In October of 1980, a 35 year old from Fredericton, Ross Hanson, was driving home from work when his car suddenly blew a tire and ran into a ditch. When he came to, he was in a hospital in Saint John, paralyzed from the neck down. He was told he would never walk again. It only took Hanson 3 years to prove them wrong. He relearned everything from sitting to writing to walking. Walking became easier as time progressed, but he still found it hard to get around in winter's icy weather. He searched the market for good quality antislip footwear, but only found highly specialized products for mountain climbing and nothing suitable for the average consumer.

He visualized a product that was of simple design, easy to attach, provide a stable, level platform, remain flexible in all conditions, comfortable to wear, extremely durable, and above all, are effective. With the help of his longtime friend, Peter Baldwin, he was determined to build his own. Hansen knew a little about business, and his friend Baldwin was positive they were onto something..

In 1987, they pooled their savings of $5000, and incorporated their company called SuperSoles. Two years of intense research, and development resulted in the production of 26 working prototypes based on the principle of studded tires. Friends and Neighbors were enlisted to test the product. Finally they reached a prototype that they knew was superior, so they applied for, and obtained their first patent. Following that, Hansen took out a 100,000 dollar loan after mortgaging the equity on his house.

By the fall of 1989, production was well under way. With a staff of five, they cut and assembled all the pieces by themselves in a rented church basement. At first, Hansen thought his product would be limited to the elderly and disabled, until he was able to crack the safety market. He signed a major contract with Canada Post to outfit all it's letter carriers, and soon his company had established market credibility. Hansen saw his profits double in his second year of production to over $150,000.

By 1995, SuperSoles, now renamed to "ICER'S INC.", had reached close to $1 million in sales. Today there are more than 500,000 pairs in use in 9 countries! Hansen, who has been everything from janitor to CEO, draws his strength from knowing his product is helping people around the globe as well as right here in Canada.

ICERS were put to the test during the 1998 ice storms in Eastern Canada and were used by workers facing some of the country's most challenging winter conditions. The product also found its way into demanding environments around the world, including Greenland and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

After many years of operating ICERS, the original owners decided to retire and pass the business on to new Canadian ownership. Today, ICERS continues under CPGear/Wheeler Accessories Ltd. in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where the product carries on its original mission: providing dependable traction for people navigating winter conditions.