PRESTON KAEHR

THE IDEA:

A purified water and ice kiosk providing pure, fresh and affordable water and bagged ice.

Bluffton-based Ice King Indiana is all about convenience. They provide purified water and ice to consumers at walk-up kiosks that are open 24/7/365.

Founder Preston Kaehr says Ice King is different from the competition because they offer the purest product on the market. He attributes that to the filtration system that uses reverse osmosis processes and a contactless distribution system. He’s also proud of the fact that it’s affordable, making it accessible to the masses. That’s because the model cuts out the middlemen costs related to transportation, employees and store overhead.

It’s been an exciting time recently. Preston shared that at the time of the grant application they were preparing to launch an initial marketing campaign to raise awareness about their first machine location in Ossian. Building on that momentum, Preston is confident that the company will provide the purest, freshest and most affordable ice and water to consumers in Northeast Indiana and surrounding regions.

Preston is also playing the long game. He considers their business model the future of retail due to several factors. The rising input costs of physical brick-and-mortar stores and the lack of available store workers have contributed to the current landscape. Preston considers these factors an opportunity for Ice King Indiana and is committed to making his vision of “15 in 5” a reality. That means that 15 machines will be placed in the next five years across Northeast Indiana.

What’s next for this startup? Preston says he’d like to install more units around the Midwest and employ more part-time drivers. In his estimation, these roles would help workers who aren’t ready to downshift from full-time work but want more flexible schedules.