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Laurel, the innovator behind the drop shelf vending machine, has been in operation for 55 years. They are known for their ‘dependability in vending’ and are the first choice when purchasing vending equipment. This is evident in the long relationship they have built with the customers over the years.
Laurel began operating in a similar way to that of many companies in the car wash industry. In 1959, Rich Kent incorporated a company that had its beginning in the basement of a house on Laurel Avenue in Wilmette, Illinois, USA. The early work at Laurel involved the production of many different types of metal products and the continuing development of equipment to vend a wide array of consumer products. The development of vending systems included confectionary, snacks, newspapers, records, batteries, stamps, laundry soap and fabric products.
In the mid-sixties, there was a project that helped focus on the engineering design of a drop-shelf system that would be low in cost to manufacture and fast to assemble. What is present in the current version of the mechanical and electronic vendors has its origin over 40 years ago. During the same period, Rich was approached by the distributors on the car wash industry to develop a towel vendor that could replace a very unreliable piece of equipment in use.
Current day drop shelf vending systems have a wide variety of application. Laurel Vendors, both mechanical control and electronic control, are prepared for many countries’ coins around the world. The vending machines operate in the chill of Alaska to the heat of Australia, dispensing diverse items from nappy kits to medical supplies.
Laurel are often approached to give assistance with regards to repairs, troubleshooting, service requests or to give new life to equipment that has been in use for long periods of time. When customers call Laurel they sometimes speak to either Chip or Pat, but may not realise that they are in fact dealing with the owners who designed, developed and produced their Laurel product, something that is rare in the industry these days.
Large or small, simple or complicated, the vending machines have a long life that means the customer relationship will follow.