Former CCI engineers form new consulting company

Posted Friday, August 16, 2002 8:22 PM | Contributed by BrandonR

The engineering team from Custom Coasters International has announced the formation of a new company, The Gravity Group, LLC. CCI filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 17, and its former owner, Denise Dinn, was hired by S&S Power.

The new company consists of engineers Lawrence Bill, Michael Graham, Korey Kiepert and Chad Miller. According to their press release, the members of the group designed some of the world's best wood coasters.

Visit The Gravity Group, LLC site.

Jeff

Friday, August 16, 2002 8:27 PM
Jeff's avatar

This my friends is where the real news is... let's hope they can nail down a customer or two right away, perhaps before IAAPA, so they can generate some cash and hit the ground running.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"Let's stop saying 'don't quote me,' because if no one quotes you, you probably haven't said a thing worth saying." - Dogma, KMFDM

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BullGuy

Friday, August 16, 2002 8:29 PM
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I agree. I wish them the best of luck. CCI's quality and finesse lives on with these guys.

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Thank You for challenging TOS: The Ride. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day, here at SFCB.

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auscoasterman

Friday, August 16, 2002 8:45 PM
I agree Jeff. S&S have the big name, but before that name had the quality engineering that has formed 'The Gravity Group' behind it, the Dinn name was responsible for some of what are claimed to be the worst modern wooden coasters.

If they play their cards right, this company will be the wooden coaster company of the 2000's. This is more CCI than S&S will ever be.

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So what if the best coaster in Australia is a second hand Arrow? *** This post was edited by auscoasterman on 8/16/2002. ***

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GregLeg

Friday, August 16, 2002 8:54 PM

This is GREAT news. Good luck to The Gravity Group, and may we see more wooden gems in the future.

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--Greg
"Now all I want is to find a way home, to warn Earth -- look upward, and share the wonders I see..."
My page

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BullGuy

Friday, August 16, 2002 8:56 PM
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I wonder why S&S didn't just take everyone from CCI in. Was there a dispute between Dinn and the engineers?

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Thank You for challenging TOS: The Ride. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day, here at SFCB.

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coastingohio

Friday, August 16, 2002 9:05 PM
Yay!!! I was hoping for something like this to happen

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Chitown

Friday, August 16, 2002 9:22 PM

"The Gravity Group". I like the name. Catchy!!!! :)

If they continue to build the high quality rides that were done under the CCI name, and keep the prices reasonable, they shouldnt have a problem getting business right away.

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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!

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VOSM

Friday, August 16, 2002 9:52 PM
I don't know what you guys were riding, but I think that CCI designs horrible rides. They're too rough. When I got off of Villian @ SFWoA, there was a little girl bauling her eyes out. I had bruises on my side and legs. In my opinion, the engineers from CCI should never have started another company. I can only hope for the best though that no more kids will cry from their coasters again.

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MagnumForce

Friday, August 16, 2002 10:03 PM

Villian is a case of bad maintainance and even worse rolling stock. Do not judge CCI by Villian alone. Go ide Shivering Timbers or Raven or Cornball or Cyclops and you will see why they are so amazing.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

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GregLeg

Friday, August 16, 2002 10:06 PM
To each his own. Have you ridden ANY other CCIs to base this opinion on? Many of the problems with Villain could be attributed to the trains that it runs, such as those bruises you describe. Now, admittedly those trains were "recommended" by CCI, but that was a business decision, not one driven by the above engineers.

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--Greg
"Now all I want is to find a way home, to warn Earth -- look upward, and share the wonders I see..."
My page

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CPLady

Friday, August 16, 2002 10:09 PM
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Maybe VOSM should try riding a Dinn coaster before judging what is rough and what is not.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

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RubberDucky

Friday, August 16, 2002 10:19 PM

I just hope they can keep on having good prices. Look at how big the Legend has gotten, and it was only $3,000,000. For smaller parks smaller and family owned parks, this is great news.

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MagnumForce

Friday, August 16, 2002 10:45 PM
I think the prices have to rise a little bit. Thats what got CCI into such trouble in the first place.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

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Pantera Psycho

Friday, August 16, 2002 11:55 PM
This is very good news. While I'm sure it's not going to be another CCI we'll be dealing with, I'm not scared of anything bad coming from it at all, because engineers are a huge part of a coaster, and if that huge part will be there, then I'm sure the rest will be able to be done. With their CCI experience, I'm sure they know what they're doing.

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"You can't kill what's stronger than death" - Zakk Wylde

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Rockrc480

Friday, August 16, 2002 11:56 PM
What ever happened to Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty of CCI?

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phantoms_revenge_rules

Saturday, August 17, 2002 12:07 AM
Larry Bill is Lawrence Bill
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rollergator

Saturday, August 17, 2002 12:11 AM
rollergator's avatar

Rockrc480....Larry is a standard nickname for Lawrence...as for McNulty, not sure what he's doing (GCI, RCCA perhaps).

Well guys, as much as I hate to say it, I actually hope that they DON'T keep the prices quite as low as they were under CCI....I think part of the deal with the dissolution of CCI is that they did price jobs unreasonably low....look at the price for a similar GCI, I think you'll see that the CCI's were perhaps TOO affordable....Now don't get me wrong, nothing would make me happier than to have them cranking out woodies like crazy for every "mom and pop" FEC on Earth, but then they wouldn't last long in the business....this company is going to be a MAJOR player in wooden coasters.....and I *love* the name....creativity and alliteration, sweeeeet.....

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Stitch

Saturday, August 17, 2002 12:15 AM
Well.. I hear a new abbreviation coming along, what is it, it's GG.

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I'm sitting shiva for CCI.

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phantoms_revenge_rules

Saturday, August 17, 2002 12:17 AM
I was hoping to see a lot more GCI coasters. I sure hope the people who work there have other jobs. Also i think Boodley should have kept his job at CCI. Hes deffinatly doing something wrong if hes been open for 8 years and only built 4 coasters.

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