When a Dream Melts, Go Bigger
Robbie Harrell thrives on taking big swings. His company, Minnesota Ice, took off during the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis; at the time he barely had a savings account, but he flew in ice carvers to deliver more than 200 sculptures for the downtown festivities. Today, Minnesota Ice is a $10 million operation based in St. Paul with a team of 50 to 70 employees (fluctuating seasonally), specializing in ice sculptures, cocktail ice cubes, and the bagged ice you buy at gas stations.
When Minnesota Ice got an order in 2021 for blocks of ice for a small ice maze in Stillwater, Harrell started dreaming about a bigger maze—maybe even the biggest. In January 2024, he attempted to set a world record for the largest ice maze but never got to open it due to the unseasonably warm weather. His business lost $1 million in time and materials.
Friends and colleagues told Harrell to walk away, but in January, Harrell’s 18,148-square-foot Minnesota Ice Fest maze at TCO Stadium in Eagan set the Guinness World Record for the largest ice maze. It ran through Feb. 16.
As he was getting set to open, Harrell talked about vision versus prudence.
When to ignore peer advice.
“I’m part of a business peer leadership group. They all said, ‘Dude, this is epic, but it’s not what you should be doing.’ I understand this is a bit of a distraction, but it gets people to know the brand. No other ice company sets themselves apart like this.”
Betting on cold.
“I look at it like, there’s no way we’re having that winter again.” He reassures himself by obsessively monitoring weather patterns and texting daily with local meteorologists.
Doubling down.
“We put so much energy into planning this last year, we just couldn’t let it go. This year, we’re going to spend around $2 million, and we added more to the festival.” That includes igloos, slides, an ice rink, a ping-pong table made of ice, and carving competitions. Harrell also invested heavily in marketing to bring the crowds. “This is my version of winter fun in Minnesota.”
Tolerating risk.
“I am hopeful we can make a 10 to 20% profit and that we can do this again. If not, I know we can recover. But it’s not all about the dollars. It comes down to making your brand memorable and the awe and wonder of ice.”
