The history of Mertens Group dates from the sixties. At that time Mr. G. Mertens worked with cigarettes and food vending machines. In 1968 he started working as an independent contractor under the name Mertens Vending Machines Service. In 1976 his son, Mr. H. Mertens, joined the business. In 1980 he took up the whole business.
The eighties were difficult years. At that time there was some talk of prohibiting the cigarettes vending machines in the open. Due to this reason, the sales of the cigarettes vending machines decreased. Besides, at that time the cigarettes vending machines were entirely mechanical and therefore they made a lot of mistakes. Through the coming of the electronic monetary systems, the vending machines became much more better and reliable.
Mertens Vending Machines Service was an innovator in this innovation in the Netherlands. Together with Dijkstra & Tukker, Mertens Vending Machines Service installed the electronic monetary systems in the new vending machines even then. By this innovation, Mertens Vending Machines Service contacted Febo. All the Febo vending machines were at that time reconstructed with new installations by Mertens Vending Machines Service.
At that time there was only one brand of food vending machines on the market. These Holdeen vending machines were produced by Dijkstra & Tukker, and were sold by Van Duijnen Holding B.V. and Mertens Vending Machines Service. Since 1993 Mertens Vending Machines Service was renamed into Mertens Group.
Except the sales of new food vending machines in different petrol stations, snack-bars, etc., Mertens Group has at its disposal a well-qualified technical staff. Yet the Technical Department of Mertens Group eliminates all your failures within 24 hours, no matter if the vending machines have been delivered to you by Mertens Group or not!
In a certain moment, Van Duijnen Holding B.V. entirely orientated to coffee vending mmachines on the market. That is why in 2005 Van Duijnen Holding B.V. sold its share to Mertens Group. Mertens Group is the only proprietor of MG1 food vending machines.