How Much Do You Know About Howe Corporation? Take This Quiz!

While we have been in business for over 100 years, there are still a number of facts about Howe Corporation that even our most loyal customers don’t know.  While many understand the excellent cooling properties of flake ice, not everyone knows all the benefits of using flake ice, or the extent to which Howe ice products are used.  How much do you know about our fourth-generation, independent family-owned business?  Take our quiz and find out.

1. Which type of ice has the greatest cooling capacity?
A. Nuggets
B. Compressed ice
C. Flake ice
D. Hail

Answer: C. Flake ice.  Of all the different types of ice available on the market, flake ice has the lowest water content and the greatest overall cooling capacity.  Ice machines from Howe produce flake ice with the best cooling on the market.  Our ice has over 17,000 square feet of surface contact area per ton, significantly beating ice forms such as tube, shell, plate, or crushed ice, which only averages 4,250 to 13,500 square feet per ton.

2. Which of the following has greater cooling capacity?
A. One pound of 32° flake ice
B. One pound of 32° water
C. Both of the above are equal
D. Nothing is cool

Answer: A. One pound of 32° flake ice.  Even though water and ice can be very close to the same temperature, flake ice has far greater cooling capacity.  The difference is apparent when measured in energy.  One pound of flake ice comes in at 144 BTUs, while a pound of chilled water only comes in at 1 BTU.  Flake ice is highly economical to produce, offering effective cooling for shipping, retail displays, and many other applications.

3. Which is the northern-most location of a Howe ice machine?
A. San Antonio, TX
B. International Falls, MN
C. Fairbanks, AK
D. Inuvik, Canada

Answer: D. Inuvik, Canada.  Never heard of Inuvik?  Well, it’s located two degrees above the Arctic Circle, near the Beaufort Sea, and is one of the northernmost cities in North America.  Freezing temperatures can occur in any month, and the area’s long, frigid winters have produced temperatures as low as -70°F.  Even in climates like this, the efficient cooling properties of flake ice are essential to provide services such as food cooling for local businesses.

4. Which animals benefit the most from Howe flake ice?
A. Penguins
B. Polar bears
C. Horses
D. All of the above

Answer: D.  All of the above.  As reported in our recent blog about zoos and aquariums, flake ice from Howe plays an important role in keeping animals healthy and happy.  With machines that produce upwards of 40,000 pounds of ice daily, Howe plays a crucial role in helping animals of all types.  Polar bears and penguins have both benefited from flake ice, which helps recreate features of their natural environment.  Non-cold weather animals benefit as well, with flake ice helping to keep animals like race horses cool during the hot summer months.

Howe Corporation began by harvesting natural ice from Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, and since then has grown to manufacture ice machines that are instrumental in a broad range of industries and applications.  From city zoos to the northernmost populated areas in the Arctic, flake ice plays an important role in enriching people’s lives.  To find out more about the many purposes that our ice machines perform, please feel free to contact us today.