Can you present ICEMAX in a few words?
Above all ICEMAX is a friendship that started three years ago with the purchase of the company created 10 years earlier by Nicolas Menault, an engineer native from Bergerac who now is in charge of the development and innovation.
The three associates of the beginning then started by completely reposition the brand. The priority was to guarantee the finish quality and the resistance of the product to the temperature constraints it is subjected to by changing part of its structure and by establishing precise specifications for the marking solutions in partnership with our printers. These changes have ironed out the imperfections that appeared over time and that really were reliability issues. We then redesigned the visual identity of the brand with a communications agency we are fully satisfied with.
Two uses for one product? How does it work?
It exactly is what makes ICEMAX unequalled on the market of the coolers. The active substance of ICEMAX is simple: modified clay injected in a double insulating and conducting side that stores the cold and restores it during at least two hours, whether it is used to keep the bottle fresh or to cool it.
ICEMAX is a cooler that works without water nor ice which, without making it totally ecofriendly, enables us to meet the current requirements by avoiding to waste a precious natural resource, water. ICEMAX also respects our customers’ products as the label of the wine or the Champagne is not spoiled by the water.
What distinguishes ICEMAX from the other coolers?
Beside its technical advantages, ICEMAX offers an unequalled marking surface and quality in terms of customization. This enables us to remain extremely close to the graphic universe of our customers and to position our product somewhere in between the uprange promotional tool and table ware. We are also proud that ICEMAX is made in France which is rare enough to be mentioned.
A product for both the professionals and the general public?
Our prior development line has been to work with the professional networks: merchants, HORECA, chateaus, shops, and business gifts. Moreover the customization on demand being our strong communication line, it was obvious for us to turn towards the professionals seeking something different from the classic corkscrews, blackboards, gel sleeve coolers and other promotional products. Retail distribution is a different trade on which we will focus within the next two years through a network of retailers, a makeover of the website and, we hope so, a presence in the supermarkets. We started working on it in late 2016.
A completely customizable product?
Indeed, except the label that remains the same to resist to cold temperature loads, we work with specialized printers. This is how we can meet precisely the graphic requirement of our customers with a total respect of the Pantone colours, gold or silver hot stamping, and finishes like spot varnish, lamination, thermography …To be mentioned, our price list starts from 24 copies.
What are your projects in 2017?
This year again we will be an official partner of VINEXPO and we will present our last innovations on which we are working assiduously.
The study of a connected ICEMAX is in process and it will make the headlines, but I keep it secret … New formats will also be created to correspond to the various sizes of bottles that are appearing on the market, and new finishes will be added to our range to meet more practical concerns in terms of costs.
Interview by Charlynne Zirah