By Anna-Claire Terry
Staff Reporter

As Taylor Rosenthal, the area’s youngest C.E.O., gains more attention on a national stage, Inc. Magazine recently named him in its  “Top 20 Teens to Watch Out for” list.
The 14-year-old started a business called RecMed, a computerized and robotic vending machine that dispenses medical supplies. “Let’s say you’re at an amusement park and you scrape your knee and you don’t want to go wait in an EMT’s line just to fix a cut knee. You can just walk up to our machine, get the supplies quickly and be on your way,” Rosenthal said. RecMed machines are selling for $5,500 each. Rosenthal has been in negotiations with a large amusement park for a purchase of 100 machines and recently declined a $30 million offer from a major healthcare provider. Rosenthal said he wanted to take time to grow his business.
The product was developed in 2014 when Rosenthal became a part of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy at Opelika Middle School. Round House’s Kyle Sandler invited the group to receive a free domain name and 500 free business cards in a contest. The winner was rewarded a free membership to Round House. “I won, and he took me in,” Rosenthal said. “We developed the idea from a pop-up shop to the RecMed vending machine. That’s how it really got started.”
Future plans for the development of RecMed include attending an amusement park convention to pitch and sell the idea to other parks.
This C.E.O. may not even have a drivers’ permit yet, but he has been center stage in the business world and in the media.
In regards to all the recognition he has received at such a young age, Rosenthal said it has been an exciting experience. “The best part has been all the traveling and being able to showcase my idea,” he said.