01-07-2005 - Vendia sales team to grow after profits double
Following a nationwide pilot trial, leading UK-based vending company, Vendia (previously Benchmark Vending), has launched a new-style vending concept that aims to deliver a taste of European-style `café culture’ to the workplace.
Leading vending group, Vendia, has celebrated its fifth birthday by announcing unprecedented doubled profits in 2004 – and plans to boost its UK salesforce to deal with a growing customer base.
Vendia (previously Benchmark Vending Group), was formed at the end of 1999 and went on to acquire nine vending operators, mainly in the UK but also in France. Since then, Vendia has grown to 470 staff and is now one of the leading operators in the UK, with a 10,000-strong customer base focused largely on medium and smaller office-based businesses, as well as manufacturing sites, leisure venues, hospitals and small retail locations.
Vendia Chief Executive Officer, Mike Potts says: “This is a fantastic result for us. In a still tough market, we have managed to improve productivity and achieve superb customer loyalty, beyond our expectations. We’re also finding that our English and French operators are learning from each other, picking up productivity tips and transferring lessons across the Channel. It’s a very healthy state of teamwork and a great competitive advantage for Vendia.
“After restructuring and rebranding the company, we have now successfully integrated all our acquisitions into the group framework. Yet, most importantly, we have preserved our ability to operate on a local basis. `Being local’ really is special for us: we have chosen not to go down the route of a national call centre and have invested instead in our local teams and regional offices who can ensure the degree of customer care and personal contact that our customers respect.
“The success of this strategy has been reflected in our customer loyalty – running currently at around 96 per cent – and customer survey feedback that indicates that our satisfaction levels are 15 per cent above the industry average. We will keep working hard to maintain this enviable position.”
Vendia sells a full range of refreshments, vending services and vending machines. It has its own ingredients brand and is also able to offer a full range of fair and ethically traded products. It has pioneered a Healthy Options Range (which offers healthy alternatives to crisps and chocolate, such as dried fruit and cereal bars) in UK schools, offices and leisure centres.
Mr Potts says Vendia plans to increase its UK salesforce by about 20 per cent in the coming year, as well as to investigate further small acquisitions: “We have a solid base and it’s now important that we look to invest in the future. We will keep an eye out for any sales talent or small vending businesses which might help us to fill geographic gaps and further build on our local capability.”
2004 highlights
Mr Potts was active on the AVA’s Educated Choice Initiative, working with the Foods Standards Agency, and was also a panel member speaking on healthy vending at the recent European Vending Association’s operator conference in Prague. Major customer wins for Vendia in the last year include Marks & Spencer and Ernst & Young in London.
Vendia’s success in the last 12 months is also due to a deliberately proactive approach to developing its business in cooperation with suppliers – something that was recognised when the company was awarded a special prize for “Commitment to Partnership” in the Vending Operator of the Year Awards organised by Masterfoods at Avex05.
Market predictions
Vendia predicts that bottled water, as part of the overall vending mix, is a high-growth area for the coming year. They are also planning some innovative product launches for autumn 2005, increasingly reflecting developments in high street retail and in food service and beverage trends.
Vendia UK Ltd is one of the largest beverage and snack vending companies in the UK. It is part of the international Vendia Group which is based in Holland and also has vending operations in France.
Vendia’s unique strength is its network of strong local operating companies and management teams, who leverage their regional knowledge and experience to deliver better products and services, whatever the required vending package. Vendia companies have particularly strong knowledge and experience in five market sectors: Leisure, Business, Education, Public Service and Retail.
The company is based at:
17 Rufus Business Centre
Ravensbury Terrace
London
SW18 4RL
United Kingdom
T : +44 (0) 20 8879 8354
F : +44 (0) 870 762 8985
www.vendia-group.com
info@vendia-group.com