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Bought a 1400 head Ford Gum Route-Need Advice


redfleet32

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Hello fellow vendors. I just purchased a route of 1400 heads, 1100 on location. I need any information you may have about the Ford Gum Company. Pros...Cons and just general information. I'm currently considering whether or not to keep the relationship.

 

I have been in the vending business for 21 years so I'm not a newbie. I've intergrated these machines into my own routes. 85% of the machines were already in my towns. 

 

 

I have checked Craigslist everyday for 5 years waiting for a deal like this one. Ive come across some great deals but this was a once in a life time deal. I say this only to encourage you to be diligent in checking CL. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

ALSO, I HAVE 100 BULK STANDS THAT I AM SELLING. $1000

 

 

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Curious choice of wording.  Is there something I'm missing here?  Why is this a "Ford Gum route" and why are you debating about continuing the relationship?  With who...Ford gum?  

 

At any rate, I'm very happy for you and I might be interested in buying ALL of those stands from you.  Please PM me your information so we can talk.  

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I apoligize if this has incorrect wording. The route is a Ford Gum sponsored Kiwanis route. That means the charity benefitting is the differant Kiwanis clubs in the cities that the machines are in. Being a member of the Ford Gum "member" helps get national accounts such as Best Buy Kmarts and other National chains which this route came with. Ford gum is also the overseer of all the collections of donation boxes at McDonalds, Taco Bell and other restaraunts. I have been told that they have slowed down quite a bit in getting their members locations. That is why I am asking peoples opinion of them. Many of the major accounts I have accuired on this route were only gotten due to Ford Gum.

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Hello fellow vendors. I just purchased a route of 1400 heads, 1100 on location. I need any information you may have about the Ford Gum Company. Pros...Cons and just general information. I'm currently considering whether or not to keep the relationship.

 

I have been in the vending business for 21 years so I'm not a newbie. I've intergrated these machines into my own routes. 85% of the machines were already in my towns. 

 

 

I have checked Craigslist everyday for 5 years waiting for a deal like this one. Ive come across some great deals but this was a once in a life time deal. I say this only to encourage you to be diligent in checking CL. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

ALSO, I HAVE 100 BULK STANDS THAT I AM SELLING. $1000

Not knowing anything about the relationship my first assumption is that you would have to maintain the relationship to keep the national accounts.... It would'nt make sense to terminate the relationship if that's the case.

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I agree with Mission.  Until the Ford gum relationship proves to be unprofitable or untenable it would be in your best interest to keep it going.  Otherwise you would be walking away from much of the business you just bought and have waited so long to obtain.

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I apoligize if this has incorrect wording. The route is a Ford Gum sponsored Kiwanis route. That means the charity benefitting is the differant Kiwanis clubs in the cities that the machines are in. Being a member of the Ford Gum "member" helps get national accounts such as Best Buy Kmarts and other National chains which this route came with. Ford gum is also the overseer of all the collections of donation boxes at McDonalds, Taco Bell and other restaraunts. I have been told that they have slowed down quite a bit in getting their members locations. That is why I am asking peoples opinion of them. Many of the major accounts I have accuired on this route were only gotten due to Ford Gum.

Your mistaken on the Taco Bell and mc d collections

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Why am I beginning to feel like this is a secret society?

Thats bulk vendors, weird group that act like everything is G-14 classified. There are exceptions but most seem very paranoid of sharing info. I always smile when I see the "pm me" as if the info they have will surely mean the end of the world if that info becomes public.

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The secret decoder rings are for sale in the TVF store.

But honestly some things are sensitive

 

I hear ya.  And if there's money (or existing accounts) on the line then I'd appreciate communication via PM as well.  I just don't see how info. about a Kiwanis route would fall under that category.  It makes me very leery of them though if mere mention of them constitutes a dereliction of duty on the sellers part.  

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There is a distinct line between Ford Gum and the Ford Commercial Vendor Group (FCVG) - It depends if you bought a Ford route or a FCVG territory. You may have bought both. Like Musser said this should have been made clear by the seller.

 

Please PM me. 

 

There are lots of prying eyes on here. Sometimes I am not sure what to post. 

 

Mike

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Hey Redfleet,

 

Best wishes in your new venture!

Just curious – what’s the deal setup with Ford?

Does Ford get a percentage?

Does Kiwanis get a percentage or a flat rate per head/location?

With your experience, I’m sure it will be a success.

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Hey Redfleet,

Best wishes in your new venture!

Just curious – what’s the deal setup with Ford?

Does Ford get a percentage?

Does Kiwanis get a percentage or a flat rate per head/location?

With your experience, I’m sure it will be a success.

I have never used them but with so many hands involved the charity may not get much at all. Not only is ford involved buy you have the operator and I think some are serviced by other operators that don't own them. With so many hands in the pot it shrinks on the way down.

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I have never used them but with so many hands involved the charity may not get much at all. Not only is ford involved buy you have the operator and I think some are serviced by other operators that don't own them. With so many hands in the pot it shrinks on the way down.

You are very off base and haven't the slightest clue about the Fordway program or the Ford Commercial Vendors Group. The Ford program has been and is one of the most generous charity programs in the history of bulk vending.

 

My original post was to let Redfleet know that there is a great bunch of professional people behind him and the seller was remiss in not giving Redfleet the contact information he deserved and needs.

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You are very off base and haven't the slightest clue about the Fordway program or the Ford Commercial Vendors Group. The Ford program has been and is one of the most generous charity programs in the history of bulk vending.

My original post was to let Redfleet know that there is a great bunch of professional people behind him and the seller was remiss in not giving Redfleet the contact information he deserved and needs.

I never said that they were not grnerous in fact my statment said I have no first hand information all I can do is take what I know about the business and apply to the question asked. What I said was the there are multiable hands involved with that quarter before it gets to the charity and that each time it's touched it shrinks. Product cost, operator, service guys and ford. These people do not work for free. I was not knocking ford or their programs. I'm sure they do great work but for my post to have been off base those companies and employees would work for free and have no admin cost and that's just not true.

You are very off base and haven't the slightest clue about the Fordway program or the Ford Commercial Vendors Group. The Ford program has been and is one of the most generous charity programs in the history of bulk vending.

My original post was to let Redfleet know that there is a great bunch of professional people behind him and the seller was remiss in not giving Redfleet the contact information he deserved and needs.

Instead of making blanket statements. Just answer the questions that were asked.

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I was educated to the fact that there is a distinction between Ford gum and FCVG. What I bought was a Ford distributor route and not any part of the FCVG. I gave a little conflicting onfo in my original post, but it is quite interesting reading the posts people have written. I am currently working on the FCVG to purchase that part. 

 

Big Mike- Heard a lot of great things about you as Ive researched the FCVG. 

 

The seller was clear I just didnt word my original post very well not being totally educated on Ford. It was my mistake. I did not realize FCVG was totally seperate. 

 

I know through one Ford route that I bought about 6 months ago ( I did not continue the Ford relationship on that one) the owner showed me his plaque for when he reached 125,000 that he had donated to the Kawani's club. I think that speaks volumes about the program!

 

Thanks everyone.

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I was educated to the fact that there is a distinction between Ford gum and FCVG. What I bought was a Ford distributor route and not any part of the FCVG. I gave a little conflicting onfo in my original post, but it is quite interesting reading the posts people have written. I am currently working on the FCVG to purchase that part.

Big Mike- Heard a lot of great things about you as Ive researched the FCVG.

The seller was clear I just didnt word my original post very well not being totally educated on Ford. It was my mistake. I did not realize FCVG was totally seperate.

I know through one Ford route that I bought about 6 months ago ( I did not continue the Ford relationship on that one) the owner showed me his plaque for when he reached 125,000 that he had donated to the Kawani's club. I think that speaks volumes about the program!

Thanks everyone.

What's the monthly donation per head per month?

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I never said that they were not grnerous in fact my statment said I have no first hand information all I can do is take what I know about the business and apply to the question asked. What I said was the there are multiable hands involved with that quarter before it gets to the charity and that each time it's touched it shrinks. Product cost, operator, service guys and ford. These people do not work for free. I was not knocking ford or their programs. I'm sure they do great work but for my post to have been off base those companies and employees would work for free and have no admin cost and that's just not true.

Instead of making blanket statements. Just answer the questions that were asked.

That is still not how it works. Ford manufactures and sells gum, they don't skim off the charity collections. 

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That is still not how it works. Ford manufactures and sells gum, they don't skim off the charity collections.

Great then that's what musser should have said. Guys here who have never delt with ford like me don't know the ins and outs. I always figured that the money filtered through ford then to the local charities. So what method is used to get the money to the local charities that are listed on the machines?

its a percentage my friend

What percent?

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