.
The key metric is sell-through = sold units / produced units. If the plant makes ice that does not ship, revenue stalls while labor, power, refrigeration, and overhead keep running. Unused capacity leaves fixed costs uncovered, so the owner only takes home more when sold volume, not just production, clears fixed costs and reserves.
Track Sell-Through Weekly
Measure produced units, shipped units, and sell-through by product line. Tie forecasts to contracted demand, not machine hours. A plant can look busy and still miss cash if output outpaces orders, especially when the goal is to move from 265M to 413M modeled units without leaving overhead uncovered.
Track these inputs: sold volume, produced volume, fixed overhead, and reserve funding. Set a minimum sold-volume floor before owner draws. If downtime or weak orders push sell-through down, delay distributions and protect cash; unsold ice is idle capacity, not profit.
1
Pricing And Channel Mix
Pricing and Channel Mix
Average selling price (the blended price across channels) moves owner income faster than volume when costs stay steady. First-year pricing is $350 per cubed bag, $375 per crushed bag, $1,500 per large block, $2,500 per cubed bulk unit, and $750 per small block. Cubed bulk drives $625M of first-year revenue, while cubed bags drive $525M. Wholesale, retail, restaurant, event, and bulk accounts need separate margin and delivery assumptions.
Model Price by Channel
Track revenue by channel, not one flat price. Use units sold, mix by product, delivery burden, gross margin, and fixed costs to estimate cash for debt, reserves, and owner pay. If a lower-price channel needs more drops or labor, extra revenue may not raise take-home income. Model average price by channel, not one flat price.
2
Utility Efficiency And Uptime
Utility Efficiency And Uptime
When power, refrigeration, and water systems run cleanly, the plant keeps gross margin and delivery promises intact. In this model, electricity is 04% of cubed bulk revenue, 05% for bagged and small block products, and 06% for large blocks. Plant maintenance adds another 03% to 04% of revenue, so outages hit twice: higher unit cost and lost sales.
The owner’s take-home pay depends on revenue that actually ships. Track kWh, refrigeration failures, water quality checks, maintenance hours, and downtime by product line. If downtime rises, unit cost goes up and deliveries can be missed, which cuts the cash left for debt, reserves, and owner draw.
Track Power, Repairs, And Lost Runs
Measure utility cost as a share of product revenue each month and compare it to the modeled 04%, 05%, and 06% targets. The key inputs are product mix, electricity use, maintenance spend, and lost production hours. A weak mix or a spike in repairs can wipe out the margin that was supposed to fund the owner.
Use preventive maintenance before breakdowns start. A simple downtime log should show hours lost, orders missed, and repair spend by machine. One clean repair plan protects cash better than repeated emergency fixes, because every missed delivery can cost both the sale and the margin behind it.
3
Packaging, Handling, And Delivery Cost
Packaging, Handling, and Delivery Cost
These costs hit cash fast because they sit between gross sales and owner pay. Bagged ice carries $0.08 packaging plus $0.05 bagging labor, or $0.13 before delivery. Large-block ice carries $0.20 film and $0.30 molding labor. Bulk loading adds $0.40 labor, and bulk container liners add $0.25. If route costs run high, strong sales can still leave weak take-home income.
Delivery cost is not provided, so model truck fuel, driver labor, freezer handling, route density, and delivery frequency separately. Dense routes protect margin because the same truck and labor spread over more stops. Thin routes do the opposite: more miles, more handling, and less cash left after overhead. Route density is the main profit buffer here.
Track Cost by Unit and Route
Measure packaging and delivery by product line and by route, not plant-wide. Compare each unit’s handling cost with its selling price and gross margin, then watch whether route frequency is lifting fuel and driver time faster than case count. If a route is sparse, raise minimum drops, tighten stop spacing, or bundle deliveries so owner cash does not get eaten by travel and handling.
Bagged ice: $0.13 before delivery
Large block: $0.50 before delivery
Bulk loading labor: $0.40
Model fuel and driver labor
Favor dense, repeat routes
4
Seasonality, Contracts, And Retention
Seasonality, Contracts, And Retention
Predictable demand is what turns an ice plant from busy to bankable. The model shows annual units only, from 265M in year one to 413M by year five, so monthly swings are hidden. That matters because summer peaks can create cash, but the owner’s pay depends on whether off-season sales stay strong enough to cover fixed staff, plant runs, and reserves.
This driver includes recurring accounts like restaurants, convenience stores, event venues, construction, and bulk buyers. Signed supply deals lower unsold inventory risk and improve production planning. If monthly volume drops in slow months, gross margin can look fine on paper but free cash can still tighten fast, which delays owner draws.
Improve Contracted Volume
Track contracted volume, renewal rate, and monthly shipped units by customer type. Here’s the quick test: if one account type drives peak demand but fades in winter, add signed minimums or diversify into steadier routes. The goal is not just more ice sold; it’s more ice sold every month.
Measure monthly volume by segment.
Set minimum order commitments.
Watch renewal dates early.
Hold cash for slow months.
Staff to contracted demand first.
Use reserves to cover the gap between peak and off-season cash. If delivery plans rely on summer-only sales, owner pay becomes uneven. Stable contracts make staffing cleaner, cut wasted production, and protect the cash available for draws.
5
Fixed Overhead, Debt, And Reserves
Fixed Overhead, Debt, And Reserves
Fixed overhead is the cash you pay before owner pay: facility payments, insurance, permits, admin payroll, equipment loans, refrigeration repairs, freezer maintenance, trucks, and required reserves. Here’s the key point: the model shows about $150M of first-year gross profit before these deductions, so owner income cannot be finalized until those costs are known.
Every $1 of debt service, reserve funding, or reinvestment cuts distributable cash by $1. So even with strong gross profit, the owner’s take-home can swing fast if overhead is heavy, repairs spike, or lenders require larger monthly payments.
Track Cash Before Owner Pay
Build a monthly bridge from gross profit to owner draw. Track fixed overhead, debt service, and reserve funding separately, then test how much cash is left after each line. If you do not isolate those buckets, you can overstate what the owner can safely take home.
List every fixed monthly payment.
Separate debt from repairs.
Set a reserve target in writing.
Forecast owner pay after cash needs.
For this plant, the right question is not just profit; it is cash after obligations. If refrigeration, trucks, or freezer work is lumpy, keep a reserve buffer so owner pay does not depend on one strong month.
6
Scenario objective: compare lean, base, and high ice plant owner-income cases
Owner income scenarios
Owner income stays high here because ice has low unit cost, but delivery fuel, fixed payroll, and debt service can pull take-home down fast. The scenarios show that spread.
Low, base, and high cases show how volume and freight change take-home.
Scenario
Low CaseDownside case
Base CaseBase case
High CaseUpside case
Launch model
This is the downside path where lower utilization and heavier delivery drag cut owner take-home.
This is the modeled opening-year path with the first-year product mix and full core staffing.
This is the upside path where higher volume and better mix push owner income toward the fifth-year run-rate.
Typical setup
Volume runs below plan, the owner stays hands-on, and freight pressure plus fixed payroll keep the month hard.
Year 1 is about 2.65M units, $15.8M revenue, a $5.97 blended ASP, and about $12.9M EBITDA before debt service.
Year 5 is about 3.83M units, $28.4M revenue, a $7.43 blended ASP, and about $24.1M EBITDA before debt service.
Cost drivers
Lower utilization
higher delivery fuel
fixed overhead
maintenance reserve
debt service
Modeled volume
$5.97 blended ASP
94.7% listed gross margin
6% delivery and commissions
fixed overhead
Higher utilization
stronger mix
higher ASP
fixed overhead spread
lower unit freight
Owner income rangeBefore owner reserves
Below $12.9MLower take-home
$12.9MModel take-home
$24.1MPeak take-home
Best fit
Use this to stress test a weak month, slow routes, or heavier freight.
Use this as the main planning case for budgeting, staffing, and lender talks.
Use this to test upside if uptime stays high and sales keep climbing.
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Planning note: Scenario ranges are researched planning assumptions, not guaranteed earnings, salary promises, tax advice, or distributions.
