USConnect – Connecting operators across the country
In 2013, Jeff Whitacre, CEO of Food Express, was run-
ning a successful vending and foodservice company in
Greensboro, N.C., when he asked himself, what's next?
"That's when I woke up one morning at 2 a.m. and
thought, USConnect," Whitacre said. His idea was to
have the industry's
leading independent
companies unite to
form an integrated
campus solution for
national account
sales. USConnect
could also provide
proprietary rewards and loyalty cards with real time
manufacturer promotions, a wellness program and
brand development.
PROFIT IS NOT A DIRTY WORD
Whitacre offcially launched USConnect in April of
2013. "It has some of the brightest entrepreneurial
minds in the industry," said Whitacre. "My job is to pull
them together and utilize everyone's strengths to better
serve the whole."
USConnect is a managed services company that allows
independent vend operators to work together in order
to create a premium national image while providing
enhanced consumer value with cashless, a USConnect
loyalty program and national wellness campaign created
by a registered dietitian. With a network of strategic
supplier relationships centered around technological
effciencies and consumer product offerings, the group
aims to teach operators how to change their companies
and make more proft.
Already there are 28 operator affliates in the US-
Connect family and Whitacre expects more than one
hundred by the end of 2014. "That's the number we'll
need to fll out the country for national account sales,
geographically broad manufacturer promotions and new
product releases," he added.
20 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com April 2014
S U C C E S S S T O R Y
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