Five Star Breaktime Solutions extends southern Indiana footprint with acquisition
Five Star Breaktime Solutions has acquired the vending and coffee operations of Krodel Vending in Jasper, Ind., extending its presence in southern Indiana as it seeks continued growth in the region.
What Five Star’s deals signal for independents
In the last year, Five Star has announced acquisitions in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Ohio. As seasoned independents seek their next chapter, regional operators like Five Star continue to scale through acquisitions as well as through native growth by gaining new clients in existing areas.
Five Star’s “build and densify” playbook allows it to expand strategically, adding routes and accounts in markets where it can quickly plug service into its existing branch infrastructure while also pursuing select deals that broaden its footprint when the platform is large enough, such as Wilmore Snack Sales in Louisiana and eastern Texas. Its multi-service growth — traditional vending, micro markets, office coffee and, in some cases, pantry and snack box programs — suggests they’re building a larger share of the breakroom, not just more machines.
Krodel Vending is owned by Dan Smith, a great-grandson of founder Carl Krodel, who started the business in 1910 as a candy wholesaler to retailers. The vending business began in 1958 under Ray Smith and his brother, Rich Smith, and has served customers across southern Indiana for decades. Janet Smith took over the vending company in 1979 and later passed it to Dan Smith in 1994.
Five Star Breaktime Solutions plans to integrate the routes into its existing operations in Indiana. The company will support the new accounts through its branches in Owensboro, Ky.; Evansville, Ind.; Jeffersonville, Ind.; and Columbus, Ind.
About the Author
Linda Becker
Editor-in-Chief
Linda Becker is editor-in-chief of Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com. She has more than 20 years of experience in B2B publishing, writing, editing and producing content for magazines, websites, webinars, podcasts, newsletters and eBooks, primarily for manufacturing and process engineering audiences. Since joining Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com, Linda has developed a new appreciation for the convenience services industry and the essential role it plays. She is dedicated to serving readers by covering the latest news in the vending, office coffee service and micro market industry. She can be reached at 262-203-9924 or [email protected].