Ride Entertainment Group
 | |
| Industry | Amusement rides |
|---|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ed Hiller (CEO) |
| Divisions |
Ride Entertainment Systems Ride Operations Group Ride Manufacturing Group Entertainment Finance Group Entertainment Management Group SkyCoaster, Inc. |
| Website |
rideentertainment |
Ride Entertainment Group is an amusement ride and roller coaster construction firm based in the United States.
Divisions
Ride Entertainment Systems
The Ride Entertainment Systems division deals with the sale and construction of amusement rides onsite. A number of firms have partnerships with this division, including:
- Gerstlauer – all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere are conducted by Ride Entertainment Systems.[1] The company's products are manufactured in a factory in Germany, with Ride Entertainment Systems constructing the ride on site.[2] Dare Devil Dive, Untamed, and FireChaser Express are among the roller coasters Ride Entertainment Systems have constructed on Gerstlauer's behalf.[1][3]
- Funtime – North American installations of the Australian company's products are handled by Ride Entertainment Systems.[4] Star Flyers and Slingshots are among the most common products, having been installed at several Six Flags amusement parks (e.g. SkyScreamers).[3]
- HIT Entertainment – Ride Entertainment Systems manages the amusement park integration of HIT Entertainment brands including Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney the Dinosaur. This includes the Thomas Towns installed at Six Flags amusement parks, as well as the Thomas Towns at Drayton Manor and Fuji-Q Highland.[5]
- Ropes Courses, Inc. – Ride Entertainment Systems is the North American distributor of Ropes Courses, Inc. products.[6] Other firms such as Prime Interactives offer similar services for other parts of the world.[7] Ropes courses at Indiana Beach and West Edmonton Mall were sold and installed by Ride Entertainment Group.[8]
- 3DBA – Ride Entertainment Systems is the North American distributor of products developed by 3DBA, ranging from Splash Battles to Interactive and 4D Theatres.[9]
The division has previously installed rides for S&S Power.[3]
Ride Operations Group
This division operates amusement rides, such as carousels, at smaller locations throughout North America, including Forest Park and Fantasy Forest in New York, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston, and Charm City in Baltimore.[10]
Ride Manufacturing Group
A division led by Mike Gutknecht, as Managing Director.[11] The division manufactures SkyCoasters, Top Eliminators, and carousels sold through the SkyCoaster, Inc. and Ride Entertainment Systems divisions.[12][13][14]
SkyCoaster, Inc.
In 1992, William Kitchen and Ken Bird invented the SkyCoaster. Kitchen founded Sky Fun I Inc. that same year to sell the product to amusement parks. The product was ultimately a hit, with more than 90 worldwide installations in just six years. As each operator of a SkyCoaster pays a royalty of 5% of their gross revenue, the company was making $1.75 million annually in royalties along by 1998. Canadian firm ThrillTime Entertainment International took notice and purchased the company for $12 million in mid-1998, renaming it SkyCoaster Inc. All 12 employees kept their jobs, with Kitchen remaining linked to the company as a consultant.[15]
SkyCoaster, Inc. operated as a wholly owned division of ThrillTime Entertainment International.[15] In 2005, SkyCoaster, Inc. as well as ThrillTime's other amusement ride, Top Eliminator,[15] were sold to Ride Entertainment Group.[11] This was followed in 2006 by a reverse merger transaction where ThrillTime was acquired by Advanced Proteome Therapeutics.[16]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Gerstlauer busy in 2011". Park World Magazine. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Gerstlauer Amusement Rides". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Star Flyer opens in Vancouver". Park World Magazine. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Hit! Entertainment". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Ropes Courses, Inc.". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Developing Custom Challenge Courses". Ropes Courses, Inc. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Ropes Courses Opens at Indiana Beach and The West Edmonton Mall" (Press release). Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "3DBA". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Specialties". Ride Operations Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Mike Gutknecht". Ride Entertainment Group of Companies. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "SkyCoaster". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Carousels". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Top Eliminator". Ride Entertainment Systems. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Waddell, Ray (August 3, 1998). "ThrillTime Entertainment purchases Sky Fun 1; to be named SkyCoaster". Amusement Business 110 (31): 19.
- ↑ "Company Overview of ThrillTime Entertainment International Inc.". Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved 22 November 2013.