Since it first came into use in the 1880s to sell postcards in London, the vending machine has become a convenient way of dispensing everything from bubblegum to gym socks.

But its most clever adaptation may be by James West of Lacombe, who has developed a vending machine to distribute firewood. It’s a boost for chilly campers in search of firewood after campground services have closed for the night, and for convenience stores that often lose wood to sticky-fingered customers.

For more than a decade, West has sold firewood to individuals and campgrounds, to supplement his landscaping business. Eight years ago, he began to wonder if a vending machine could remove the hassle associated with buying wood.

He pondered this problem long and hard until a friend told him about TEC VenturePrize. “I was already working on a business plan, but it actually gave me a spark in my behind to actually finish it.”

West is the winner of the TEC VenturePrize Screeners Award of Merit, designed to encourage the entrepreneur to develop their business plan for resubmission the next year. Now, West will have the chance to attend the seminars and complete the program at no cost – an opportunity he wasn’t able to take advantage of last year.

West anticipates learning a great deal at this year’s seminars and says participating in TEC VenturePrize has already yielded big opportunities. TEC Edmonton has connected him with legal experts to assist with patenting and his association with the program has already drawn media interest. “It’s always a good thing to have a little publicity.”

Edmonton Journal/Calgary Herald Advertorial October 2008