In 2007, Mark Crouthamel, founder of Lakeville's Sculpted Ice Works, launched Crystal Cabin Fever, with its ice log cabin and ice-carving demonstrations, as a self-preservation tool to carry his company through its winter doldrums.
Since then, the February event has grown into a community-wide tourist happening that drew 12,000 visitors last year and helps fill nearby restaurants and hotels. “Businesses have winter blues, too, especially in the tourism sector,” says Crouthamel. “It's more than cabin fever, it's more like cabin bubonic plague.”
Where once Sculpted Ice Works had to shut down production and lay off staff in winter, Crouthamel now more than doubles his permanent workforce of 16 to keep up with Cabin Fever and other February happenings such as the Clarks Summit and Stroudsburg ice festivals.
A former chef, Crouthamel was introduced to ice carving in culinary school. He founded his company in 2000, selling ice sculptures for wedding and events and blocks of ice to other carvers. The business has steadily grown, and innovated, ever since.
Recognizing the tourism potential of his craft, Crouthamel opened his plant year-round to factory tours and added attractions like the onsite museum interpreting the Poconos' pre-refrigeration, ice-harvesting industry. On the production side, Crouthamel went green, reclaiming heat from the huge compressors and instituting a slow-feed water system.
Sculpted Ice Works is now nearing settlement on its 4.5-acre, seven-building facility, a former lumberyard, is looking at adding solar panels and is planning purchase of new equipment that will boost boost production by 30% and add three more positions in the next six to 12 months.
Crystal Cabin Fever runs from February 8-24.
Source: Mark Crouthamel, Sculpted Ice Works
Writer: Elise Vider