XYNYTH: Taking Care Of Ice Melter Needs With Environment In Mind

Kevin Wice

Due to a more typical winter in 2024/2025, reserves of current ice melter inventory at many distributorships and end-user locations are low or nonexistent. In response, summer and fall are expected to be busy times this year for the replenishment of high-end ice melter, according to XYNYTH Manufacturing Corp. President Kevin Wice.

“We are coming off a strong winter that was experienced in many regions, which means a lot of distributors and end-users currently have very little to no ice melter in stock. That is opposite of what took place one year ago, when the prior winter was much milder,” Wice explained. “Therefore, I expect preseason booking programs for ice melter to be very strong this summer and fall.

“July and August are good times for distributor sales reps to receive training on the coming ice melter season as well as reach out to their end-user customers. It’s important everyone involved in the process fully understands the ‘ins and outs’ of the various ice melters on the market, including what sets each product apart. At XYNYTH, we have in place our traditional early-buy program for distributors, including easy direct deposit payment methods.”

The company also continues to add ice melter educational materials to its website, a site that includes an Ice Melt Resource Center specifically geared to answering technical questions.

“And, we provide in-house and online training with distributors, often involving their salespeople. We even get involved, if needed, with end-user training and consulting, which helps them understand what type of ice melt product they should be using, depending on specific circumstances,” Wice said. “Not all ice melters are the same. It’s important to know their differences, and the best way to use each product.

“There are also a lot of ‘greenwashing’ and general misinformation with ice melters. XYNYTH was one of the first companies to invent an environmentally friendly ice melter. We can help people determine what can be considered ‘green,’ and thus friendlier to the environment.”

The XYNYTH ice melter portfolio includes:

• Mountain Organic Natural Icemelter™, the No. 1 selling item at XYNYTH. It’s specifically designed to melt ice and snow effectively, while posing no risk to users, pets, concrete, or the environment, when used as directed. It also does not track into buildings.

Fertilizer-based Mountain Organic Natural Icemelter™ works immediately after application and is effective to -23°C (-9°F). It also has an unlimited shelf life, and is completely safe to handle, according to Wice. Due to its potassium content, he added, Mountain actually helps repair damage caused by long-term use of environmentally harmful deicers, such as rock salt.

“At XYNYTH, our focus has always been on the environment, and there remains a very strong following for Mountain — years after its introduction,” Wice said.

• Arctic ECO Green Icemelter™ has also been designed with the environment in mind, but at a lower price point. It’s layered with various ingredients that provide many benefits, such as an anti-corrosive feature.

“There are people in the marketplace who want to use environmentally friendly products, but they don’t want to spend extra money,” Wice said. “To answer that challenge, XYNYTH introduced Arctic ECO Green Icemelter™ several years ago, using a special encapsulation process. We take sodium chloride and encapsulate it with CMA (Calcium Magnesium Acetate), which helps eliminate the negative side effects of the sodium.

“Then, we multi-encapsulate the granules with potassium acetate, so that every granule of sodium going into the ground is buffered by potassium, a major ingredient in fertilizer.”

By using sodium chloride, XYNYTH can bring the product’s cost down.

“It’s not as high-end a deicer as Mountain Organic Natural Icemelter™, but it’s neutral to the environment, and will not ruin surrounding soil structure,” Wice said. “Arctic ECO Green Icemelter™ is truly a manufactured item, one of the features that has made this product so popular. Every granule is multi-coated. It’s also dyed green for better application.”

• Winter Warrior Enviro LEADer Icemelter™, specifically designed for use around LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings and properties. The product melts ice and snow in temperatures as low as -21°C (-6°F).

“There are certain specifications connected with LEED buildings. For example, all ice melter products used at those facilities must be free of chlorides,” Wice said. “Winter Warrior Enviro LEADer Icemelter™ has been formulated to be reasonably priced and still meet LEED certification. It features a combination of ingredients, including CMA, to pull down the product’s low temperature melting range.”

CMA is made of dolomite lime and acetic acid and is perfect where corrosion and/or environmental issues are a concern, Wice added.

Winter Warrior Enviro LEADer Icemelter™ is colored green to help prevent over-application, is safe on concrete, when used as directed, and is easy to apply.

“The product is satisfying an important niche in the marketplace,” Wice said. “As a company, XYNYTH’s mantra has been that of an eco-friendly ice melt provider. This deicer adds to our legacy.”

• Winter Warrior CMA Icemelter™ is the second XYNYTH deicer to be LEED compliant. The product is made from 100 percent CMA, and is biodegradable, noncorrosive, and safe on concrete, when used as directed. It performs to -12°C (10°F), is chloride/nitrogen-free and easy to apply.
• Winter Warrior Runway Control™ has provided the impetus for XYNYTH’s newly introduced products. The deicer was originally developed for airport runways and surrounding areas, and meets LEED, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and Transport Canada approval.

“Winter Warrior Runway Control™ and Mountain Organic Natural Icemelter™ are also approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for use in food processing facilities,” Wice said. “They help end-users guard against corrosion in those plants, such as with expensive refrigeration units.”

He added Winter Warrior Runway Control™ can also be used in parking garages, ship decks, transit platforms, metal fabrication facilities — anywhere there is exposed metal that needs corrosion protection.

• Arctic CLEAR Window & Mirror De-icer™, a liquid hand spray specifically designed to clear ice, frost and light snow from windshields, windows, mirrors, locks, headlights, doors, and other surfaces.

The product clears on contact, is streak/residue free, effective to -42°C (-44°F), prevents ice from forming/refreezing, contains biodegradable ingredients, and is safe on car finishes. Arctic CLEAR Window & Mirror De-icer™ was designed for retail markets but has also done well within commercial applications.

• The newest ice melt product available from XYNYTH is Arctic HEATX RoofTabs™. The hockey puck-like product quickly melts ice from hard-to-reach roofs and gutters, preventing ice dams from forming while also clearing drains. The result is helping building owners avoid costly ice-related damage and consequent repairs.

Arctic HEATX RoofTabs™ are designed for ease-of-use by simply placing, or safely tossing, on roofs, in gutters and drains, and on balconies — places where an accumulation of ice and snow is a constant concern. The product is made from concentrated calcium chloride dihydrate and generates heat immediately upon contact with ice and snow in temperatures as low as -31°C (-25°F).

Wice explained that XYNYTH creates value for its customer base by providing a wide variety of products.

“Our ice melter portfolio is quite vast and meets all needs, but we continue to look for ways to innovate and improve,” Wice said. “Also, our entire team of sales and operations representatives are well versed and trained, capable of helping distributors and end-users. That allows us to deliver value as well.”

Contact: XYNYTH Manufacturing Corp., Unit 101,

5950 Imperial St., Burnaby, BC, V5J 4M2 Canada.

Phone: 1-800-635-8423.

Email: sales@xynyth.com.

Website: www.xynyth.com.