Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

Due North partners with operators, technology companies, to elevate unattended retail coolers and freezers

The company has always been known for reliable coolers and freezers. While they are certainly preparing for the next wave of innovation and technology, Due North remains focused on operational efficiency and reliability.

As host Bob Tullio points out in this episode of Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch's Vending & OCS Nation podcast, a couple years ago, he was talking to Due North’s Randy Skyba about glass door coolers and freezers. “Skyba noted, “Nobody cares much about the coolers and freezers in a micro market until they go out of order, then it is a crisis.”

In this episode, Tullio spoke with Sean McGrann, MBA - the CCO – chief commercial officer, of Due North. He is excited about his role at Due North and is enjoying the concept of partnering with operators to help them meet their unattended retail needs.

When it comes to technology – think smart coolers – Due North is playing a major role. They provide refrigeration, while multiple technology partners add payment devices, cameras, scales and every other bit of technology that is required to make a smart cooler happen.

When it comes to looking ahead to the future, McGrann said that AI will continue to be important and that anyone who is not leveraging AI to the best of their ability is going to be passed up.

 

Here is why you need to attend the 2025 Coffee, Tea and Water - the CTW - in Miami

The timing is perfect for this Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch Vending & OCS Nation podcast. It is a preview of the upcoming Coffee Tea and Water Event - November 4th and 5th in Miami. 

The title says it all: “Here is why you need to attend the 2025 Coffee, Tea and Water - the CTW.”

This podcast, presented in cooperation with National Automatic Merchandising Association, looks at the plan for a gathering that was reimagined in 2024 - and now fine tuned in 2025!

“This year, we will deconstruct the evolving workplace. I am particularly stoked about this event, as I will be acting as the emcee, which means I will get to interview the incredible keynote speakers for the event and facilitate Q&A sessions with the speakers and attendees,” said podcast host Bob Tullio.

The CTW is designed specifically for operators and suppliers to collaborate on ways to elevate office coffee services and pantry offerings and evolve the client relationship, moving beyond trusted service provider to essential business partner.

Let’s take a look at those keynote speakers. Ethan King is a global keynote speaker, best-selling author, and award-winning entrepreneur with a unique background in visual art, marketing, psychology and business growth.

Through his SIMPLE Success frameworks, he combines creative thinking, automation strategy, and AI tools to help leaders simplify complexity and scale smarter - AI – especially for business development, is something operators need to be exploring – I have been talking about that for months, so I’m excited to hear what Ethan has to say.

Kaiser Yang is the CEO of Platypus Labs, Kaiser leads keynotes and workshops with energy and focus, offering accessible, real-world thought leadership and actionable takeaways that resonate deeply with audiences.

Collaboration, education, compelling speakers: that’s what the 2025 CTW is all about.

In this episode, Tullio spoke with two of the architects of the event – Linda Saldaña of Seventh Wave Refreshments in Atlanta and Patrick Sheehan of Sheehan Bros Vending in Columbus, Ohio.

David Henchel Part II - He reflects on challenges, mistakes and opportunities, with some advice for new operators

David Henchel, President and CEO of Corporate Coffee Systems, has some advice for new operators entering the industry. “Don’t do it! Or better yet, do it, but do it in another city,” said a laughing Henchel. Beyond the humor, he offered more practical advice for new operators in the interview as well. 

Today’s episode is Part II of the David Henchel interview. According to the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Bob Tullio, “There was just too much quality content in the interview to get it done in one episode. I feel a little selfish here, but I always enjoy doing feature stories and discussing the journey of an industry legend like Henchel, the President and CEO of Corporate Coffee Systems, and I hope you feel the same. There is plenty to learn from his experience, perspective and insights.”

For Tullio, one of the most interesting and honest moments in this interview is when Henchel talks about his two early challenges. Number one of course, is a lack of working capital. “I hear that from everyone and believe me, my partners and I can relate, and I know that all of those new operators out there understand the challenge right now as they try to find their way,” he said.

Challenge number two, and not too many people admit this – is the challenge of learning how to structure a business. As Henchel pointed out – he did not go to college, did not work for a major coffee service company where he could emulate some systems that were already in place – he had to learn by trial and error.  Of course, that leads to mistakes, which he calls – a great learning opportunity.

In a New York state of mind - An interview with David Henchel

Some interviews come with a price. Bob Tullio had to round out a foursome - golfing in Mesquite, Nevada, to get an interview with David Henchel. In the process, Tullio lost golf balls, some cash and some confidence in his golf game - but he did score a great interview. 

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry – produced by Endeavor Business Media, a Division of EndeavorB2B, industry legend David Henchel talks about his 40 years as an operator in the challenging New York City market area. 

Henchel started the company after a short stint at Hofstra. When he realized that college wasn’t for him, he started Corporate Coffee Systems along with his brother, Greg, and childhood friend, Don Luti. Henchel says it could not have happened without those guys.

One definite highlight of this interview is Henchel's description of the many events that forced him to pivot in his business - most notably, what he had to deal with during the pandemic and how he managed to endure and navigate his way through it. 

Tullio brings out the storyteller in Henchel and for Vending & OCS Nation podcast fans, it is an entertaining and informative episode.

Cashing in from water and ice: Are you leaving money on the table?

The ongoing opportunity that exists from point-of-use water system and ice machine rentals is no secret to experienced operators. Equipment innovation is further enhancing the revenue potential.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry – produced by Endeavor Business Media, a Division of EndeavorB2B – host Bob Tullio talked to several industry experts about a wonderful aspect of the OCS business: water, ice and filtration. 

This podcast takes a deeper dive into the topic, which Tullio also covered in a recent article for Automatic Merchandiser.

Tullio shares with listeners about how he discovered the water and ice business.

“As an operator, I kind of stumbled into the point of use water, ice and filtration business — once considered to be a very ancillary part of the OCS industry. It reminded me of the days when I rented pool tables and juke boxes — the kind with 45s and CDs, not the internet versions we see today. As an operator, you would pick up $35 every week from the bar owner, change a few records to the delight of the daytime bar patrons, and be on your way. A slow drip of revenue — $1800 or so, for a juke box that cost about $1000 to begin with. Year after year, a steady return on investment,” he explained.

“Much like the point-of-use water business. Steady revenue, it’s like an annuity. It may be the best thing going in the OCS business. But early on in my OCS sales career, I saw the power of filtered water when I convinced E! Entertainment Television to switch from $6,000 a month in bottled water to $600 a month in point-of-use water. They rewarded my brilliant idea by giving us the OCS business — quite an account for our growing company."

This podcast features eight industry experts:

• Orrin Huebner, consultant
• David Henchel, Corporate Coffee Systems
• Joanna Choi, Bevi
• Davin Wickstrom, Vivreau
• Matt Dudley, Marco Beverage Systems
• Steve Silha, F&B Innovation Group
• Brian Zakeski, Follett Products
• Gary Arwin, Gator Refresh

As new operators jump on board, Naturals2Go is driving the bus and showing them the way

The numbers are impressive. Naturals2Go has helped 2500 new operators get started since 2009, placing 40,000 machines and according to the company, they have a 14% market share. Vending is a hot business and from all indications, it is now a meaningful part of the gig economy.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry – produced by Endeavor Business Media, a Division of EndeavorB2B, host Bob Tullio talked to Natali Pupovac-Peters, senior VP of fulfillment at Naturals2Go – a company that appears to be taking an extremely responsible approach to introducing the convenience services business to people who are attracted to the business opportunity.

She takes us behind the scenes and pulls back the curtain on their fast growing operation - talking about their role as an operator, a seller of business opportunity, an equipment manufacturer and a company that is doing all they can to support new operators while keeping their expectations in check - making sure they understand that convenience services is not some magical "passive income" business.

As Tullio notes on the podcast intro,

"As a long-time operator myself, I had plenty of experience meeting people who had entered the vending business – ushered in by entities that did not have good intentions and were certainly not concerned about whether or not the operator was successful. No reflection on Naurals2Go by any means, but I started the interview – pulling no punches – it was not a surprise to Pupovac-Peters."

 

 

Smart stores are already having a big impact and it is just the beginning

Industry observers, including Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation Podcast host Bob Tullio, are wondering aloud what next year’s State of the Industry Report will reveal. Sales jumped 30% in the vending and micro market segment and smart markets were not even part of the equation. Next year’s numbers could be off the charts!

In Part II of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation Podcast, on the State of the Vending & Micro Market Industry - the conversation turns to what seems to be an inevitable subject these days - smart markets and their impact on the industry.

It was a lively conversation full of outstanding insights taken from two webinars in July. Both webinars are available on demand. Some notable quotes from our guests:

"There is a new wave of operators who are no longer looking at vending and micro markets – they are going straight to smart stores."
Ben Thomas - Nayax

"We need to change our mindset on pricing. We need to step out of that boomer bucket." Josh Rosenberg - Forward Thinkers

"We’ve been installing smart stores like crazy in Fed Ex locations and to say they are doing well in sales is probably the biggest understatement I can make." Tony Danna - Cantaloupe Inc

"If we have an empty cooler, that is basically a coffin with our logo on it. That user experience comes with committed service." Jon Holden – All Star Services, Inc.

"Anyone who is willing to put in the work, the time the energy and the money can compete if they have the right tools in place." Natali Pupovac-Peters – Naturals2Go.

"Looking ahead - I think smart markets will increase in a big way, there will be plenty more industry consolidation, vending will decline and new operators will continue to appear." Orrin Huebner - Consultant.

Micro markets and Vending - Are you getting your share of the explosive growth?

After listening to this podcast, you may reach the same conclusion that podcast host Bob Tullio did. We all seem to be trying to answer one big question. What is driving the explosive growth in our industry?

In July, Bob Tullio, the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, produced and moderated two live webinars, both of which offered plenty of material that is certainly worth sharing on our Vending & OCS Nation podcast. 

While both one hour live webinars are available on demand, the next two episodes of the podcast will look at some of the fantastic content and insights that were shared. Tullio and his panelists talk about the state of the vending and micro market industry – beyond the numbers. For operators and suppliers – what could be more important than that?

Our July 8^th Webinar - Autonomous Food Service and Retail Solutions – a new level of opportunity, was sponsored by Nayax and featured:

• Benjamin Thomas vice president, retail product strategy (North America) for Nayax.
• Operator Jon Holden of All Star Services
• Josh Rosenberg of Forward Thinkers

The July 15^th Webinar - Vending and Micro Market State of the Industry Report, was sponsored by Cantaloupe and Naturals2Go, and featured

• Orrin Huebner, a respected industry consultant
• Tony Danna of Cantaloupe - vice president of small business and GM of Cantaloupe Go Markets
• Matthew Rainey, owner of Surpass Refreshments in North Ft. Myers Florida,
• Natali Pupovac-Peters, head of global operations for Naturals2Go
• Jeff Criswell - business growth consultant and vending/micro market operator for Naturals2Go

Data in Automatic Merchandiser’s State of the Industry report is compiled from a survey sent to operators in the spring of 2025, covering a 12-month period ending March 31, 2025.

Over the next two episodes of Vending & OCS Nation, you will hear from everyone on those panels, discussing industry trends – largely about autonomous retail solutions and what the future will bring. This episode combines the survey data with useful insights, to provide a nice wide-angle view of the state of vending, micro markets and of course, that new technology that is coming at us like a freight train – smart markets.