ELYRIA — A vending machine company will head to Elyria next year with a promise of adding 30 new jobs and expansion of a Lowell Street site for its growing business.

Cuyahoga Vending, a branch of Canteen Franchise Group, has announced plans to move from North Ridgeville to Elyria by March 2010, according to Donald Brackenhoff, Elyria economic development director.

Cuyahoga Vending, which dispenses candy, snacks and prepared sandwiches, salads and soups in vending machines in a 55-county market across Ohio, has purchased a 55,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by Patriot Supply Co. at 1444 Lowell St. The site is next to the old General Motors Fisher Guide plant, Brackenhoff said.

The new location is more than 30,000 square feet larger than the 22,000-square-foot building the company was leasing in North Ridgeville.

“This is great news for Elyria,” Brackenhoff said. “We’ll have a local company stay local.”

The vending company looked at sites in Elyria, North Ridgeville, Avon and Lorain before making its decision.

“They were all outstanding to deal with, but this facility fit us best,” Phil Tollett, district manager for Cuyahoga Vending, said Friday.

The company — which has more than 300 workers — said it will add 30 jobs over the next three years to the current 70 people who work in North Ridgeville.  Cuyahoga Vending also services vending machines and operates cafeterias at various businesses and other locations, Tollett said.

The move comes after more than a year of planning by Cuyahoga Vending.

Plans also call for renovations to existing offices, and construction of a new, bigger commissary.

“We’ll have a state-of-the-art food service operation that will allow us to service 30 to 40 percent more clients, and offer a wider range of food items,” Tollett said.

The Lowell Street location will serve some 4,000 vending machines within 55 counties. The machines are in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, manufacturing facilities and other businesses, according to Tollett.

Tollett said he could not divulge payroll figures, but salaries for workers at the new Elyria facility are expected to range between $25,000 and $75,000.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---