Automatic Merchandiser

David Henchel co-founded Corporate Coffee Systems 40 years ago and serves as president and CEO.

He worked during the day and enrolled in night classes at Hofstra because “I thought I should go to college,” explained Henchel. “It was a short stay because I found that the professors that I came in con tact with didn’t have the same type of context that I was experiencing out in the business world, even though it was just the beginning for me.” “Before we knew it — along with

my brother Greg and my childhood friend Donn Luti — we decided that we would go out on our own,” he said. “We just started it from scratch, from zero.” While his brother and Luti are no longer affiliated with the company, Henchel said that without them, there would be no business to discuss 40 years later. Henchel noted that starting up in 1985 was considerably easier than it

would be today. “The cost of entry back in 1985 was minimal. We were placing equipment that was a couple of hundred dollars at the most, and it was easy to get into a new account. Nothing like today,” he said. What has not changed for Henchel is his vision of what Corporate Coffee Systems would become — his core values for the company. “The vision for the company and those

Director of operations Bryant DeFranco oversees operations and technology at Corporate Coffee Systems.

Automatic Merchandiser • September/October 2025 12

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