‘This is the place for ice’

Karen S. Kim

No matter how much sun might be bearing down on Glendale in the

summer, there’s one spot in the city that has remained a cool 20

degrees for the past 42 years.

Glendale Ice Co. on Salem Street produces 10,000 pounds of ice

each day and stores it in a frigid “ice house” on site. Its customers

include local restaurants, caterers, bars and hospitals.

“This is the place for ice,” owner Robert Bazikyan said Friday.

“No matter what, even on the coldest winter day, people are still

eating ice cream and drinking cold sodas. They need ice.”

Bazikyan said the company, housed in a small, blue-and-white

warehouse, has the capacity to make 20,000 pounds of ice each day.

Ice is sold crushed, in cubes, in blocks or dry. Measurements range

from 10 pounds to 400 pounds, with costs running from $1.60 to

$37.50.

Dry ice is usually sold to local hospitals, where it is used to

store plasma, blood and medication, Bazikyan said. But Glendale Ice

Co.’s biggest rush for dry ice comes at Halloween when everyone’s

looking for a spooky effect.

“Our phone rings all day,” Bazikyan said. “We are selling about

2,000 to 3,000 pounds a day during that time.”

The 42-year-old owner took over the business just two years ago.

Bazikyan, a refrigeration technician, spent years fixing and

maintaining the freezer equipment for Glendale Ice Co.’s former

owner. When the former owner decided to sell the company, Bazikyan

jumped on board.

And he’s been busy ever since, he said.

“On hot days, our stock is just empty,” he said. “We can’t keep it

full. Our machines are working hard, but our stock goes out as soon

as we make it.”