With temperatures on the rise, many students might be looking for ways to beat the heat. And two former Penn State students have done just that.

Alex Plotkin and Max Lapin have created a successful Italian ice company from scratch.

Plotkin and Lapin were both freshmen at Penn State in 1987 when they accidentally ran into each other.

"I was just one scared, naïve, dorky little kid," Plotkin said.

When Plotkin was leaving his dorm room in Atherton Hall one day, his door struck a fellow student on the head. Lapin was the unfortunate recipient of a door to the dome.

Plotkin apologized, and the two went to lunch together and eventually became good friends.

Plotkin continued his education at Penn State -- which he refers to as "the greatest school on the planet" -- and graduated in 1991.

"We owe a lot to Penn State," Plotkin said. "We're very grateful."

Meanwhile, Lapin went on to complete his junior and senior year at the University of Southern Florida, also receiving his degree in 1991.

After graduation, the pair enrolled at Widener University School of Law.

"I kind of dragged him along with me," Plotkin said.

Within the first year, Plotkin was getting restless with law school. He told Lapin he wanted to quit and move to Florida to sell Italian ice for a living.

After some arguments with their parents and some deliberation with each other, the two decided to move to Florida and give it a shot.

"We were either gonna come back home a success or completely broke," Lapin said.

The duo moved to Tampa, where they purchased a 400-square-foot house with a carport. With the little money they had, they purchased an old ice cream machine, an ice chest and a $400 ice cream truck that did not even have a gas gauge. There was only enough money left over to buy one large mattress the two had to share.

After seven months, things were seemingly taking a turn for the worse. On one memorable day, Plotkin and Lapin received a visit from a representative from the state health department.

Although he said he liked their product, he said it was unlawful to produce it in the manner they were. He said if they wished to continue their business, they would have to operate a legitimate store.

Plotkin and Lapin could not afford both the store and the house, so they moved all of their belongings and lived in the store for about a year.

After 19 months of work and very little progress to show for it, the friends finally got a break. One of their regular customers was the cafeteria manager for a Tampa, Florida high school. She saw the situation they were in and tried to help. She asked the men if they could produce 300 cups of their water ice and said she would try to sell them at her school.

They had to borrow some money in order to buy the plastic cups, but they came through and produced all 300. The next day the same woman returned and asked for another 300 cups. She said the children and faculty loved them and she needed 300 more.

This turned out to be the launch pad for Plotkin and Lapin's success. Eventually their ices, called Philly Swirl Sorbet Chillers, were sold in the entire school system in Florida. Now their product is available at major grocery stores and all Wal-Mart and Costco locations nationwide.

Plotkin said that in addition to the United States, he and Lapin are making the product available in Canada, Mexico and Japan.

Production Manager Craig Millican, the first employee of Lapin and Plotkin, said he remembers the business when he first started nine years ago.

"Before there were just two small blenders in a 1,000-square-foot building; now it's 34,000 square feet," Millican said.

Lapin said this is an ideal situation for a job.

"We're best friends, and we're partners," he said.

Millican also said he likes the atmosphere of working with Plotkin and Lapin.

"It's like a family," he said. "I see them more than my own mother."