Popular roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma Rides has a new owner, as the Dutch firm as been acquired by Japan's Sansei Technologies.
Vekoma has built more than 300 coasters around the world, including Walt Disney World's Expedition Everest and many beloved family coasters such as Universal Orlando's Flight of the Hippogriff... as well as some less-than-beloved models such as the SLC (known in many installations as the "Mind Eraser.")
Sansei isn't nearly as big in the roller coaster business, which makes the acquisition a smart move for the Japanese firm to increase its market presence globally. While Sansei has built some coasters, it is known more for a wider range of offerings — from carnival rides to stage equipment, including sliding stages, inclined floors, and rotating stages. Most of its business to date has been focused in Japan and Korea.
Sansei has obtained 100% of Vekoma, but will maintain Vekoma as an independent brand. Vekoma's management will remain in place.
"In Sansei, we have found a reputable partner, with equivalent standards and values, who can offer continuity to the company and bring us even further," Kees van Biert, chairman of the Vekoma Supervisory Board, said in a statement released by the company. "Through their presence and contacts, we also see opportunities to better serve new regions, such as Japan, Southeast Asia and North America."
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Was the acquision price revealed?