Arizona's Solid Ace

As excited as he is about the future, Van Hazel thinks there are some big challenges for the vending industry to address. In addition to calorie disclosure, he is concerned about the new Americans With Disabilities Act law mandating new machines have controls at certain heights. “How is it going to affect what I have to do in the future?” he asks.

While the core business is struggling because of the recession, Van Hazel points to an upside: the availability of potential employees. “The economy being down has helped us find good people,” he said.

The Ace Vending story demonstrates the growth that forward thinking operators can achieve with new technology, even during a recession.