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S C H O O L V E N D IN G With these selections, Coffey would not be concerned about meet- ing the new federal nutrition rules that take effect later this year, even if she were required by law to meet these guidelines. The machine was so successful that she ordered another machine for the middle school. Kids can pay using the pin pad or with cash; about 70 percent use the pin pad. Monthly vending sales jumped from $600 to $2,500, Coffey said. She credits much of the gain to the convenience of cashless acceptance. The staff at the school devel- oped a video for the school Website and internal TV network to show the students how to make purchases from the vend- ing machine using their lunch account balance. The Heartland Software POS sys- tem makes accountability easy for her. Vend-ucation modifi es the Alpine SZ 5000 machines based on the needs of the specifi c cus- tomer. Jim Dillingham, owner of Vend-ucation, adjusts the selec- tion confi guration to the wellness restrictions and the type of pack- ages they prepare. More control over products Burlington High School in Bur- lington, Vt. is another satisfi ed customer of the Alpine machine, noted Doug Davis, food service director. Davis for years contracted the vending based on competitive bids. He felt he did not have a lot of control over the selections. This has changed since taking the vending in-house. "This was a thought-out plan to make our vending more controlled," he said. The three Alpine machines have enabled him to offer reimbursable breakfast and lunch along with a la carte items. The machines accept cash and pin pad payment. 28 The machines were retrofi t- ted with bar code readers. The bar coded student ID cards offered access to the student lunch account balance that was already active in the cafeteria through the school's POS system. However, Pisanick said the kids Debbie Impiccini, general foodservice manager, fills the machines daily at the Hudson, Ohio schools. In the fi rst 90 days, the Alpine machines delivered a 283 percent increase in sales over the previous vending machines, Davis said. Being able to interface the vend- ing machines with the cafeteria POS has been convenient, he said. To expect outside contractors to do this would be problematic. "Owning the machines ourselves eliminated that extra step," he said. Hudson, Ohio schools opted to purchase its own vending machines after Maureen Pisanick, the food- service director, became dissatisfi ed with a machine lease arrangement with a vending operator. The machines required a lot of repairs, and she didn't think they were energy effi cient. Three years ago, Pisanick pur- chased two snack machines and four Alpine machines after coming across Vend-ucation at a school nutrition association meeting. She likes the modern look of the machines, and the fact that they have LED lighting, due to the district's commitment to energy effi ciency. Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com May 2012 learned how to make their own bar code cards and were able to get free products. She has since switched to biometric identifi cation for the pre-funded lunch POS system and to cash for the vending machines. She is presently exploring biometric payments for vending. An Ohio state law effective last July and previous health and well- ness mandates provide nutrition rules for school vending machines. Pisanick has removed all noncompli- ant beverages and high sodium and high fat snacks. The sales initially took a hit, but they have since recov- ered as kids got used to the new products, Pisanick noted. Schools boost vending's image School offi cials nationwide are beginning to recognize that vend- ing machines, despite their rap as purveryors of unhealthy food, are a useful tool in not only making food more accessible to kids, but in providing the type of food they want kids to have. The end result will be a popula- tion of consumers who are comfort- able using vending machines and associate vending machines with nutritious foods and beverages. For more information, contact: Heartland Payment Systems, 866-941-1477, www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com Horizon Software International, 800-741-7100, www.horizon-boss.com PCS Software, 800-247-3061, www.pcrs.com Star Food, 877-857-3663, www.starfoodhealthyexpress.com Vend-ucation, 800-633-1200, www.vendingmachinesschools.com