Lifelong friends Danielle Nesbit and Jennifer Trayler both come from entrepreneurial families, so it didn’t come as a surprise when they decided to start a business together. With backgrounds in marketing and sales, the pair knew they wanted to create a product-based business that was fun, had strong core values, and gave back to their local community. Seeing an opportunity to revamp an everyday product that had stayed the same since, well, forever, Nesbit and Trayler decided to venture into the predominantly male ice industry and shake things up.
As the self-proclaimed “Ice Princesses,” Trayler and Nesbit launched On The Rocks, an ice supplier that makes “the coolest, cleanest ice” for retail, hospitality, and special events. As the duo put it, “Ice can be interesting; it’s more than H2O in a solid state. Ice isn’t just something you ditch in a drink; it’s something you build a drink around.” Made in small batches to guarantee freshness, On The Rocks packaged ice is tasteless, crystal clear, and free from minerals and additives. The ice is stored and distributed in temperature controlled freezers and vehicles to keep the product perfectly frozen. In addition to packaged ice, On The Rocks produces round ice cubes for cocktails, as well as designs and crafts ice sculptures for any occasion.
Nesbit says that starting a business is not an easy thing and is not for everyone. She and Trayler have seen their fair share of challenges, but according to her, “What seemed like an obstacle at the time, always ended up being an amazing lesson that led to better things in the future.”
Now an established brand in its hometown of Vancouver, On The Rocks is also sold in grocery and liquor stores in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Surrey. Additionally, the company has provided ice for events such as Live at Squamish, Voices in the Park for Sarah McLachlan’s School of Music, Vancouver Pride Parade, and more.
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