Replay Magazine Podcast with Jim Stansfield
Replay Magazine Podcast with Jim Stansfield
Episode 5 of the RePlay Podcast features Jim Stansfield Jr. of Stansfield Vending of LaCrosse, Wisc., the man who host Randy Chilton calls “the consummate amusement operator.” Jim began working for his father back in the days of nickel bingo machines and over time, built a very sizable business. Upon his retirement, Stansfield Vending was initially sold to his daughters Janet and Julie; today, it’s an employee-owned business (ESOP) run by Janet. Through three generations the business has not only survived but thrived. The family mantra was: “Get in the room together and tell it like it is.” That, and the “show up every day, work your ass off and you'll be just fine” advice from his father, certainly served Jim and his family well. Jim recounts when he was president of the AMOA (the Amusement and Music Operators Assn.) in 1999, which were very turbulent times for the group. “This story is a must-listen for anyone with an interest in the history of our operator association,” says Chilton. “What a few leaders did during those years ensured the AMOA’s very survival and set the stage for how the group operates today.” This podcast also features colorful stories about many industry well-knowns – Don Hesch, Ted Furkin, Frank Seninsky, Wally Boher, Dick Hawkins and Jerry Derrick to name a few. And as a bonus, as we near the conclusion, Jim’s daughter Janet joins for more great advice from the Stansfields. Added Chilton, “This was a pleasure and an absolute honor for me to visit with Jim and Janet, and we hope you enjoy the podcast.”
Kineticist’s take
Legendary operator Jim Stansfield recalls family legacy and AMOA turnaround.
Synopsis
Jim Stansfield Jr., legendary amusement operator and former AMOA president, discusses his 50+ year career building Stansfield Vending from a single cigarette machine route into a multi-state operation, his family's transition of the business to his daughters Janet and Julie, and the critical period in the late 1990s when he and Don Hesch stabilized the AMOA during a financial crisis by cutting costs, reorganizing management, and hiring Jack Kelleher.
Highlights
- Jim Stansfield Jr. has been in the amusement business for 50-60 years, starting at age 14 with his father's bingo machines
- Stansfield Vending moved to a 71,000-square-foot facility in 2001 from their previous Muddy Flats location
- The AMOA was on the verge of bankruptcy in the late 1990s with high overhead costs including a 20th-floor Michigan Avenue office and expensive warehouse
- Don Hesch took out a personal bank loan to pay AMOA bills when the organization couldn't make payroll
- Janet and Julie Stansfield purchased the family business on a land contract and paid their father for 16 years before assuming full ownership
- Julie Stansfield left the business to become a stay-at-home mom after adopting two Korean boys, selling her interest to Janet
- Stansfield Vending is now employee-owned through Janet's restructuring, which Jim had no role in planning
- Jim Stansfield served as AMOA president in 1999; Randy Shilton was president in 1996
Entities
- Canteen· company
- Kittleton Genda· company
- National Entertainment Network· company
- Stansfield Vending· company
- AMOA (American Amusement Machine Operators Association)· organization
- Don Hesch· person
- Frank Sinensky· person
- Gary Stern Nelson· person
- Jack Kelleher· person
- Janet Stansfield· person
- Jerry Derrick· person
- Jim Stansfield Jr.· person
- Jim Stansfield Sr.· person
- Julie Stansfield· person
- Lori· person
- Randy Shilton· person