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» BVA AND VPC APPROVE MERGER AGREEMENT THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE BETTER
Vendors Association (BVA) and of the Vendors Purchasing Council Inc. (VPC) approved their previously reported merger agreement at their respective gatherings in Las Vegas, Nev. Brian Faley, executive director of BVA, said the organizations will begin acting as the Unified Strategies Group, Inc. on July 1, 2009.

The new organization will retain the BVA Arlington Heights, Ill. office, with four employees, and the VPC Greensburg, Pa. office, with five full-time and two part-time employees.

» PORK PRODUCERS ASSURE PUBLIC PORK IS SAFE
U.S. pork producers issued statements to assure consumers about the safety of their products as the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. and abroad continued to grow in early May. Swine flu is not a foodborne illness.

» CANTEEN VENDING BUYS TAKE A BREAK INC., IN WILMINGTON, DEL.
The assets of Take A Break Inc., a refreshment service provider based in Wilmington, Del., were recently acquired by Canteen Vending, a division of Compass Group North America, according to Alan Blum, former owner of Take A Break Inc., a company founded by his father, the late Gerald Blum, in 1967.

Blum said Canteen Vending is now renting the facility from him and using it to service customers in New Castle County, Del. Canteen continues to operate a facility in Dover, Del., said Blum, who is now the Canteen district area manager for New Castle County, Del. Blum said 96 percent of the employees, about 50 in total, have remained with the company, whose services include vending, coffee service, manual feeding, and a commissary.

» SCHWAN’S TESTS FROZEN FOOD VENDING IN HOTELS
Schwan’s Home Service, Inc. has partnered with Fastcorp to test frozen-food vending machines at 20 hotel locations in the U.S. The vending machines, marked with the company’s logo and graphics, offer Schwan’s® entrées and ice cream. The frozen-food items are delivered directly to vending operators participating in the test.

» FASTCORP CLARIFIES ROLE IN K-CUP MACHINE
Fastcorp issued a clarification about a report concerning a Green Mountain Coffee branded K-Cup machine. The April Automatic Merchandiser incorrectly reported that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. and Fastscorp developed a Green Mountain Coffee branded vending machine to dispense Keurig K-Cups. Fastcorp has not developed the Green Mountain Coffee branded machine as reported. The machines developed for the tests are refurbished Fastcorp machines provided by SPIO Media Network. Fastcorp is working with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to develop a non-vacuum robotic machine for later this year.

» KIDDIE CASTLE SIGNS FOR 300 MALL PLACEMENTS
Kiddie Castle, Inc., a Mission Viejo, Calif.-based corporation that offers baby items, healthy snacks and toddler toys through vending machines known as Kiddie Castles, has signed agreements with mall operators including Simon Properties, Westfield, and others to place 300 Kiddie Castles in shopping malls. Kiddie Castle is currently accepting applications from operators to meet its open agreements. For more information, call 800-763-7576 or visit www.kiddiecastle.com.