Posted
From the press release:
Dutch roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma Rides (Vekoma), based in Vlodrop, the Netherlands, was acquired today by Sansei Technologies (Sansei), a Japanese company listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange. With the 100% acquisition of Vekoma (100% of the shares will be taken over), Sansei will increase its global market share in the field of designing, supplying and installing roller coasters. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan and active in the global entertainment equipment industry, Sansei achieved a turnover of around 225 million euros in 2017, largely from the sale of attractions to amusement parks and dynamic stage installations to theatres.
Read the entire press release from Vekoma.
If B&M is the BMW of coaster makers, I've always thought of Vekoma as the Geo of coaster makers. I only really know them for their slc and various types of boomerangs though, none of which I have high opinions of. Should I be more openminded about this company?
"The term is 'amusement park.' An old Earth name for a place where people could go to see and do all sorts of fascinating things." -Spock, Stardate 3025
Vekoma makes some nice stuff, I just think the SLC's and Boomerangs soured our view. Disney sure doesn't seem to mind using them.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
Stateside, there isn't much apart from SLCs, various Boomerangs, and the Flying Dutchmen (Disney and Family Coasters as well)- I really don't mind those types, but I know a lot of people outright avoid them. They've built some intriguing coasters overseas, though. Lech Coaster and F1 in Poland are two examples of what they've been up to lately. There was also a Hypercoaster design on the table for Energylandia, but the park went with Intamin's proposal. Hopefully, Sansei can help bring some of their recent designs over here. We'll see.
The trick was to surrender to the flow.
Curious to see how Morey’s SLC turns out now that it got all new track to go with the new trains from a few years ago... But I agree that the trains seem to be the issue; the upstop wheels don’t even touch the track on Mind Eraser at Darien Lake. I also wonder if the slight sway in the train chassis has something to do with the ride slamming around.
But then again, what do I know?
I've heard good things about the refurbished Nor'Easter, though I still have yet to get down there to give it a try myself.
I wonder how this acquisition will affect competing product lines between the two companies. Will both Vekoma and S&S continue to produce their own family suspended coasters, for example?
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