QUARTERLY
WINNER
Fox Vending, Inc.'s Jim Milton
Wins Route Driver of the Year
By Alfonso Flores
Sponsored by Mondelez International
and Automatic Merchandiser, the award
recognizes the industry's fnest route drivers.
FOR MORE than 36 years, Jim Milton has been
delivering products and smiles for Bridgeview, Ill.-based
Fox Vending, Inc. In recognition of his exceptional
customer service, Milton was recently named Automatic
Merchandiser's 2012 Route Driver of the Year.
Worthy recipient
Jennifer Fox, president of Fox Vending and nominator,
struggled with a way to show appreciation for such a
dedicated employee, wondering how to repay someone
for so many years.
"Milton is not someone who has ever required
accolades; he's a humble kind of guy," Fox said. "He
does his job so well every day because he takes personal
pride in doing so, not so he can be told how great he is
or get a pat on the back."
Ultimately, Fox believes winning this contest was
a ftting reward. Nominations were scored on years as
a driver, number of machines serviced, miles traveled,
accidents and citations, sick days, speed, thoroughness,
likability, number of compliments, friendliness, appearance, condition of truck, empty spirals and sales.
In for the long-haul
Milton has been involved in the vending industry since
graduating high school. He began working in a factory
for a vending operation that has since gone out of business. When they began down-sizing, Milton decided
to search for a new position, and found a listing for an
opening at Fox Vending.
During his 36 years of service, Milton has declined
offers for management positions to continue doing what
he loves — running a route.
Being a driver allows Milton to work independently
and plan his route, all while providing customer service.
Due to his effciency and grasp of inventory needs, he
often returns to the warehouse without a single case
left on the truck.
"It's kind of like being my own
boss," Milton said. "Nobody
bothers me and they let me do
my job. I enjoy getting up in
the morning and going to
work every day."
Changing technology
During his time in the vending industry, Milton has
experienced a lot of
changes.
pride in doing [his
''He takes personaltold how great he is.job],
not so he can be
''
44
Automatic Merchandiser
VendingMarketWatch.com
April 2013