Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

Everyone in the OCS business has heard about the popular Technician Training and Equipment Sales Trade Show from Holiday House Distributing. This year's event is more attractive than ever, offering training at a whole new level – for OCS technicians and now – operators and salespeople.

From humble beginnings in 2019, the 2025 spring session attracted 140 technicians from 73 companies. The fall session of the show, slated for Septem...

While everyone in the beverage business has heard of Gatorade and Powerade, there always seems to be room for a new contender in the isotonic beverage category. With a new distribution deal - Launch Hydrate has arrived.

You may remember tasting Launch Hydrate as you walked into the 2025 NAMA Show. Josh Rosenberg of Forward Thinkers was side by side with the company’s COO, Dillon Houstoun, serving up Launch Hydrate to grateful conve...

It started as a side gig to make some extra money, but after a while, Ryan Harrington realized that he loved the vending business. As it turns out, his investment connected him to love on many levels, including a life partner and co-CEO – his wife Michelle.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio brings you a conversation with Ryan Harrington, Founder and CEO of Royal ReFresh in...

From the discovery of explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship in Antarctica, to the theme of the presidential inauguration, “endurance” is a recurring word that hits home for operators when they reflect on what they have dealt with over the years.

The word certainly resonated with Bob Tullio, host of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast. In this episode, he speaks with numerous industry leaders -- operators and suppl...

What is Josh Rosenberg up to now? It is question Josh hears, especially when he is not in the industry's spotlight, where he has spent so much time as a high profile player in and around convenience services. Bottom line: He's back. 

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio sits down with Josh Rosenberg to talk about his 30 year industry journey and new family business, Forward T...

With all the consolidation this industry has seen – podcast host Bob Tullio asks, what is drawing the huge crowds at the NAMA Show? He thinks it's the newcomers - new operators who are highly motivated – intrigued by the promise of giant revenue (often driven by Tik Tok videos), but extremely excited by the technology.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation,  Tullio brings you more convention floor int...

As usual, podcast host Bob Tullio worked the 2025 NAMA convention floor with a microphone in hand, talking to a wide variety of operators. While they may have come to Las Vegas with different objectives, they all agreed that the show was a fine display of what the industry has to offer.

Tullio admits that after golfing for three days before the show with David “Hollywood” Henchel, Jim “Dutton” Evans and Rick “The Duke” Dutkiewicz, ...

You may end up listening to this on your way to the 2025 NAMA Show in Las Vegas – on the plane, in a taxi or hanging out in the lobby of your hotel before the show starts up on May 7th. That is the perfect scenario, because today’s episode offers some valuable advice about the 2025 Show – in addition to "wear comfortable shoes."

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience se...

After 14 years as president and CEO of NAMA, Carla understands the operator mindset and always has the best interests of NAMA members at the top of her priority list.

As Carla Balakgie approaches her last NAMA show as president and CEO of the organization, it is a good time for her to reflect on the last 14 years at the helm of the successful industry organization.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Natio...

Based on the industry’s growth – the big comeback underway in just about every segment of the convenience services industry and the huge success of the most recent conventions – Chicago in 2022 – Atlanta in 2023 – record attendance at Dallas in 2024 – there is a lot of excitement brewing about the 2025 NAMA show and the return of the show to Las Vegas.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch's Vending &am...

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 with Carla to talk about her journ...

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 Nation, the podcast for the convenience...

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 and a supplier.

There are many great ...

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 services industry, you will hear Part II o...

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 greater New York City area.

Kleinman has...

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 industry, host Bob Tullio looks back at so...

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 strategies will ensure your success for 2...

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 Bob Tullio put together a fast-paced ...

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 recipes. 

In this episode, listeners wi...