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Wayne And Amy Bartholomee Sell Baltimores Vend Central New Owners Bring Office Supply Know-How

BALTIMORE -- Wayne and Amy Bartholomee have sold the Baltimore-based cash-and-carry wholesale distribution center that they founded 20 years ago and are busy making plans for their retirement. Vend Central 's new owners, Russ and Christina Ensley, also a husband-and-wife team, hail from outside the vending industry. Christina was formerly president of a local office supply company, Rudolph's Office and Computer Supply (Elkridge, MD). Russ is a marine contractor. Established by the Bartholomees in 1996, V...

October 19, 2017 by Emily Jed

BALTIMORE -- Wayne and Amy Bartholomee have sold the Baltimore-based cash-and-carry wholesale distribution center that they founded 20 years ago and are busy making plans for their retirement. Vend Central's new owners, Russ and Christina Ensley, also a husband-and-wife team, hail from outside the vending industry. Christina was formerly president of a local office supply company, Rudolph's Office and Computer Supply (Elkridge, MD). Russ is a marine contractor.

Established by the Bartholomees in 1996, Vend Central supplies a growing customer base of vending and office coffee service operators in the mid-Atlantic region. One of Vend Central's biggest selling points to operators with one or two routes is that it enables them to minimize their own warehousing requirements and inventory levels while purchasing products at a competitive price. | READ MORE

Amy said she and Wayne began contemplating an exit strategy for their business last September. Serendipitously, the Ensleys, who had known the Barthomees for 15 years, approached them around the same time to inquire about whether they'd be interested in selling their business. The Bartholomees have worked closely with the Ensleys for several months to ensure a smooth transition.

PASSING THE TORCH:Vend Central founders Amy (right center) and Wayne Bartholomee have worked closely with Russ and Christina Ensley over the past several months ensure a smooth transition as the couple takes the reins as Vend Central's new owners.

"The office supply company that I ran for more than six years is very similar to Vend Central in the way it goes to market and servicing local customers," Christina said. "It's a very similar business model, in terms of purchasing, delivering, warehousing. All of the operations are very similar to what I've done and know well. At Rudolph's, our answer was always 'yes' and we did what we needed to make it happen, and Vend Central has the same philosophy."

Chrissy added that at Rudolph's, one of her specialties was helping customers secure contracts with local government offices, which she plans to carry over to the operators Vend Central serves.

"It has been our pleasure to birth and grow Vend Central for the past 21 years," Amy Bartholomee said. "Second only to our children, it has been our greatest achievement. Vending has been very, very good to us. It has taken us places we could have never imagined. We wish Russ and Christina all the good times we enjoyed with our customers and our suppliers. We know they are going to take Vend Central to the next level, and we are so excited to watch where they go. We will be cheering them on every step of the way."