Tri-State Automatic Merchandising Council Holds Open Meeting At CoffeeMatt

LEVITTOWN, PA -- The Tri-State Automatic Merchandising Council enjoyed a record turnout for its open board and general membership meeting, held here on Feb. 11. The CoffeeMatt Corp. Inc. hosted the event in conjunction with its first-ever open house.

The Tri-State association, an affiliated state council of the National Automatic Merchandising Association, represents the vending and coffee service industry in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Coffee service veteran Matt Greenwald formed CoffeeMatt Corp. two years ago. It specializes in equipment sales and service for the workplace refreshment business.

More than 100 industry members attended the meeting, including operators and suppliers to vending, c-stores and foodservice. Davis Haines, instructor for the vending repair technicians training program at the A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical High School (Philadelphia) brought a dozen students to observe CoffeeMatt's "real world" machine repair shop and introduce them to industry members. His predecessor, Jim Clark, who launched the first-of-its-kind educational program in 1989, was a guest of honor.

FUTURE: CoffeeMatt operations vice-president Bud Burke (second from right) takes students from Philadelphia's Randolph Career Academy vending mechanics course, with instructor Davis Haines (fifth from left) and program founder Jim Clark (rear row, center) on tour of CoffeeMatt facility.

Tri-State board members, legislative counsel David Tive of Tive Lobbying Group (Harrisburg, PA) and National Automatic Merchandising Association officials Eric Dell, senior vice-president of government affairs, and Pam Gilbert, director of association services, brought participants up to date on legislative issues impacting the refreshment services industry locally and nationally, and about upcoming industry events.

A lobby day is set for May 10 in Harrisburg, where members will distribute goody bags featuring vendible products made in the Keystone State. The Tri-State Automatic Merchandising Association plans to hold its next meeting from June 22 through 24, with the location to be determined.

NAMA senior vice-president of government affairs Eric Dell reminded participants that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's calorie disclosure rules will kick in on Dec. 1 and said the association is working with the FDA to clarify the type size for front-of-pack labels, which would be the best way for the industry to comply with the regulations.

In other news at the federal level, Dell said Energy Star standards for commercial coffee brewers are coming soon, following its work with the Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, NAMA is seeking a federal standard for micromarkets and plans to submit guidance to the FDA in the interest of drafting rules to replace the current patchwork of legislation across the country.

Dell also urged industry members to attend NAMA's Fly-In on July 12-13 in Washington, DC.

PRESENT: Matt Greenwald (r.) welcomes(l. to r.) NAMA's Eric Dell;Tri-State Automatic Merchandising Council president Elliot Teitelbaum, Elliott's Vending (Huntingdon Valley, PA); and NAMA's Pam Gilbert to CoffeeMatt facility.

CATCHING UP: Comparing notes on industry during Tri-State meeting, from left, are Bob Betz of One Source Office Refreshments (Pottstown, PA), Dave Gellman of Gellman Associates (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) and CoffeeMatt Corp.'s Matt Greenwald.