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Unintentional Diversi昀椀cation
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,” he says.
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.”
ABOVE: Bob
Cassata (seated
second from left)
started operating
games on the
Daytona Beach
Boardwalk before
moving into
manufacturing
with Bob's Space
Racers.
BELOW: Galaxy
Multi-Rides
products include
the mechanical
bull (foreground)
and Toxic
Meltdown.
GALAXY MULTI-RIDES
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
BSR
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,”
says 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.
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