Vending and coffee service veteran Thomas A. Nesser passed away recently after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 80. Nesser was the founder and president of Sirness Services Inc. in Rochester N.Y. which he founded in 1977. He was involved in the vending and foodservice industry in western New York since the early 1950s.
He first worked for Kwik Kafe of Rochester, one of the first Kwik Kafe franchises. Kwik Kafe of Rochester sold out to Automatic Retailers of America (ARA Services/Aramark) in 1959. ARA became the predominant provider of vending and food service management in the Rochester area with over 40 routes, achieving $10 million in annual sales in 1970.
Nesser, with the help of his son Tom Jr. and his local coffee roaster friend's Sid and Bob Maves, began selling Maves/LaTouraine coffee to business and industry customers. The company evolved into a diversified operation employing over 20 people in the first six years.
Sirness Services is a full line vending and coffee service operation employing 40 people and occupying 40,000 square feet, with revenues of $7 million. Sirness Services continues under the leadership of Nesser's nephew, Mark Wahl, who has worked with Sirness for 16 years, and Tom Nesser Jr., who has been involved with the company since the beginning.
