News 
Market Data 
Discover
Replies to post #125934 on NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK)
THE HISTORY OF CLEAR MEMORIES
In 1988, David Peterson and Jeffrey Foley (Co-founders of Clear
Memories Innovations In Ice) graduated from a small high school in
the state of Maine. David and Jeff soon became food and beverage
purchasing agents, with Dave living in Portland, ME, and Jeffrey
living in NH. Independently picking up the art of ice sculpting
with chain saws, they began learning and gravitating toward this
unique profession under the watchful eyes of chefs Greg Picard and
Mark Beaupre. Dave took to sculpting quite naturally, taking first
place in his premiere competition, “The 1990 Annual Harasekett Inn
Ice Carving Competition” in Freeport, Maine. They began realizing
their destiny as their first joint adventure as sculptors surfaced.
The project was to design, sculpt, and deliver a 15-foot, 15,000-
pound globe and logo for a corporate event in Portland, Maine.
The polish to Dave's work came from a formal training at the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He gained
national attention there after humbly receiving Silver and Bronze
medals in the national competitions. Other competitors found
themselves amazed by the unique style and the wealth of experience
he had gained at the tender age of 23.
Jeff continued to learn the art while carving pieces for buffets,
weddings, and corporate events in New Hampshire. Jeff moved from
the cold northeast, gaining valuable knowledge and experience
working in some of the country's finest hotels and resorts. Being
an efficiency expert, he worked to optimize purchasing procedures,
creating efficiency in restaurants and hotels, as well as a
computer software company. "I never lost my passion for sculpting
ice. However, I learned that trying to do my job well and finding
the time to sculpt ice for the company was a difficult challenge,"
Jeff says. These challenges helped mold the business plan for
Clear Memories.
In 1995, both Jeff and Dave found themselves living in Northern
California, working in the food and beverage industry. Lifelong
friends, they decided to found Clear Memories and begin their
venture as small business owners, providing ice sculptures to local
catering companies, hotels, and restaurants. Quickly and steadily,
their reputation grew as sculptors who provide quality work and
professionalism.
In 1998, Clear Memories became a full time occupation. In just
three years, they had become the most well-known and respected ice
carving company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Purchasing the
latest equipment, the two were consistently looking and creating
the newest innovations in the field.
In 2000, Clear Memories incorporated Humberto Acosta to the team.
Humberto's work ethics and attitude made him a great fit for the
hardworking team. In 2001, Clear Memories had outgrown its existing
building and began renovation on a leased space in Napa, Ca. The
project consisted of adding freezers, floors, offices, block-making
equipment, and an updated electrical system. By February 2002,
they had settled into the new location.
On September 2, 2002, Clear Memories Inc., proved to be the most
devastating day in the business’ history. Upon arriving to work
that morning, Dave and Jeff found that the building they had been
renting had burned to the ground. The fire started in another
tenant's area, and then spread throughout the building. Everything
they had worked for over the seven-year period was lost. Showing
incredible resolve and taking no time to wallow in their loss, they
immediately began to rebuild. Jeff, Dave, and Humberto replaced
their carving equipment with tool belts, and began construction.
The three worked day and night, seven days a week and completed the
32-foot by 56-foot building in record time. On December 1 of the
same year, the building was complete and they immediately reopened.
In 2003 February, Clear Memories was commissioned to work on a
wedding in New York City. The order called for ten-foot tall
candelabras with 8-foot polar bears, table centerpieces, bars, a
seafood table, and champagne buckets. Traveling with sculpted ice
across the country posed some interesting challenges for them.
However, it was a fun challenge, and the result was everything the
client was looking for and more. Exactly one year after the fire,
the business was back to full strength and again growing at an
astonishing rate.
Currently, Clear Memories owns six Cleinbell block-making machines,
which produce twenty-four three hundred pound crystal clear blocks
of ice per week, supplementing their supply of ice by purchasing
Clinebell blocks from as far away as Canada. All work is done in a
twenty-foot by forty-foot freezer studio. Their innovative ideas
have placed them head and shoulders above the competition, creating
masterpieces like no other company in the world.
CLEAR MEMORIES IS AN INNOVATOR IN THE FIELD OF ICE CARVING?
We utilize technology for accuracy, consistency, and new innovative
products. No other company in the world, including companies with
the same technology, utilizes their equipment to the fullest
potential. We go "outside the box" to find the most efficient ways
to create our work. We consistently look for new ways of creating,
setting up and utilizing ice. We set the standards, everyone else
follows.
