VISTA Today’s daily ‘Business Briefs’ are short, concise stories that bring you up to date on what’s happening around the county. This Morning:

More Vending Operators Go Cashless

USA Technologies, a leader in secure, cashless transactions for the self-service retail market, has reported that an increasing number of vending operators are choosing to enable all of their machines with cashless acceptance as mobile payment options expand.

This trend is driving a steady flow of new connections through the network of the Malvern-based company which reported an additional of 31,000 connections in Q4, bringing its ePort Connect total to 333,000 and a revenue record of $58.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 37%.

Among the company’s customers that have committed to providing cashless payment as a route-wide option are Five Star Food Service, M&M Sales Co., and Southern Refreshment Services.

“Our growing list of customers know that maintaining an all-cash business leaves them at a disadvantage,” stated USAT chief executive Stephen P. Herbert. “Their own transaction data proves adding our solution can make a continued positive impact on their business.”

King of Prussia Snags a Spot on the List of Top 50 Suburban Office Locations

The Boyd Co., a reliable resource for Fortune 500 companies for 40 years looking to pinpoint top-notch locations for their operations, has published a new study on the operating costs of a typical administrative corporate office, with King of Prussia coming in at 50th place on the list of top suburban office markets in the U.S. and Canada.

The town, which had seen its attractiveness as a prime location for companies in need of office space dip for a while, is now rebounding stronger than ever, something that is particularly evident by the full occupancy of MIM-Hayden’s $2 million upgrade to its 150 S. Warner Road property.

“King of Prussia has historically been a top option for our site searches in the greater Philly area” said Boyd principal John Boyd Jr. “but now we identified it as the most prized market in the region,”.

New Manufacturing Facility to be Open by National Foam

Allowing it to meet increased demand for its foam products both domestically and internationally, National Foam will be opening a new, state-of-the-art foam manufacturing and blending facility in fourth quarter of 2015 in Angier, North Carolina.

The current facility located in West Chester will close after a suitable transition period in 2016, while the company’s engineering, proposals, and other key teams will remain in the greater Exton area and continue to operate in a new facility.

“We have outgrown the current facility in West Chester which has served National Foam and its customers well for over 70 years,” said Paul Williams, Managing Director of National Foam. “The new facility allows us to improve our operations, expand our research and product development capability, and significantly improve our overall efficiency.”  

Coatesville Train Station to Get More Amtrak Stops Says Dinniman

State Senator Andy Dinniman and PennDOT has announced that as part of a series of updates and improvements to its Keystone Service line that runs between Harrisburg and Philadelphia Amtrak will add two additional stops at the Coatesville Train Station.

The new westbound 641 and 643 trains will stop in Coatesville at 9:41 a.m. and 11:41 a.m. This is just a step in achieving Senator Dinniman’s goals, as he is also looking to restore the SEPTA service to Coatesville.

“More train stops in Coatesville mean more visitors and more opportunities for economic investment and job growth,” stated Dinniman. “Coatesville has endless potential for revitalization and economic growth and that potential is directly tied to the construction of the new train station and the development of the surrounding area as the entrance to the downtown business district.”

Chester County’s Young Shining Stars Recognized by Keystone

The winners in the Eighth Annual “Shining Star” Awards created to recognize students who have shown a noticeable improvement in academic performance, extra-curricular involvement, attendance, and classroom conduct throughout the school year have been announced by the Keystone Federal Credit Union.

Between January 1 and March 27, Chester County Public School teachers nominated their most improved students who they felt embodied the spirit of the award.  All nominated students received a certificate of recognition.

The winners received a $200 share certificate and a trophy from Keystone FCU while the teachers of the winning students each received a $200 gift card to purchase classroom supplies.

The awards were available to one student from the elementary, middle, and high school levels from each of the 12 Chester County Public School Districts, the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and Twin Valley School District, and 25 of them were recognized as winners.