Convenience Valet
Convenience Valet, based in Melrose Park, Illinois, is a provider of nationally branded blister packed convenience-sized (trial and travel) Health & Beauty Care, Over-the-Counter Medications, Personal Care, Automotive and General Merchandise items.
History
Incorporated in 1955 by Harold Baum under the name Mechanical Servants, Inc., the company originally focused on manufacturing mechanical vending machines and providing the products to be sold. In the late 1980’s, convenient sized merchandise began to dominate the marketplace and the company made the decision to move forward from vending to traditional retail outlets by changing its packaging, offering their products in a convenient blister packed format. As the company grew it began to specialize in packaging OTC drugs, health & beauty care products, personal care items, toys, and general merchandise. Mechanical Servants also expanded from bowling centers and travel plazas to airports, hotels and cruise ships.
In 1995 Mechanical Servants began testing its merchandising methods in convenience stores and found a very receptive audience. Within two years, Mechanical Servants founded Convenience Valet, a division of its parent company specializing in convenience store retail product lines. This line would offer color-coded cards, by category, for easy merchandising. The Convenience Valet division specialized primarily in convenience stores, but added grocery in 1998 and [...] in 2000, while the Mechanical Servants travel division focused on the company's airport, hotel and cruise ship customers. By 2002, Mechanical Servants had outgrown its original facility on Chicago's North Side and moved into a facility in Melrose Park, IL in April 2003. By 2004, Mechanical Servants' growth had continued and they once again expanded their services focusing on category management and merchandising services.
New Identity
By 2007 Mechanical Servants/Convenience Valet was recognized as a leader in blister packaged trial size consumer products. Convenience Valet's larger customers included McLane Company, Rite Aid, GSC Enterprises, Inc., Core-Mark, Costco Business Center, Ulta, SuperValu and Linens 'n Things, while Mechanical Servants' travel customers included Marriott Hotels, Host Marriott Services, Wynn Las Vegas & Wynn Macau, MGM Grand Inc. (New York-New York Hotel & Casino, MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand Detroit, MGM Mirage), The Venetian Las Vegas & Macao, The Bellagio, Hudson Group, and The Paradies Shops. In 2008, Convenience Valet's well recognized brand name and company wide remarketing initiative forced Mechanical Servants to restructure and operate simply under the Convenience Valet imprint. Today, the company continues to offer innovative packaging & category management, and has expanded all classes of trade.