CHICAGO —  The National Automatic Merchandising Association has responded to a column authored by Richard Miniter of the Hudson Institute that appeared in the Nov. 30 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The opinion-piece alleged that “special interests” were lobbying Congress to waste taxpayer money on replacing the $1 bill with a coin. NAMA disagrees and sets the record straight…

LONG BEACH, CA (April 2008) — The Specialty Coffee Association of America is putting the finishing touches on its 20th Annual Conference & Exhibition, themed “Roots,” as VT goes to press. It’s scheduled for May 2-5 at the Minneapolis (MN) Convention Center. 

U.S.A. (December 2007) — American operators are starting to look enviously at industry professionals in Europe and Canada, where the equivalent of a $2 bulk vend is commonplace. Many vendors have even expanded offerings to include products that retail for more than $4, and merchandise like licensed toys, which typically sell for 75¢ here, is now fetching $1 in Canada.

WASHINGTON, DC — A recent letter from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s general counsel may spell good news for bulk vending operators and suppliers. Cheryl Falvey’s letter, dated November 17, suggested that products containing phthalates, a plastic-softening chemical used in some vendible novelties, might still be sold through bulk vending machines without fear of prosecution, if those products were manufactured prior to February 10, 2009, the effective date of the new CPSC standards…