6-digit U.S. detail
312113
Ice Manufacturing
Description
Ice manufacturing establishments focus on the production and processing of frozen water into various forms such as crushed, flake, cube, or block ice. These facilities typically employ cooling equipment like refrigerators, chillers, or ice makers to convert water into solid ice, which is then stored and distributed for consumption or commercial use. Many operations are relatively small family-owned businesses that serve local hotels, restaurants, and municipal facilities, while others function as large industrial plants supplying ice to major corporations or processing centers. The industry encompasses a wide range of operators from single-unit retail producers to multi-location networks with regional distribution capabilities. Activities include the continuous operation of freezing units, maintenance of equipment, quality control testing of ice density and purity, packaging, and logistics for timely delivery. A significant portion of these companies also provide supplementary services like water delivery or specialized ice for brewing and hospitality sectors. Although often overlooked as a commodity sector, ice production remains vital for cooling systems, food preservation, and recreational use, ensuring consistent supply across diverse climates and consumer demands. The scope extends from neighborhood markets to large-scale industrial complexes that prioritize high-volume output and regulatory compliance.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 312 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing subsector manufacture beverages and tobacco products. The Beverage Manufacturing industry group includes three types of establishments: (1) those that manufacture nonalcoholic beverages; (2) those that manufacture alcoholic beverages through the fermentation process; and (3) those that produce distilled alcoholic beverages. Ice manufacturing, while not a beverage, is included with nonalcoholic beverage manufacturing because it uses the same production process as water purification. In the case of activities related to the manufacture of beverages, the structure follows the defined production processes. Brandy, a distilled beverage, is not placed under distillery product manufacturing, but rather under winery product manufacturing since the production process used in the manufacturing of alcoholic grape-based beverages produces both wines (fermented beverage) and brandies (distilled beverage). The Tobacco Manufacturing industry group includes two types of establishments: (1) those engaged in redrying and stemming tobacco and (2) those that manufacture tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars. |
| 3121 | Beverage Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing soft drinks and ice; purifying and bottling water; and manufacturing brewery, winery, and distillery products. |
| 31211 | Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) manufacturing soft drinks; (2) manufacturing ice; and (3) purifying and bottling water. |
| 312113 | Ice Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Ice manufacturing establishments focus on the production and processing of frozen water into various forms such as crushed, flake, cube, or block ice. These facilities typically employ cooling equipment like refrigerators, chillers, or ice makers to convert water into solid ice, which is then stored and distributed for consumption or commercial use. Many operations are relatively small family-owned businesses that serve local hotels, restaurants, and municipal facilities, while others function as large industrial plants supplying ice to major corporations or processing centers. The industry encompasses a wide range of operators from single-unit retail producers to multi-location networks with regional distribution capabilities. Activities include the continuous operation of freezing units, maintenance of equipment, quality control testing of ice density and purity, packaging, and logistics for timely delivery. A significant portion of these companies also provide supplementary services like water delivery or specialized ice for brewing and hospitality sectors. Although often overlooked as a commodity sector, ice production remains vital for cooling systems, food preservation, and recreational use, ensuring consistent supply across diverse climates and consumer demands. The scope extends from neighborhood markets to large-scale industrial complexes that prioritize high-volume output and regulatory compliance. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing dry ice--are classified in Industry 325120, Industrial Gas Manufacturing; and
- 02Retailing ice through vending machines that they service--are classified in U.S. Industry 445132, Vending Machine Operators.
Index Items
Block ice manufacturing
Ice (except dry ice) manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Optimizes inventory of perishable raw materials like water sources and minimizes waste through real-time tracking and automated expiry date alerts.
Accelerates order fulfillment for high-volume B2B and retail ice requests by dynamically routing delivery routes based on weather conditions and demand spikes.
Reduces fuel costs and delivery times while ensuring consistent product quality by providing optimized routing for frozen logistics across varying temperatures.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 312113.
American Frozen Food Manufacturers Council
Trade association representing frozen food manufacturers, including ice processors, providing industry advocacy and resources.
US Department of Commerce - National Economic Database
Government page from the Economic Development Administration listing details for NAICS code 312113.
SBA - Ice Manufacturing Industry Guide
Small Business Administration resource offering profiles and contact information for small ice manufacturing businesses.
