Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

About Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

Tune in to Vending & OCS Nation — the podcast for the convenience services industry — hosted by Bob Tullio, produced by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B. On each episode, we dive into the people, trends, issues and products driving innovation in the vending, coffee service, micro markets, and pantry service industry. The takeaways from each episode will help make an operator’s business more profitable.

Publisher

Endeavor Business Media

Category

business · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Feb 2023

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

137 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Focused on luxury apartment buildings, Hunter Hebestreet built AI Vending from scratch

   What happens when a successful healthcare technology salesperson decides that great money no longer makes up for burnout? For Hunter Hebestreet, it meant starting AI Vending from scratch and finding opportunity in Denver’s luxury apartment buildings. Today, his company operates 74 pieces of equipment across 45 locations. On this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio talks with Hunter Hebestreet about building a focused sales strategy, earning the trust of property managers and securing equipment placement that turns foot traffic into smart cooler sales. Hunter shares what’s working with product selection, commissions, social media and financing. He explains why even an experienced salesperson had to get comfortable walking through doors, cold calling and hearing “no.” How did cold calling make him feel? "I was sick to my stomach - I was scared and I just moved forward and I did it scared." Beyond the technology, Hunter’s story offers a candid look at the persistence required to build a convenience services business. He explains how focusing on one market helped his company sharpen its sales approach and earn opportunities across property portfolios. His advice for aspiring operators: Plan for more rejection, more capital and more time than you expect and find a strong business partner and suppliers to help you grow.

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   A different approach to consolidation – Inside the Alliance Markets & Vending model

   What if a convenience services operator could take some money off the table, retain a meaningful ownership stake in a larger organization and continue building the local company they spent years creating? That is the model behind Alliance Markets & Vending. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation, Bob Tullio talks with Gregg Meheriuk, CEO of Alliance Markets & Vending, about a founder-focused approach to consolidation that offers independent operators something different from a traditional exit. Backed by Shore Capital, Alliance acquires strong independent convenience services companies while allowing many founders to remain active in the business and invest a portion of their proceeds into the larger Alliance platform. The local company name and customer relationships can remain intact, while operators gain access to resources that are often difficult for an independent company to build on its own. Gregg explains how scale can create advantages in purchasing, technology, HR, finance, sales support and operational expertise. Alliance operators also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices with other successful operators inside the organization. The conversation also addresses one of the biggest questions facing longtime operators: What happens if I want liquidity, but I'm not ready to retire? Gregg describes how founders who want to remain involved can reinvest part of the proceeds from the sale into Alliance, giving them the opportunity to participate in the future growth and value of the overall platform. Alliance is also showing early momentum. Gregg says the company is performing well ahead of its aggressive budget and exceeding his expectations. For operators considering succession, an eventual sale or simply a way to accelerate growth, this episode offers a look at an emerging alternative - selling the business without necessarily saying goodbye to the business.

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   ACE Around the World promises to be a buyers show, featuring value, education and fun

   The Atlantic Coast Exposition has long been known for bringing together convenience services operators, suppliers and industry leaders for education, networking and plenty of fun. For ACE 2026, the organizers are raising the bar.In this special episode of Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, presented in cooperation with ACE – the Atlantic Coast Exposition, host Bob Tullio sits down with Timmy Brewer, a 13-year Canteen North America veteran and chair of ACE 2026, for a preview of ACE Around the World.One of the biggest changes this year? ACE wants to become a true buying show.Brewer explains why operators should arrive with a shopping list and be ready to talk directly with suppliers, brokers and distributors about new products, equipment, coffee programs and special ACE show deals. The goal is simple: create meaningful conversations that can translate into real business opportunities.But the buying-show emphasis is only part of the story. Brewer takes listeners through a packed ACE schedule that includes educational sessions addressing legislative issues, cost pressures and the human side of AI, along with an energetic keynote from Jake Failing, Carolina Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes hype man.There’s also golf, live music, the ACE Honors Breakfast, a cornhole tournament and, of course, the always memorable ACE party. This year, it is built around the wide-open creative possibilities of the ACE Around the World theme.For operators who have never attended ACE before, Brewer has a simple challenge: give it a try. At a $99 operator registration price, he is confident that the combination of education, contacts, buying opportunities and industry camaraderie delivers tremendous value.Learn more at atlanticcoastexpo.com.

Who has been a guest on Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dillon Houstoun
• Josh Rosenberg
• Ryan Harrington
• Michelle Harrington

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

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