Business View Magazine September 2018

258 259 AMERICAN SURPLUS & MANUFACTURING / ICE CASTLE FISH HOUSES STILL GOING STRONG ICE CASTLE FISH HOUSES M ove over cold, lonely fishing hut… and say hello to the ultra-tweaked, state-of-the-art, Ice Castle Fish House on wheels. These customized recre- ational vehicles act as a home-away-from-home for ice fishing on the frozen tundra; hunting in the fall; or in the role of a luxury camper. Fam- ily-owned American Surplus & Manufacturing (AS&M), better known as Ice Castle Fish Houses, has come full throttle; starting out as a small shop in 1993, and growing to become the largest manufacturer of premium portable ice fish hous- es in the state of Minnesota. Brett Drexler, General Manager and son of com- pany founder, Jeff Drexler, wants to get the word out that “ice fishing is not roughing it anymore! That used to be the case,” he says. “You’d go out on the ice with Grandpa and a bucket and sit there in all kinds of weather conditions. But now you’ve got the luxuries of satellite television, so-