Automatic Merchandiser

MAR 2015

Automatic Merchandiser serves the business management, marketing, technology and product information needs of its readers including vending operators, coffee service operators, product brokers, and product and equipment distributors in print.

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beginning to learn, but we did it." He advises other operators who want to stay in business to do the same thing. "Invest in technology," he stressed. "There will always be a return on investment when it comes to technol- ogy, so why not invest in something that will get you more money?" Here to stay One of Holt's most recent investments took a little convincing. When the micro market segment was frst intro- duced, Holt was hesitant. "I wasn't sure I wanted to do it," he said. But as he watched other operators place micro markets, he realized that it was a seg- ment that wasn't going away. And he wouldn't be left behind. In 2013 the company opened its frst Avanti Mar- ket. Now LCV has grown to 14 micro market locations. It is about to add a second micro market route. It didn't take long for Holt to see the positives of micro markets, and that includes the return on invest- ment. "I've had some micro market locations that are double the sales that vending would be," he said. "A vend- ing location will have its best sales in its frst week, whereas micro market sales will increase for a few months." LCV has also been able to use the commissary it purchased in 2004 to offer fresh food to micro markets. "With our commissary, we're able to make anything and we're able to do it in a timely manner," said Holt. Other micro markets, he says, will have to wait a few days to get fresh food, but his company can make it and get it out to the market within a day or two. Today, LCV places Avenue C micro markets and has been able to grow year-by-year because of its micro market and OCS segments. Premium coffee Part of Holt's job is to study the industry and watch trends. Just as he recognized that micro markets were becoming part 18 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com March 2015 O P E R A T I O N P R O F I L E Multiple business interests Dan Holt is a serial entrepre- neur. In addition to his vending company, Holt and his fam- ily own fve restaurants in the Fayetteville, TN area. "Our ownership of restaurants came out of our cafeteria business," said Holt. "We began with one restaurant, did pretty well with it so we bought another one and so forth." Holt just signed a deal to build three more restaurants.

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