An employee at Mireles Party Ice prepares a pallet of bagged ice to be wrapped and shipped to its destination.There aren’t many winners when it’s this hot out for this long, but it’s safe to say those who sell ice for a living are in that small category.
The snowstorm that touched off power plant failures across Texas in February 2021 shut production down for five days. The boil water notice that followed, however, led to an unseasonably busy week, said Jesus “Jesse” Mireles IV, vice president and co-owner of the company. “We used to have to start the night before to make 3 to 4 thousand pounds,” said the elder Mireles. “Now we can do 20,000 pounds in an hour.”Jesus Mireles III grew up helping out at his grandfather’s fruit stand at Military Drive and Mission Road. He was working at Joske’s earning $1.70 an hour when his uncle suggested he try out the family business and sell fruit from the back of his 1964 Ford truck. He recalls spending $150 on produce, which he sold over a weekend, turning a profit of $235.
The new property had been a block ice plant, which were often built near produce terminals, he said. Before refrigeration, produceice plant to have ice sprayed over the fruits and vegetables for transport. For the first few years, the company built storage freezers on the property for ice still being made behind the store.
“Every day, there’s a new problem to solve,” said Jesse, who is also active in the International Packaged Ice Association, serving on its board during the pandemic. The IPIA accredits ice manufacturers, promoting high standards and consumer safety, reminding consumers what’s at stake with its tagline,Scott Ball / San Antonio Report