Company Information and History
31/10/2008
Company Chairman Brian Leahy with one of the first vending machines.
In 1967 Patrick Leahy and Brian his son formed a company called "Mannin Tea and Coffee Company". The company was set up to supply vending appliances to the Island.
By 1992 the company had grown substantially; not only as a vending operator but also as a catering wholesaler. The name was changed from Mannin Tea and Coffee to Matco Food Services Limited to reflect the expansion of the company.
In 1994 the Vending division was separated from the catering business. "Mannvend Ltd." was formed and the catering division, Matco Food Services was sold.
In March 2001, Mannvend moved to "Ailsa House", its own purpose built premises with approx. 10,000 square feet of office space and storage. This move reflected the expansion and growth which the business had been experiencing during recent years.
This trend continued in 2003 when the Engineering department had outgrown their workshop facilities within Ailsa House. They moved into new premises across the road from Ailsa House, giving them a dedicated "Service Centre" with 3000 sq ft.
During this time Mannvend expanded their range of products and services to supply the catering market with traditional espresso machines and other catering equipment.
Now, in 2008 Mannvend has a team of over 30 staff with an extensive range of customers from small offices, cafes and restaurants, to large offices and factories.
In late 2008 Mannvend had their ISO9001:2000 accreditation renewed after a rigorous examination of their procedures and practices.
MannVend has exceeded the exacting demands of the accreditation, which is only awarded to companies that demonstrate the highest quality management systems. Sales and Marketing Director, Tracey Leahy said the award was recognition of MannVend’s commitment to both its customers and staff: ‘We have an uncompromising approach to quality in all aspects of our business, and apply a rigorous, ongoing assessment programme, which includes regular customer satisfaction surveys. To have our accreditation renewed is a ringing endorsement of our company ethos,' she said.
For a company to attain the standards demanded by ISO9001:2000 it must commit itself to continual improvement in the performance of its management systems, and to regular surveillance visits by LRQA (Lloyds Register Quality Assurance) officials. The re-accreditation process takes place on a three-year cycle.
MannVend is the Island’s leading provider of vending machines for hot drinks, water, cold drinks, food and snacks and is based at Ailsa House on the Spring Valley Industrial Estate. The company, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, prides itself on the quality of its service, and has a strong community ethic – demonstrated by the promotion of ‘healthy’ vending in the Island’s schools.
According to Tracey Leahy the renewal of the company’s ISO9001:2000 accreditation is great news for everybody at MannVend and a prestigious coup for the Isle of Man, but customers can rest assured they won’t be resting on their laurels: ‘We are always looking at ways of improving all aspects of our performance and this accreditation is a welcome recognition of our efforts to date. However the process is ongoing. We are proud to serve the Isle of Man community and believe that companies like ours are the embodiment of the government’s ‘Freedom to Flourish’ mantra.
Mannvend are proud to be members of the AVA (Automatic Vending Association) and AVS (Automatic Vending Services).
