Frank Happ was inducted into the Amusement Hall of Fame last month. He started his business with his wife and partner in 1985 – a company now called the Suzo Happ Group.  The company was always a family affair – five of its first 10 employees were family, including two sons and a daughter. The company enjoyed explosive growth along with the dynamic amusement industry and by 2004 had ballooned into a $75 million business with a team of 275 employees.   That same year, they partnered with a Chicago-based private equity firm at which point one of their sons led the…

OpenGate Capital, which acquired Player One Amusement Group from Cineplex in 2024, has now entered into a binding agreement to sell the company to Genda, according to Business Wire. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is reportedly expected to close in Q3 2025.   Player One is both a route operator and in arcade sales and distribution. The Canada-based company serves customers across Canada and the U.S. Their location customers include FECs, theater chains, trampoline parks, bowling centers and others.   According to Genda, they will acquire 104 amusement arcades as part of the deal and the…

The National Bulk Vendors Association gave out their “Best of” Awards at the annual conference and trade show in Las Vegas last month.   The winners include:  Best Original Design One-Inch Product… Junk Food Doody Mini Brands, Flatline Corp.  Best Licensed Design One-Inch Product… Sqwishland Amazon, Brand Vending  Best Original Design Two-Inch Product… Stretchy Body Parts, Brand Vending  Best Licensed Design Two-Inch Product… Butts on Things Keychains, Flatline Corp.  Best Original Design Tattoo… Black Ink 6, Flatline Corp.  Best Licensed Design Tattoo… Dream Tattoos, A & A Global  Best Original Design Sticker… Junk Food Doody, Flatline Corp.  Best Licensed Design…

The iconic TCL Chinese Theater will play host to the Los Angeles premiere of Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day, a documentary featuring the industry legend. The screening is April 17 at 6:15 p.m. You can click here to get your tickets now.  It’ll also be a double feature, with The King of Kong playing as well. (That documentary was also made by Ed Cunningham, who RePlay spoke with for an article coming up in our May issue.)  Following the showing, there will be a Q&A session featuring the creators of the new film and some of its…

A&A Global Industries recently announced that Mark Hollywood is their new vice president of merchandise. He previously served as senior business group executive at PIA Products and has experience with Funtime Inc., Premier Parks and Six Flags as well.  “Mark’s the real deal,” said Brian Kovens, president of A&A Global. “He understands what customers want, what operators need, and how to build programs that deliver both. His track record speaks for itself – he’s a builder, a connector, and a forward-thinker. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”  Added Hollywood: “I’m excited to join a company like A&A Global –…

He’s in the Hall! George Petro, the head honcho of Play Mechanix with a string of legendary games to his credit, began his coin-op career in 1981 as an arcade game technician. The experience and knowledge he gained as a tech would serve him well throughout his career.  “It was just a few short years later that he landed a job with Williams Electronics, where his good fortune would see him working alongside numerous legendary game designers,” explained AAMA’s Pete Gustafson in his induction speech.   “His skills continued to grow, leading to his being assigned the role of lead programmer…

The Allevity Entertainment facility in Aberdeen, S.D., which opened in 2020, is “evolving to enhance its guest experience” by adding a brand-new sports bar, upgrading their restaurant and menu and placing new arcade games. To make room for the changes, the business nixed their Ballocity Play Area when construction began on March 24.   Learn more about the fun-for-all-ages venue at www.allevity.fun.  

The FUN Conference, put on by Funovation’s FEC University Network, will be held in Loveland, Colo., from May 19-21.  The annual event “is your opportunity to connect with industry experts, gain valuable insights, and share your own experiences, lessons and successes with like-minded professionals,” organizers said.   Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge or grow your business, you’ll want to check out the conference at www.fecfun.com/register.  

Apple Industries is among the American companies that made the trek to the Dubai World Trade Center for DEAL Show this week, April 8-10. They’re in the Warehouse of Games booth. (That company is their Middle East distributor.)  On display is their Disney photo booth, a “Frozen”-themed booth, a movie photo booth and their hit Marvel Adventure Lab.   “We’re incredibly excited to be back at the DEAL Show this year,” said Allen Weisberg, CEO of Apple Industries. “The Middle East is an important and growing market, and our partnership with Warehouse of Games allows us to bring our latest…

A 188-acre farm in South Haven, Mich., recently had an eco-friendly mini-golf course designed and installed by Adventure Golf & Sports.  Also at Lake Arvesta Farms is an aqua park with water slides, floating obstacle courses, kayaking, pickleball courts, shuffleboard, air hockey, and the longest Disc Golf course in North America.  “The mini-golf course is on a big man-made hill that took 280,000 yards of clay to build,” explained owner Brian deBest. “We have the capability of running cement trucks up, but it would have been a lot harder. I know clay moves and I just like the concept that…