- The New Ice Age
Factors that we believe are pushing the paradigm shift in retail ice sales:
1. Cost of fuel – The cost of fuel will undoubtedly continue to rise, making delivery of ice more expensive. The Akoona machine will always make ice for pennies per bag.
2. Cost of labor – There is very little labor required to operate the Akoona machine
3. Environmental concerns - Energy consumption, trucks on the road causing traffic, and plastic bag consumption will all be reduced by using the Akoona machine. We estimate that using the Akoona machine reduces the carbon footprint of the current central ice factory model by at least 85%.
4. Loss of Ice due to theft /shrinkage – There is no way to get ice from an Akoona machine without it being reported. The Akoona Remote Manager keeps accurate track of all sales and money that should be in the machine
5. Perception that stale, frosty ice is unsafe – People like the fresh, crystal clear ice cubes that the Akoona machine delivers.
7. Safety of employees leaving store – Having employees leave the store in the middle of the night is a serious safety and security concern not faced with the Akoona machine.
8. Rotating stock – Ice inventory should be rotated in the retailers freezer. Do you really think that it is? Ice is always fresh from the Akoona machine.
9. Speed and convenience – No waiting in line or waiting for the attendant to open the ice chest. Simply put in your money, your credit card, or swipe your Akoona card, then push the button and go. A vend only takes six seconds.
10. 24 hour sales – Sell ice whether your store is open or not.
11. Reliability of delivery – Never again worry about not having ice to sell.
12. No up-front cash need to purchase ice inventory - Cash flow is always a problem for small businesses. No loss of inventory from a power failure, simply make more at pennies a bag.
13. Delivery to Remote Areas – No problem. As long as there is water and electricity, the Akoona machine is the solution.
- Quality
Akoona ice and water vending machines are made in the USA using high grade materials and durable powder-coated finishes that have been selected to withstand nearly any environment and continue operating day after day, month after month, year after year. Our heavy solid steel construction provides substantial security. We warranty our machine for 2 years from date of purchase; some components carry an additional 1-3 year warranty.
The Akoona ice and water vending machine is the only ice vending machine that meets NSF standards, which are global standards for safety and sanitary conditions for food processing machinery.
- Reliability
From the plains of Africa to the beaches of New Zealand, the Akoona Ice and Water Vending Machine outperforms all competitors in reliability. We keep it simple. Starting with the design of our patented spinning drum technology assures never dealing with ice jams. There are no agitators to break, conveyors to service or air cylinders to replace. We use only the proven, trouble-free Scotsman Ice Cuber. Our machines spend their time making you money rather than waiting for a service man.
- Remote Management
Our cutting edge technology of the Akoona Ice and Water vending system separates us by leaps and bounds from all others. Our comprehensive web- based monitoring and management system provides the telemetry data to make management of large numbers of machines a breeze. Alarms and notifications are easily selected so that the operator is notified when a machine needs immediate attention (like being full of money!) or when it is due for routine maintenance. It also allows our operators to remotely vend the product which is a great feature for establishing superior customer service scores. Call one of our experts today for an in-depth demonstration of the Akoona Remote Manager.
- Value
Compare us to any other quality constructed ice and water vending machine and hands down we offer the best value for your dollar. This means faster payoff on your investment and more money in your pocket sooner. You can easily spend 40, 50 or even $60,000 USD to purchase a lesser machine from our competitors. Our distributors sell and install our machines significantly below these prices.
The simplicity-by-design of the Akoona Ice and Water Vending machines allows us to sell our machine for considerably less than our competitor's prices. We don't cut corners to lower our price. Every component is American-made and is selected for its best-in-class performance. Akoona unquestionably offers the best reliability, the most features and the most advanced technology in the industry. Hard to believe, the best machine at the lowest price. Let us prove it to you!
- Key Machine Features
The Akoona Hardware Advantage
Price Even though the Akoona offers the most features and the best reliability, the designed in simplicity allows us to price the Akoona machine significantly lower than any other American made machine. Dimensions (size) The compact size of the Akoona machine allows ease of placement and installation. The machine will fit on the sidewalk of most service stations or liquor stores. Speed of Vending Nobody wants to wait while ice is slowly dispensed. The Akoona machine vends a full 9 lb bag in just 6 seconds! Check out the video on our web site: a large cooler is filled in just 18 seconds. Credit Cards Credit cards on vending machines are rare because the technology is complex. The Akoona Machine is the leader in the field when it comes to innovative technical features such as a fully autonomous credit card acceptance feature. Akoona Vend Cards The Akoona Vend Card allows you to provide quantity discounts or customer loyalty rewards. This card can be recharged online or by inserting cash at the machine. Spinning Drum Technology The Akoona machine is the only ice vending machine that does not require complex mechanical agitators, chain drives, cogs or augers. Ice jams are impossible with our internationally patented "Spinning Drum Technology." Illuminated Graphics The Akoona machine stands out at night with its illuminated front panel graphics. Keyless Door Opening The door lock is not visible, which means that it does not have an obvious security weak spot. The door is opened by keycard swipe. The two double acting door locks can not be broken or "popped" open. Dispense Healthy Filtered Water The ability to also vend filtered water is a very important financial add-on for an ice vending machine. On a more marginal site it can sometimes be the difference between the machine meeting your minimum return on investment criteria or not. Dispense Ice Directly Into a Cooler Many customers don’t want their ice in a plastic bag . They want to put it straight into their cooler. The Akoona machine has a unique angled chute that allows for the positioning of an cooler under it for direct dispensing. Over the course of a year the avoided cost of plastic bags can also be significant. Heavy Duty Construction The Akoona machine is constructed from powder coated, high strength steel for tamper resistance and durability No Refrigeration Required The cost of running a freezer 24 hrs per day is significant. The Akoona fully insulated "spinning barrel" that holds the ice is never open to outside air and uses excess cooling from the ice maker to effectively eliminate the need for refrigeration. The small amount of ice lost to melting can be replaced for significantly less than the cost of running a chest freezer. - Financing
Owning your own Akoona Machine is easier than you might think. Our Financing Partners, Patriot Capital can arrange easy financing and the process is simple.
Akoona Model AK24 Now Available
Akoona has just released their latest design for production, the much anticipated AK24. This model is available in an NSF certified version. It also offers…
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Akoona Ice
The Akoona Vend Station represents a giant leap forward in the ice industry. It makes and dispenses pure filtered ice directly into you own cooler or into a bag available for purchase at the machine. Your product has never been touched by human hands and has not traveled around for half a day inside a gas guzzling ice truck.