februarymarch2024 - 16

Mike Frye
Mike Frye entered the vending industry in 1995 as the vending equipment salesperson for
Southeastern Vending Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1999, he became the national sales
manager for U-Select-It in Des Moines, Iowa. His responsibilities included distribution and national
accounts. In 2007, he returned to Southeastern Vending Services as sales manager, overseeing all
aspects of SVS equipment distribution and its service center, which provides electronic and OCS
refurbishment, among other products and services. As the business has changed over the years,
Frye has evolved today to focus on advanced vending equipment technology, smart markets and
the micro market segment. He has received numerous awards including 2010 Outstanding Supplier-Shasta Vending,
2011 North Carolina Vending Association Supplier of the Year, 2017 Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association
Supplier of the Year and 2018 Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association Supplier of the Year. He currently
serves on the Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association board, and he is a past member of the Atlantic Coast
Exposition planning committee and NAMA trade show committee.
Robert Gayer
Robert Gayer has been in the coffee
world for over 40 years, working for
OCS companies and for a coffee
roaster as a sales manager and later
executive vice president, helping the
company become a large private label
packer in Florida through a distributor
BC Coffee. Gayer was named Supplier of the Year for
the Southern Coffee Break Service and was named
Automatic Merchandiser's Supplier of the Year in 1993.
He was also involved with the development and success
of flavored bags of coffee. Today, Gayer works as a
broker dealing with other companies, including National
Coffee and Cold Fire Roasters. " Over the years, I've
witnessed so many changes - K-cups and other singleserve
products, then bean-to-cup and other new ideas
for OCS to help make them more competitive. I have
made so many friends and I truly love what I do. "
Jeff Gehman
Jeff Gehman began his career in the
industry in 1990 as sales/marketing
manager at Ephrata Diamond
Spring Water and Diamond Station
Coffee. In the next seven years,
Diamond Station Coffee served
office customers in four states, and
a retail DSD network was developed in 1992 to grow
to 270 store locations. Gehman credits the Kaloyanides
family for helping him learn all aspects of coffee
roasting and especially the generosity of the late
Michael Kaloyanides and Steve Kaloyanides Sr. In 1997,
Gehman joined Consolidated Services Group and
partner John Salterio. Salterio and Gehman worked
to form a leading foodservice coffee trading company.
Consolidated Services Group is focused on representing
coffees and related products across the U.S., and the
company trains and develop its distributor partners.
Gehman has a master's degree in business/food
marketing from Saint Joseph's University and is
a certified coffee specialist.
Frank Gumma Sr.
Frank Gumma Sr. founded
AVS Companies in 1971 as a
used vending machine sales
house and has since grown the
company into a multi-branch,
full-service network, serving
operators of every sort of coin
machine, including gaming. Gumma's legacy in the
convenience services industry is a testament to
his vision, hard work and adaptability. Even with
Gumma's retirement from AVS Companies in 2012,
his journey from modest beginnings to establishing
a thriving and multifaceted company continues to
inspire the entire AVS Companies team. With over 50
years in business, there's no doubt that his dedication
to quality and innovation ensures that his legacy
continues to thrive in the years ahead.
Lance Hall
Lance Hall is senior vice president
of sales for Brokers Unlimited,
which has market coverage in eight
Southeastern states as well as
national support with Premier Sales
& Marketing. Hall is from Mobile,
Alabama, and attended Alabama
Southern College on a basketball scholarship. He has
worked in the food industry all his career and joined
the vending family in 2002 when Kenny Freeman hired
him as an account executive. He was promoted to
sales manager in 2012 and to senior vice president of
sales in 2022. He has also proudly served on the SEVA
Board since 2012. In 2014, Hall completed the NAMA
Executive Development Program. He is also a longstanding
member of the Alabama Vending Association.
What he loves most about the industry is building longterm
relationships with his customers.
16 Automatic Merchandiser * February/March 2024

februarymarch2024

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