ISS and ICEGRID® conquer the industry

#QUALITYFIRST

ISS AND ICEGRID® CONQUER THE INDUSTRY

Author ISS GmbH, DE – 63263 Neu-Isenburg, www.iss4u.com Photos left: Mark Nelson, right: Imago

With decades of good and reliable work, ISS Ice, Sports & Solar has managed to position itself in the world of ice technology with its own unique selling proposition. The company with locations in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt and Borna near Leipzig is in demand worldwide wherever ice quality and sustainability are concerned. Quality, not quantity, is the guiding principle.

Whether for ice hockey, curling, speed skating or public skating, the ICEGRID® system developed and patented by CEO Said Hakim meets every requirement in terms of ice quality and sustainability. Many institutions, associations and clubs such as the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), USA Curling, German Ice Hockey League (DEL2), World Curling Tour, Curling Zone, Löwen Frankfurt, EC Kitzbühel and many more have been persuaded of this. As official ice technology partners, they are in constant contact with the ISS research and development department. Thanks to the constant feedback from the field, this yields a classic winwin situation.

Internal training Said Hakim took over the family business from his father ten years ago. With a strong and loyal team, ISS has been a proud pioneer and innovation leader for over five decades. Its internal training system, in which all employees pass through all technical departments in the company, places emphasis on making the complexity of the work and the importance of the perfect meshing of all the various skills second nature to everyone. This is particularly important, as the company offers not only its ICERACK® and ICEGRID® ice rinks, self-made dasher boards (TÜV-certified/for public skating only) and ICEPRO hockey boards, but also the customized construction of chillers, air-conditioning units and heating systems in its air conditioning and refrigeration department.

At the same time, each specialist also sees himself as an all-rounder and part of the supply chain. Without staff turnover, the wealth of knowledge is passed on. Even the customer senses the excellent working atmosphere in which the employees assist each other and with pride.

Technology pioneer and trailblazer ISS looks back proudly on decades as a pioneer. Back in 1970s, the invention of the EPDM solar absorber won many

awards. Another landmark is the invention of the indirectly cooled ice rink with the EPDM ice mat in 1981, thousands of which have been installed worldwide and evidently inspired imitation by the competition. And then there are innovations in air-conditioning technology, the invention of the ICEGRID® system and the ongoing refinement of all products.

The ICEGRID® system Here the experience with the EPDM ice mat played an important role. It was possible to combine the strengths of the indirectly cooled system with those of the directly cooled system in order to improve energy efficiency and operational reliability. It is ideal for the construction of new stadiums and the upgrading or refurbishing of existing ones.

With ICEGRID® Classic (plastic tube) and ICEGRID® Plus+ (stainless steel), the customer has the choice. With the ICEGRID® Multicourt upgrade, he/she can choose between multi-floor and artificial turf. Both are an integral part of ICEGRID® and do not need to be installed or removed. ICEGRID® Classic was developed to be permanently installed for decades to come. „Semi-permanent“ use with removal and later reinstallation is, however, also possible, as it is not filled with concrete, sand or the like. Best practice example: Curling Club Lausanne Arena refurbishment 2022 In summer, the ICEGRID® ice rink will be built on the old concrete slab. At the end of the winter, the surface will be dismantled and stored to permit the extension and reconstruction with a new roof and enlargement of the ice surface. Afterwards, the ICEGRID® surface will be reinstalled, inclusive of the extension. The training hall of the Helios Arena of the „Wildwings“ in Villingen-Schwenningen has already been refurbished on the same principle.

In 2021, ISS built ten curling and ice hockey arenas worldwide with ICEGRID®, four of them in North America. Those in charge there have plenty of experience of ice rink construction and appreciate the features of the ICEGRID® system. Three North American projects are already confirmed for 2022 and with the other international orders it´s already a busy year again. ICEGRID® can also be admired at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

As a family business, ISS is committed to sustainability. ISS is the only company in the industry to have a five-year record of complete (certified) climate-neutrality and offers climate-neutrality with both ice rink systems. For ISS, TÜV certification is a matter of course for ICEGRID®. Production takes place entirely in Germany.