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AVT, Inc. Files For Court Protection Under Chapter 11 ▶ AVT, Inc., a manufac- turer of automated retailing systems and custom vending machines, announced that it has commenced a volun- tary fling for restructuring and court protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. AVT expects the court will autho- rize the company to conduct business as usual while it develops a reorganization plan. AVT management states that the company's core vending and automated retailing business remains strong, and that the fling is related to past attempts at diversifcation into unrelated businesses. Vagabond, PayRange Partner ▶ Vagabond and PayRange are integrating data and mobile payments in a man- ner that allows operators to simultaneously optimize sales and reduce operat- ing expenses using the Vagabond VMS. "PayRange is a perfect ft with Vaga- bond's strategy of offering choices through partner- ships. Vagabond custom- ers are now able to use a PayRange BluKey device at any machine they want to enable cashless for a much lower cost while reaping the benefts of Vagabond's best of breed mobile VMS technology," said Vagabond Founder and CEO Michael Lovett. "Our partnership with PayRange allows for more and exciting ways for operators to engage with con- sumers, talk to their machines and improve their businesses through technology." PepsiCo To Switch Diet Pepsi Sweetener ▶ PepsiCo North Amer- ica Beverages recently announced it is changing the calorie-free sweetener in its Diet Pepsi carbonated beverages from aspartame to a combination of sucralose and ace-K. The change is due in part to concern consumers have surround- ing aspartame as well as to spur sales of Diet Pepsi. The newly sweetened beverage will be available in August and be labeled "Now Aspar- tame Free." Club Coffee Launches Compostable Coffee Pods ▶ Canadian coffee roaster, Club Coffee, announced the PurPod100, which will be a 100 percent compostable, fully certifed single-serve beverage pod. The Pur- Pod100 is made from renewable, bio-based materi- als that are 100 percent compostable, and the ring of the pod is made using cof- fee chaff — the skin of the coffee bean that comes off during the roasting process. The PurPod100 is compat- ible with most Keurig brew- ing systems, including the new Keurig 2.0 brewers. The PurPod100 will initially be available for purchase from Kauai Coffee, Chock full o'Nuts, Hills Bros. Coffee, Copper Moon, Boyd's Coffee and Paramount Coffee. People in the News Vending Industry Mourns Loss Of Edward Weber Vending operator and longtime industry member Edward "Eddie" Weber passed away on March 24, 2015, at the age of 84. Weber was the founder of Lincoln State Insur- ance and Master Brew Beverages, a family-owned full-service vending and OCS company serving the Chicagoland and surrounding areas. The National Coffee Service Association recognized Master Brew Beverages as the best in the coffee/vending industry by awarding the company the "Silver Service Award" from 1990 to 1991. In 1997, Weber and his sons, Ron and Joey, were named Automatic Merchandiser's "Operators of the Year". Weber was one of the frst OCS operators in the market when he launched Master Brew with a partner in 1966. Weber's sons continue to operate the business. AMS Group Appoints New CEO Roger Tovar, president of AMS Group, Inc. has announced the appointment of Nicolas Abuid as the AMS Group's CEO. Abuid has, most recently, been the vice president of U.S. and international operations for CC1 Companies. H.U.M.A.N. Names Ryan Schneider As President & COO H.U.M.A.N. (Helping Unite Mankind And Nutrition) announced that it has named Ryan Schneider as president and COO. Most recently, Schneider served as the vice president of sales and business devel- opment at FoodLink, a Northern California-based technology company that provides supply chain and commerce solutions to the grocery and food industry. NAMA CEO Carla Balakgie Featured On CEO Update's Association Newsmakers NAMA announced that President and CEO Carla Balakgie has been featured in a new interview from CEO Update's "Association Newsmakers," a show distributed widely amongst the highest levels of association management and related stakeholders. Balakgie joins high profle CEOs including Matthew Shay, National Retail Federa- tion; Tim Pawlenty, Financial Services Roundtable; Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association; and Susan Neely, American Beverage Association, all of whom have been featured on the program. Balakgie Weber Abuid May 2015 VendingMarketWatch.com Automatic Merchandiser 9 T O P N E W S