NEWS | Industry Updates Thirst Link Consulting marks 20 years of vending success Darren Rhys Ernie Melling
Independent vending consultancy Thirst Link Consulting (now trading as ThirstLink) is celebrating 20 years in business, having built a strong reputation for delivering objective, expert advice to medium and large companies seeking tailored vending and water service solutions. Founded in 2005 by industry veteran Roy
Girt after a 30-year career, the business took a major step forward in October 2006 when David Bate, former managing director of Selecta, acquired a 50% stake. Together, Girt and Bate developed a simple yet effective business model focused on helping clients secure the most suitable vending provision, backed by reliable service from their chosen suppliers.
Client loyalty has played a key role in the company’s longevity. Longstanding partnerships such as with QA Group, a client trust, transparency, and long-term support. In many cases, clients have re-tendered
Kate Sands Richard Crossman
services multiple times under ThirstLink’s guidance. The consultancy expanded in 2008 with the arrival of Nigel Francis, Darren Rhys, and Colin Masters (now retired), winning major accounts including Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB, Deloitte, Harrods, and Amazon. Notably, during ThirstLink’s tenure with Harrods and Amazon, vending income at both companies doubled.
revenues from ThirstLink and its consultant partners surpassed £1 million — a milestone that set the tone for future growth. Further expansion came in 2013 when
Andy Stephenson joined the team, bringing a focus on NHS and education sector clients. Working closely with the internal telemarketing team, Stephenson has accounts such as Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Plymouth University for over a decade.
Sally Pearce
In 2015, Richard Crossman came aboard and quickly secured prestigious clients such as Imperial College London. Kate Sands and Ernie Melling joined in 2017 and now cover the north of England in a successful partnership. Melling leads new business development, while Sands manages client relationships and operational support. In 2025, the duo will re-tender vending services for several existing clients including Salford Leisure and Wigan & Leigh College. ThirstLink prides itself on its independence, regularly inviting a wide of clients through a transparent request for proposal (RFP) process. At the heart of the company’s smooth
operations is Sally Pearce, who has been with ThirstLink since day one. In her role, supplier liaison, while also supporting both founders as an executive PA.
Michel Giannuzzi to serve on as president of Europe’s Glass Containers
FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation, has elected Michel Giannuzzi, Chairman of Verallia, as its new President during its annual general meeting held in Brussels on 12 June.
He said: “I am truly honoured to have been elected President of
FEVE. It is a privilege to represent an industry that plays such a vital role in building beautiful and healthy packaging that enhances our customers’ brand identities. As we move forward, I am committed to reinforcing our collective efforts towards decarbonisation and innovation, ensuring that the glass packaging industry remains a competitive local manufacturer in Europe’s green transition.” The European container glass industry, which supports 125,000
jobs, produces more than 20 million tonnes of endlessly recyclable glass each year across 23 countries. With glass-packaged goods enabling over €140 billion in trade value, the sector is a vital pillar of Europe’s industrial powerhouse.
Glass is Europe’s circular material of choice “I look forward to continuing the important mission of promoting recyclable, safe, and essential to a circular economy,” added Giannuzzi. The glass container industry is stepping up to implement the
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recyclable, making it a reference for consumers and a true ally of brands that need to achieve the objectives of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. In the coming months, FEVE will continue to advocate for a simple regulatory framework that supports innovation, competitiveness and the practical needs of the glass packaging value chain.
The transition to a low carbon economy The election of the new President of FEVE comes at a critical time for the industry’s transformation. European glass packaging manufacturers have already invested in around 100 decarbonisation to eco-design - and to investments in collection and recycling. Yet, huge bottlenecks remain, green energy prices remain high, and unstable energy infrastructures are not ready to support Outgoing President, Martin Petersson, chief executive of Ardagh
Glass Packaging-Europe, said: “As an industry, we are committed to investment in decarbonising the European glass packaging industry, a transition pathway to decarbonisation that is aligned with our capital-intensive investment cycles. The Clean Industrial Deal is a step in the right direction, and we are ready to play our role to ensure its successful implementation”.
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