Vending Market News

Industry loses John (Jack) Rielley
Industry veteran John (Jack) Rielley recently passed away at age 86. He retired from the National Automatic Merchandising Association in 1989, where he was director of sales and promotions. He previously worked for Canteen Corp. and Vend magazine. He is survived by a son, a daughter and five grandchildren.

Best Vendors signs in One Technology for remote data collection
Best Vendors, a vending management company based in Minneapolis, Minn., has selected inOne Technology, in Hunt Valley, Md., as exclusive supplier for remote data collection and other products for Best Vendors' national network. Best Vendors is owned by Compass Group.

With this contract, Best Vendors' operators are eligible for discounted pricing for purchases of inOne Technology's Easy 1 DEX retrofit kits and DEXmate vending machine controllers for equipment located in their accounts.

"We believe it is a win-win for our customers — our operators — and should provide a huge momentum boost to the industry, providing vital technology and very affordable prices," said Tony McDonald, president of Best Vendors, in a prepared statement.

"Our remote monitoring experience over the last four years has proven that we can save vending operators up to 50 percent in route operations," explained Gene Ostendorf, inOne Technology president. "For the first time in our industry," he added, "Best Vendors' operators will be able to purchase wireless remote monitoring products for an average of less than $100 per machine, assuming three or more machines per bank of equipment."

JCM Gold Ltd. opens office in Macau
JCM Gold (H.K.) Ltd. has opened a new sales office in Macau. The office will offer direct local sales and support, including product training, troubleshooting and maintenance.

The office will sell and service the entire line of JCM products, including the World Bill Acceptor (WBA®), Universal Bill Acceptor (UBA™), Trident™ Table Safe System and Intelligent Cash Box (ICB®).

MEI and Transaction Network Services form strategic relationship
Transaction Network Services (TNS), Inc., a provider of business-critical network and data communications services for transaction-oriented applications, announced a strategic relationship with MEI. Under the non-exclusive relationship, TNS and MEI will provide vending customers with the ability to purchase items via cash, coins, debit or credit cards supported by MEI's remote data port technology.

TNS is a provider of point-of-sale transaction processing networking and is Pepsi trademark-authorized for credit and debit card vending transactions. The MEI™ remote data port provides the added benefit of supporting the MEI Easitrax™ vending management system, which offers dynamic scheduling, machine status alerts, curbside polling that eliminates the "first walk" to the machine, and other functions enhancing control and efficiency.

Compasss Group buys High Food Services Ltd., Lancaster, Pa.
Compass Group, owner of Canteen Vending Services Inc., has acquired the Lancaster, Pa.-based High Food Services Ltd., which had about $16 million in vending, coffee service, catering and foodservice sales in 2005, for an undisclosed sum.

Mike Van Belle, senior vice president and chief financial officer at The High Companies, said his company decided that vending and foodservice did not fit into its long-term plans. The High Companies is a "mini conglomerate" that owns businesses in structural steel fabrication, precast concrete manufacturing, steel distribution, real estate management, construction and hotel management.

Van Belle said The High Companies recognized that the vending and foodservice industries have been consolidating in the last 10 years and that at $16 million in annual sales, High Food Services is not a large player in the industry. He said it made sense to sell the company to another player that could make the necessary investments to grow the business.

Van Belle said Compass Group agreed to retain most if not all of High Food services' 140 employees. He said the High Food Services name will be kept during a transition period. He further noted that Compass Group agreed to maintain its Lancaster, Pa., and Hanover Pa., operating facilities.