Message from the Association President

Happy New Year Everyone! 

We can all be happy that 2020 is over. Let me start the year off with a quote from C.S. Lewis “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending”. How true that statement is, the past year has been an unprecedented year in history for all of us. You can call it devastating for most but there was nothing with in our control that we could have done to change it. We can now remember it, talk about it, and learn a lot from it but from this day forward we can all live and work towards changing the ending.

What I learned from experiencing a real pandemic is that nothing is sacred, everything that you have worked hard to build can be taken away from you overnight. You soon realize how important family, friends, and business associates are in your life when pandemic rules do not allow you to visit and socialize in person with them.

Although we are not out of the pandemic yet, we can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A vaccination has been created and is being administered as we speak. As the year progresses, we will slowly see the effects of the pandemic reside and businesses starting the journey to recovery, and what a journey it will be. Our CAMA members, both suppliers and operators are in this together and we need to support each other in the recovery process.

The pandemic will undoubtably leave our industry with some employee workforce changes, the work from home concept will continue to a certain degree and have an impact on our OCS sales. On the other hand, I believe that new opportunities will arise for Micro Markets and Vending. We all need to be ready to capitalize on these opportunities as they present themselves.

As an operator there is no better way to be prepared than to keep in touch with all of CAMA’s supplier members and be in tune with what is new and innovative. To assist in this communication, we are launching CAMA’s first edition of their electronic newsletter that will be published 6 times a year. This newsletter will bring operators and suppliers together for the mutual benefit of all.  

Although the newsletter will be a huge step forward in communication for CAMA and its members, I still believe that the best way to culture relationships between operators and suppliers is in person. I highly encourage all of you to attend our annual trade shows when they resume. I can personally attest to the value of attending and meeting operators and suppliers in person. Our members have a wealth of knowledge and life experience that they are willing to share with other members that they have gotten know. Take the opportunity to get involved with CAMA, get to know the members and it will become the best business decision that you will have ever made. Stay involved and stay connected!

If you are a golfer (or not) and enjoy a day off work and be amongst friends and colleagues, then I suggest you consider attending one of our regional golf tournaments. You cannot go wrong with a “bad golf game” and a great day amongst good friends!

In closing, this newsletter will be published every 2 months, but our CAMA website is available 365 days a year and contains a wealth of knowledge on our association and member programs. 

As we start the process of business recovery let us keep our supplier members in mind, many of them will be advertising in this newsletter. We are all in this together and they are here to assist you in any way they can.

Jim Jackson | President, CAMA | Quality Vending & Coffee