Pretty Cool! Another new Sponsor! "Woodshax" Outdoor Vending Solutions

[Jeff]

I'm once again pleased to announce our new sponsor. Please welcome and load them up with questions and thoughts!
Woodshax Outdoor Vending Solutions!

Outdoor Vending Solutions is a new Service Disabled Veteran owned and operated small business based near Fort Worth Texas that offers a high tech solution for selling firewood, charcoal, or anything else that fits in a 3 cu ft compartment.

Outdoor Vending Solutions has designed, built and patented the WOODSHAX vending machine, a modular and easily expandable system that can range from one 7 compartment vendor to twelve modules (95 compartments) based on available space and customer demand.

A note from John the founder owner and inventor (member name-woodshax):

"We are very excited about becoming a sponsor for the largest Forestry Forum out there and
although we are not ready for outside sales, we are very interested in input from the industry concerning possible improvements and markets outside of our area to determine if there is sufficient interest in a machine of this nature.

We are currently targeting State and National parks to provide locally sourced or kiln dried firewood which helps stem the spread of invasive species and tree diseases.

We are testing the machines in the DFW area state parks and currently provide the wood, service, fill and maintain the machines and give the Parks 10% of the gross for sole rights to vend these products on the parks.  We have had a lot of success so far and have a list of Parks waiting for the machines."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESAvrzopZuo

[thecfarm]

Interesting. Thanks for the sponsor.

[Ox]

Thank you for sponsoring and I think this is a good idea.  We have several state parks around and judging from the amount and type of folks flocking there, this would be a popular thing.

[mad murdock]

Welcome woodshax! A neat idea! You could sell a lot of different things with that idea! Thanks for sponsoring the Forestry Forum!

[Ljohnsaw]

Great to see you become a sponsor.  If you have not already provided the option, do you have a off-grid/solar solution?  Doesn't look like much power demand so I would think a very small panel would do it.  Seems that nearly all the state campgrounds up by me have NO power available to go along with their pit toilets! :-\

edit:  Oops - went to your website - solar already covered...

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Thanks for sponsorship with the Forestry Forum.
What a great idea.

I have a question John, does the card reader need to be in touch with WiFi for use of a Credit Card?
Thank You.

[woodshax]

Thanks for all the welcomes!  and I really appreciate the feedback and questions.....The card reader works on a 3G cell telemetry system...one is verizon only and the other is an aggregator that grabs onto the best signal..ATT etc.  We have not had any problems with connections as the data sent back and forth is small so even a weak signal works.  We have the solar model at a state park and it does very well but I switched MCUs and it really likes a cleaner electric source than I was getting from the original solar maintainer so we are looking to "re-perfect" that option.    The exclusivity at the parks let us sell a cord of oak for about $1200 without any complaints

[Magicman]

Welcome John, and Thank You for bringing "Woodshax" Outdoor Vending Solutions to the Forestry Forum as the latest/newest Sponsor.  I watched the video earlier and it is a very neat, innovative, and viable service.

[21incher]

That is a great product. Thanks for becoming a sponsor.

[Savannahdan]

Thank you for being a sponsor.

[WDH]

Thank you for supporting the Forestry Forum.

[Ron Scott]

Great!

[barbender]

Right on! This is a truly innovative product.

[Nomad]

     Very interesting concept, and thanks for your sponsorship!

[coxy]

thank you for sponsoring the FF

[slider]

Thank you for your sponsorship.Great idea,i think camp grounds would be lucrative as well if your wood source was within range.good luck.
My partner and I are starting to sell our hardwood to a group that sells to the large box stores.If I can help you in any way let me know.al

[scsmith42]

Thank you for your sponsorship.  You have a great business idea too!

[WV Sawmiller]

Woodshax,

   Welcome and thanks for you service and sponsoring the FF.

   Neat looking device. I'm not totally sure how it works as to pricing and which bin it opens. Can you set different prices on different bins are they all the same rate or do you key in a bin number and the rate listed applies like on others I have seen?

    I'll mention you product the next time I talk to my friend who works with our local parks as it looks ideal for them to be able to sell firewood to the campers as a self service purchase. Good luck and thanks again.

[woodshax]

Thanks for the questions.

The touch screen is set up so that each 8 door module is priced individually ( in the owners page you select display price and after tax price)  so as an example for a 4 module system we have an icon for charcoal $7.95+tx , large bag fire wood $11.65 + tx, large bag firewood $11.65 + tax, small bag firewood $ 6.65 + tx.   They press the first Large Firewood icon and they are prompted to swipe their card...once approved the next door in that module opens and they take out the bag and close the door (if the door is closed in the first 15 seconds....the machine figures they closed it by accident and the door re-opens.....if the door lock cam does not register open it figures the door is jammed or the lock malfunctioned so it goes to the next door and opens that....has not happened yet but could.    That door will not vend again until the machine is restocked...when no more product in that module the customer interface displays "sold out".  after the sale, The screen and card reader display the after tax sale price and then "thank you for your business".   When you come to refill it...you go to the owners page and hit restock icon and all the doors that have vended since the last refill open up and you restock.   The machine is set so that it will continue to sell from the last sale so that the product in the last compartments don't sit there for a long time and never vend.  We have real time sales information that is transmitted with each sale so I know when we are getting low and can restock without ever running out of product....All the electronics come from automated oilfield operations and are designed for harsh environments and the machine is all steel and very sturdy...the only moving parts are the lock and they are guaranteed for 300,000 cycles so the thing just does not break.

[BradMarks]

Great idea.  Thanks for sponsoring the forum.  Guessing you can't service the entire US, so do you have these units for sale to others, or a "franchise" available. Not for me, too busy, but there are others who could be interested.  I know here in Oregon the State Parks contracts with vendors for firewood in the busiest parks (usually the coast). The Forest Service campgrounds also have private vendors running them and I beleive some are offering firewood for sale.  Have no idea if anyone is making money, but I see the value of automation you offer.

[woodshax]

Thanks for the feedback Brad,

We are not ready for outside sales yet as I still owe machines to DFW area parks.   We were thinking that the most equitable solution to potential buyers is to just offer sales territories so they know they have an exclusive deal.  When selling retail at the parks the profit margin is pretty high and that all depends on the owners cost of wood.  We are only in the wood business to have product to supply the machines so we can have the sales metrics in place once we do start selling. Our cost per cord is pretty high without automated processors, bagging machines etc. but as an example of a really good week...with 10 state parks (varying in size) for the Thanksgiving week we had a little over $5000.00 in sales (about 4.2 full 128 Cuft Cords) and considering cost of wood, bags, swipe charges, 10% to the park, and transportation costs we still have a 160% profit margin, so the average machine would pay itself off in about 14 months.  This machine also provides the owner with "off season" sales.  We still sell a fair amount of firewood in July and August in Texas where the nightly low temp is in the low 80's.....it is all about the experience and do you want to fill your car up with firewood or beer?

[Darrel]

Welcome, and thanks for your support!

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

welcome.

Nice idea. You might want to make a unit with taller cubes and use it for 20 lb propane exchange sales. Very big here in Indiana.

[woodshax]

Very astute observation.   I have just completed Haz Location UL testing on our 20LB propane self service exchange machine and am beta testing the machine with two of the large National propane suppliers.  It is a much more complicated machine as we had to fit prox sensors and software to detect bottle returns for correct charging for exchange or purchase.  And comply with all the complicated rules and regs to get there.  So far...so good and you should be seeing them in Indiana next year.  We are also finishing a model with field configurable compartments to sell 30 and 40 pounders for RVs.   

Indiana is a great state!   I am a Purdue grad and my wife is a West Lafayette girl I tricked into Marrying me on my way out of town on my way to re-enter the Army....a long, long time ago.   

[okmulch]

Thanks for the sponsorship of the forum! Looks like a great idea.  I am also a Purdue grad, Boilerup!