Twin Cities, MN-based All Star Vending & Coffee Service has announced the completion of the sale of its business to Canteen Corporate in St. Paul, MN. At the time of the sale the company held one vending and one OCS route.
Vending veteran Ray Visser began in the industry in 1964 with Jim Kochiras, Northwest Vending and Catering. Visser also spent 12 years with Servomation/Service America company until the breakup of the company. In 1989 he started his own company All Star Vending Co. which he sold to his grandson, Chad Liedman, in 2011. “The main reason for the sale was the increasing need for technology and capital to grow and also Chad felt that there would be more opportunity for him to advance with a company like Canteen,” Visser told VendingMarketWatch.com. “The business climate seems to be favoring large companies and the shift to micro markets.”
Liedman will remain in the industry and continues his work with Canteen at various district branches, helping to install Cantaloupe Seed technology. Visser, now retired, splits his time between Sedona, AZ and Minnesota. “They say when you like your job it isn't really work and that has been my philosophy throughout my career,” said Visser. He still maintains an interest in the business and occasionally helps some independents with their technical problems.
The company was profiled by Automatic Merchandiser magazine in 2014.
