IN JANUARY, BROGENT TECHNOLOGIES INC., a provider of flying theater ride systems and immersive attraction technology, announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Flyover Attractions, which operates four flying theaters in North America and Iceland. At the time of the announcement, Brogent said that it represented an important step in evolving the company into “a more integrated immersive solution provider.”
Traditionally, the distinction exists between the companies that supply the attractions industry and those that operate the attractions. Yet, in some instances, those suppliers find advantages in occupying both ends of the spectrum.
A Long History
The practice of suppliers operating their own products was initiated early when operators typically relied on concessionaires to populate their facilities. At the turn of the 20th century, IAAPA Hall of Fame member Fred Ingersoll built more than 250 roller coasters along with owning and operating 44 amusement parks, including the first chain: Ingersoll’s Luna Park. But as the industry evolved following World War II, this became much less common. Although it is not as prevalent today, a variety of suppliers see the benefit in also operating their products.
An Intentional Decision
Among the most visible companies in the supplier/operations space are two of the industry’s largest and most enduring familyowned manufacturers.
Mack Rides, which traces its roots back to 1780, entered both spaces in 1975, when Franz and Roland Mack opened Europa-Park. According to Torsten Koebele, chief officer of sales and marketing for Mack Rides, the decision for the Macks to get into the theme park business was two-fold. First, they realized that there was a need for a theme park in that part of Germany, but they also saw an opportunity to create a showcase for their ride business.
Over the next five decades, the relationship between the two companies allowed each to grow into leaders in their respective sectors—the development of Europa-Park pushed Mack Rides to expand their portfolio by creating new attractions for the park. “It’s aided product development since the park is only 15 minutes from the factory,” said Dr. Volker Klaiber, ooerations and service director at Europa Park.
Zamperla opened its first attraction in 2003, when they were approached to develop an amusement park at the Wollman Rink in New York City’s Central Park. Seven years later, they had an opportunity to redevelop a portion of the storied Coney Island amusement area in nearby Brooklyn.
According to the late Alberto Zamperla in his 2015 IAAPA Oral History Interview, the opportunity to operate at Coney Island came with benefits. "I have so many rides, and when I display at IAAPA [Expo], I bring you one ride. I cannot bring all my productions, no? So my dream was always to have a showcase to show my customers all the different types of ride
that we are building," Zamperla shared.
Sally Dark Rides, is an industry supplier that moved into operations on a more opportunistic basis, partnering to operate its rides four times in its nearly 50-year history.
John Wood, Sally’s president and chairman says that he had long been intrigued with the idea of gaining experience as an operator. “Anytime you can know about both sides of the turnstile, you’re better off," Wood says.
His first opportunity came in 1999 when Mall of America in Minnesota was interested in one of Sally’s interactive Ghost Blasters rides, but couldn’t fit it in their capital budget. Sally installed the ride in a revenue share arrangement, giving Triple Five Corp. the option to
purchase the ride after three years. “I made considerably more than if I had sold it,” said Wood.
Over the next three decades, Sally set up similar arrangements in Wildwood, New Jersey, and San Antonio, and most recently, the company teamed up with Daniels Wood Land to open Treasure Hunt: The Ride in Monterey, California, in 2023.
Unintentional Diversification
While the strategies at Mack, Zamperla, and Sally were intentional, in some instances, the crossover comes purely by accident.
In the late 1960s, Bob Cassata was operating games on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk in Florida when he developed the idea for the water race game. He took the prototype on the fair circuit and suddenly found himself in the manufacturing business. Now, Bob’s Space Racers (BSR) is a respected manufacturer of midway games. “Being an operator gives us a better, stronger product,” says Larry Steele, who oversees BSR's operations business.
In the late 1980s, Robin Winecup was operating a party rental business in the United Kingdom when one of his clients requested a mechanical bull for a party. Dissatisfied with the heavy, difficult-tomove models on the market, he worked with an engineer to develop a portable version with interchangeable ride attachments—the first multi ride. When a guest at one of his events offered to buy six of them, Winecup also found himself in the manufacturing business. Since selling the first unit in 1990, 5,500 machines were put in operation across 45 countries.
According to Mike Winecup, Galaxy’s chief ride designer and marketing director, the company started developing inflatable parks, and after building 108 worldwide by 2018, thought to themselves, “Why aren’t we doing this?”
“A manufacturer only makes money once [at the sale], whereas an operator is constantly making money,” Winecup explains. The result is Do the Beach, an immersive beach-themed adventure park featuring Galaxy’s products. The first Do the Beach opened in September 2025 in North Port, Florida, and generated $1.1 million in revenue with a 28% profit margin in its first six months of operation. While Galaxy has a 25% ownership interest in the North Port location, they plan to franchise future locations with three more opening by the end of September.
Why Do It
All the companies interviewed were unanimous that doing business as both a supplier and operator benefits both sectors by providing a continuous feedback loop.
Steele says keeping the operations business is a no-brainer. “Our operations experience and know-how play major factors in our current and future game design and production," he says. He also explains how BSR enjoys firsthand knowledge of what games work region to region and country to country.
In addition to providing additional work for people on the shop floor, Wood says that his forays into operations have helped Sally better refine operational issues like crowd handling.
Product development has also proven to be an important benefit for Mack Rides, as it created added incentive to develop new products. Since Europa-Park’s maintenance and operations team is experienced in dealing with prototypes, it helps fine-tune concepts. “It’s a big advantage for both parties,” says Mack’s Koebele, noting that constant feedback on all levels of both companies is now commonplace. “We can implement that knowledge much
quicker for other customers.”
That relationship has also created new business opportunities. According to Koebele, the Mack Rides factory now assists with attraction refurbishment. This led to a new division of the company that provides refurbishment and non-destructive testing (NDT).
Winecup says that manufacturers should be prepared for a learning curve should they move into operations. “Operations teach you about human nature, especially when dealing with kids. You’re going to learn some hard lessons and take on feedback, so don’t be stubborn."
