P
A
R
A
M
O
U
N
T
PULSE BEAT Paramount Chamber of Commerce (paramountchamber.com) • Serving the community for 75 years • August 2022
LA Kings, AEG & ASEC acquire historic Iceland T he LA Kings, AEG, and American Sports Entertainment Company (ASEC) have purchased the historic Iceland skating arena in Paramount, which was built by brothers Frank and Lawrence Zamboni. Iceland opened on January 3, 1940 (see page 4 for more about the history of Iceland). Located at 8041 Jackson St., the facility has been renamed LA Kings Iceland at Paramount. In addition to being a mainstay in Paramount and serving the community in the greater surrounding area for 82 years, Iceland is home to the world-famous Zamboni ice-surfacing machine invented by Frank Zamboni in 1949.
Zamboni Museum Part of the purchase agreement between the new owners and Richard Zamboni, the previous owner, includes a new Zamboni Museum to be established in honor of Frank Zamboni. The museum will include the original Zamboni iceresurfacing machine (the Model A), as well as other significant historical items and memorabilia. Frank J. Zamboni, Jr. (1901-1988)
The Iceland facility was closed on May 1 when a major million-dollar alteration and improvement project began, which will include installing an upgraded green energy heat-transfer system for ice rink chilling; removing the existing ice rink floor and perma-frost; installing a new sub-floor heat system and pipes, new cold floor pipes and insulation, a new dasher-board system and new rubber flooring; upgrading the sound system; and remodeling and rebranding the facility as LA Kings Iceland at Paramount. The facility is expected to re-open in September and be operated by ASEC in coordination and support of the LA Kings professional ice hockey team and AEG. The date of the official grand re-opening will be announced soon. Watch the Paramount Chamber of Commerce website (paramountchamber.org) for details. “We believe LA Kings Iceland at Paramount will be a long-term, sustainable ice and entertainment center for our community, and we are thrilled to make this announcement,” said ASEC President Brad Berman. “We recognize and appreciate
The entrance to Iceland Paramount with a restored vintage Model FH Zamboni parked in front. The world-famous ice-surfacing machine was invented at Iceland in 1949 by Frank Zamboni, who, along with his brother Lawrence, built the skating rink, which opened on January 3, 1940.
The reopened facility will continue to feature its famous red Wurlitzer pipe organ (photo below, left), first installed in 1941 and the only organ currently played regularly in any ice arena in the country.
Artist’s rendering of the proposed new sign.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Iceland facility had only been open in recent years for private ice events.
the history of the Zamboni family and are not only committed to restoring the facility, but also enhancing the facility for future generations of athletes and visitors.” LA Kings President and Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille expressed his appreciation for the fact that the Paramount community has supported Iceland for more than eight decades. “We are honored to expand upon the mission set forth by Frank and Richard Zamboni. ASEC and the Kings are committed to playing a key role in the next chapter of ice sport in Paramount, the neighboring cities and beyond, and growing the game of hockey throughout Southern California.”
PULSE BEAT Paramount Chamber of Commerce 15357 Paramount Boulevard Paramount, California 90723 Telephone: 562-634-3980 paramountchamber.com
The Iceland acquisition is the latest in a series of Kings/ASEC joint ventures in Southern California ice sports management. In recent years, the Kings and ASEC announced a new multi-year lease agreement with Promenade on the Peninsula in which ASEC and the Kings would re-open and operate the ice skating facility in Rolling Hills Estates. The City of Santa Clarita awarded a contract to the Kings and ASEC for operation of the cityowned ice rink located in Valencia. ASEC and the Kings also renovated Pickwick Ice in Burbank at a cost of approximately $1 million and rebranded the facility as LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center. Zamboni Company continues to operate its ice-surfacer equipment manufacturing facilities in Paramount, California; Brantford, Ontario, Canada; and Österfärnebo, Sweden. Various models of Zamboni machines are in wide use in ice sports arenas all around the world.
The classic Wurlitzer pipe organ will still be played.
A L S O
I N
T H I S
I S S U E
From the Mayor’s Desk..........................................................................................................................................................................................3 Iceland and the Zamboni: a brief history......................................................................................................................................................4 Chambers Night at Angel Stadium scheduled for August 29..............................................................................................................5 PEP Talk and Public Safety...................................................................................................................................................................................6 Paramount City Council report..........................................................................................................................................................................7 Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremonies.................................................................................................................................8 Explore Paramount..............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Business Corner: Effectively managing a hybrid workforce........................................................................................................................12 CityScape: Small business grants available...............................................................................................................................................15