Fersomatic Marks 30 Years With Nearly 2,000 Stores Across Iberia

Nearly 2,000 establishments across Spain and Portugal. That's the number Fersomatic has reached 30 years after Paco Fernández and Paco Sobrino founded the company in Talavera de la Reina in 1996, starting with vending machines and two founders who still run the business today.

The company now employs 40 workers and operates three brands: PicaPica24h, OpenBlue24h, and LaHabanaCafé. On October 1st, the Teatro Victoria in Talavera de la Reina hosted the gala celebrating the firm's 30th anniversary, gathering people linked to different stages of the company's history and honoring workers for their commitment and years of service.

"Turning 30 makes us remember how we started and all the people who have contributed to Fersomatic getting here. It gives us special satisfaction to see how the team has grown and how many clients have continued to accompany us with new projects. The gala was an opportunity to thank that work and that trust," said Paco Fernández, co-founder and manager of Fersomatic.

What changed in vending over three decades?

Fersomatic's trajectory tracks the sector's shift in scale and format. Individual vending machines have evolved into establishments that group different product categories and let customers buy outside regular commercial hours.

PicaPica24h is the clearest expression of that shift. The brand has driven the opening of more than 1,600 automatic stores in Spain and Portugal. Each site brings together vending machines in a configuration adapted to the premises, location, and potential audience — roughly five stores for every year of the company's existence.

The product mix varies by project. Cold drinks, coffee, snacks, convenience products, or hot food can all be part of these spaces, depending on the characteristics of each location. Development combines machinery selection with the physical distribution of the store and an offer tailored to its environment.

Installation is only part of the work. Fersomatic has transferred its technical knowledge into broader projects where maintenance, technical support, and services tied to machine operation complete the activity — a recurring-revenue logic that practitioners will recognize immediately.

How does the laundry business fit in?

With OpenBlue24h, Fersomatic extended its vending expertise into a hybrid format: self-service laundry and vending in the same location. The brand has launched more than 350 establishments.

Users can buy automatic-sales products while using washing and drying equipment. For entrepreneurs, the concept integrates both activities into a single shared project, developed with Fersomatic's support and the collaboration of Girbau, a manufacturer specialized in laundry machinery.

PicaPica24h and OpenBlue24h together account for the nearly 2,000 established locations. LaHabanaCafé, the coffee-solutions line, completes the portfolio through which the company has diversified its market presence.

"In these three decades, the way of buying and using self-service has changed a lot. We have been expanding our activity, applying what we have learned in vending to new business formats. We want to continue developing those projects and taking care of the service behind each installation, because the relationship with those who undertake continues after the opening," explained Paco Sobrino, co-founder and manager of the company.

What does this change for operators?

For existing and prospective franchisees, the message from the anniversary is straightforward: the founders frame post-opening service — not just installation — as the core of the offer. Sobrino's quote puts the ongoing relationship with entrepreneurs at the center of the company's proposition, which matters for anyone weighing a vending or laundry investment against competitors that hand over the keys and disappear.

The company keeps its headquarters in Talavera de la Reina, the city where Fernández and Sobrino began operating thirty years ago. From there, its 40 employees run a project that now spans two countries.

For the next stage, the managers prioritize improving the business models and attending to the clients who trust the company. After nearly 2,000 launched establishments, the service that continues after each opening occupies the central place in their vision — a signal that Fersomatic sees its future in retention and operations, not just in rolling out new stores.