The worldwide shift from an economical landscape dominated mainly by blue collar jobs (industrial, construction, and so on and so forth) to a predominantly white collar one dominated by service sector jobs and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has led to the development and growth of fast food chains, as well as ice makers business.

ice makers business trends 1 :

Big fast food chains were faced with the need of ice maker machine to store perishable items
Due to the nature of the jobs themselves (the majority of them being sedentary office jobs), a lack of time to cook, and the growing number of people with high amounts of disposable income, big fast food chains were faced with the need to store perishable items, such as food and food ingredients.

ice makers business trends 2:

The increasing need for ice makers in various special fields
Another factor that led to the rise of the ice maker market is the increasing need for these machines in various scientific fields, such as biochemistry, biotechnology, genetic engineering, microbiology and the storage of biological samples, concreting cooling, chemical cooling, pharmacy cooling solution etc.

ice makers business tread 3:

The growing usage of ice makers for cold compression therapy

The growing usage of ice makers for cold compression therapy is another factor that contributes to the development of this market.
A cold compress can help to lower the temperature in a certain part of the body while reducing pain and swelling. Applying ice to an injury restricts blood flow to the area, which can result in: slowing or stopping bleeding. reducing swelling and inflammation. Cold and compression are routinely applied immediately after acute injury or following surgery to alleviate pain, reduce swelling and speed functional recovery. 

The ice maker market is on the rise. The market can be segmented as follows:
Middle East
Africa
Latin America
Asia Pacific
North America
Europe

On a brand level, Guangzhou Koller Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd is one of China leading major player in ice machine industry. The market can be further segmented by product type as follows:
Slurry ice
Flake ice
Tube ice
Cube ice

The challenges faced by the ice maker market

Facing is high initial investment is the main challenge that the ice maker market.

Setting up, installing and providing ice making machines that are appropriate for a particular business or establishment – a hospital will obviously need other types of ice makers with different configurations than a corner café – is a costly endeavor, requiring both professional expertise and serious, long-term investments.
One fact that some businesses prefer using an in-house ice production device rather than purchasing a premade model, might prove challenging to the industry as a whole, who is forced to produce models that accommodate the particular needs of an establishment.
These trends have proved to be fertile ground for the development of the ice maker market. Moreover, the growth of the healthcare industry and the overall trend of using ice for various medical,patient care procedures and several industries offer a great opportunity for the ice maker market to expand.