Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

With extensive experience behind her, Carla Balakgie hit the ground running when she was named President and CEO of NAMA 14 years ago. With Carla moving on to her next chapter after this year, the convenience services organization has big shoes to fill.  In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio sat down...

The founder of Evergreen Refreshments, Avanti Markets and more, likes to say that if you are not growing, you are coasting, and if you are coasting, you are probably going downhill. There is no coasting for Jim Brinton. Even after selling Avanti to 365 Retail Markets, Brinton loves to see his businesses grow. It clearly drives him. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nati...

Jim Brinton brought the micro market to convenience services. Some operators have told him that he not only transformed the industry - but he also saved it. What we have been focusing on recently is industry giants – movers and shakers, including Matthew Marsh of First Class Vending and Judson Kleinman of Corporate Essentials. Jim Brinton is in that “industry giant category" as both an operator an...

Podcast host Bob Tullio was pleased by the amount of positive feedback he received from Part I of this episode – “Judson Kleinman – Focused on improving corporate culture for his clients and employees - Part I - His journey.” Part II takes a closer look at Kleinman, the entrepreneur. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s & Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience service...

Anyone who has dealt with Judson Kleinman over the years knows that he is always working to be the best operator and boss that he can be. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio sits down with an industry legend, a powerhouse operator - Judson Kleinman from Corporate Essentials – operating in the great...

There are so many key suppliers in the convenience services industry. Some are big names, well established, with big companies. Others are focused on building a company, using technology and creativity to help drive profitability as they provide innovative solutions for operators. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industr...

Typically, this episode is one of the most popular of the year with listeners. That's because so many people who follow Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch's Vending and OCS Nation podcast (both operators and suppliers) are involved in business development.  These strategies are proven - so when podcast host Bob Tullio gives you a guarantee - that these four business development strate...

For operators, choosing the right suppliers is critically important. Making the right product, equipment and technology choices – along with receiving sound advice, can elevate the results for a convenience services operator. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, it’s the Best of 2024 – “Suppliers who fuel innovation and drive the industry forward.”  Podcast host Bo...

As the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Bob Tullio heard some great stories from operators in 2024. They opened up the vault, giving candid accounts of the challenges of getting started in the business and even shared some of their miscalculations along the way. Valuable insights from operators with something to offer and of course, a couple more secret sauce reci...

2024 is done. After countless interviews, 36 podcasts and multiple webinars, podcast host Bob Tullio has six observations about the convenience services industry to point out to his listeners. Do you agree with his perspective as we head into 2025? Tune in - find out - leave a comment. In addition to those six observations, in today’s episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, w...

The 2024 NAMA Coffee, Tea and Water event (CTW) has come and gone. For those who attended, takeaways varied, but everyone agreed that the CTW was focused on collaboration, engagement, networking and education - always a strong combination of features. On this edition of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio expressed his regret for missing the event, but especi...

No industry topics are off limits when Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio interviews Matthew Marsh for the second installment with the founder of First Class Vending and Coffee. Much like the first installment of the Matthew Marsh interview, listeners can expect a fast pace, no shortage of opinions and a fair a fair amount of banter with podcast host Bob Tull...

According to Matthew Marsh, success is all about your work ethic. “It's about when you go to work and what you do when you get there,” he said. His strong work ethic explains the company’s emergence as a leader in the convenience services industry. In 30 years, First Class Vending has grown from two employees to more than 300 employees, from one location and warehouse to nine warehouses across thr...

As an account executive, have you ever had a situation where you were so excited after the initial appointment, after a proposal meeting – that you were 100% sure it was a done deal? Then suddenly, as we like to say in the quiet of a Midwest evening, you hear nothing but crickets. For people in sales, it can be a recurring nightmare. Why does it happen? How can deals be salvaged when the prospect...

Back in May of 2024 – at the NAMA Show in Dallas – the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, Bob Tullio, was covering education sessions when he came across one session that had the audience overflowing into the hallway. The speaker, Gil Cargill, was talking about AI for business development.  In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, Tullio looks f...

The host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, Bob Tullio, has said it before. He loves hearing about the journey of both operators and suppliers. Robert Liva has a good story. The owner of GTP – Graphics that Pop, is an animated, entertaining, candid and knowledgeable individual, especially when it comes to marketing and to serving clients in the convenience services industry. He...

From the supplier area (Connection Hub) to the line-up of speakers to the education sessions, NAMA's CTW for 2024 has been reimagined to help operators thrive in today's changing OCS climate. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, presented in cooperation with NAMA -it’s all about the upcoming CTW – the Coffee Tea an...

Two things will be clear to you after listening to this podcast. Operators are excited about smart market technology and there is no end to the creative solutions/equipment being offered by smart market developers. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio takes an even deeper dive into the world of smar...

From day one, theft has been a concern for micro market operators. Watching hours of video or taking a time consuming and perfectly executed market inventory are two ways to establish whether theft is occurring, but then what? Proving your case to the client and gaining their support is the difficult next step. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob...

From all indications, smart markets are a game changer. Driven by AI, featuring the security benefits of vending and the product merchandising power of a micro market, it is no wonder that smart markets are emerging as the next big thing. In the first part of a two-part episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Tullio takes a deeper dive. He speaks with many of the entr...

Over the years, there was always talk among operators about somehow using the front of a vending machine for advertising. Or maybe the little screen on a bean to cup brewer would work. Or – how about a monitor in a micro market? Ten years ago, it was just talk and it seemed like science fiction. Today, advertising in micro markets and on other payment devices is a reality – and a nice profit cente...

As co-owner of Quality Vending & Coffee, Dean Prather is a hard-working operator with 34 years in the business. His invention, Q-Tote, is having an impact on the micro market industry. Dave Marler of Lightspeed calls it a “game changer.” Beyond his work, he is driven by giving back in several directions. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the...

Since the NAMA Show in May, while some operators are discouraged and turning away from coffee service, Bob Tullio has been beating the same drum, urging coffee service operators to ramp up their sales efforts. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, Tullio looks at the upside and downside of the reality that OCS will...

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry, host Bob Tullio sat down with Holiday House co-founders Butch and Lynn Winkler, partners for 48 in marriage and business, Barbara Russell, the vice president of sales and marketing for the company. You won’t believe what Barbara’s role was the first time she worked for Butch and...

Dean Prather's story at Quality Vending & Coffee in Kansas City, might remind you of Jon Holden's story at All Star Services in Michigan. Proof that son-in-laws can be a great hire! In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Prather takes host Bob Tullio on a company tour of Quality Vending & Coffee, a company that has served the greater Kansas City metro...