djackson Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) Link to article: https://www.vekoma.com/index.php/198-press-release-vekoma-sansei Vekoma Rides Acquired by Sansei Technologies Rollercoaster manufacturer Vekoma Rides acquired by Sansei Technologies Vlodrop - Tokyo, March 30, 2018. 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. The collaboration with Sansei is the beginning of a new chapter in Vekoma’s development. Since the start in 2001, Vekoma has steadily grown into an innovative manufacturer of roller coasters. In addition to seeing geographical growth, Vekoma has also managed to position itself as a preferred supplier to a number of globally operating owners of leading theme parks. With the acquisition by Sansei, Vekoma can now further expand its leading position in the worldwide market of rollercoasters and other amusement park attractions. Reputable partner Vekoma’s takeover is a logical next step, according to its Management. Explains Kees van Biert, chairman of the Supervisory Board: “In recent years, a solid foundation has been laid, in which safety, innovation, quality and customer satisfaction have served as spearheads of our policy. 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. Through their presence and contacts, we also see opportunities to better serve new regions, such as Japan, Southeast Asia and North America.” Governance structure The conditions of the acquisition stipulate that no changes may be made to the strategy, management, terms of employment and the location of the business. Vekoma’s governance structure will, therefore, remain virtually unchanged after the acquisition, and its current management team will remain intact. Mr Nakagawa, CEO of Sansei, will sit on the Supervisory Board along with the current two Supervisory Board members, Mr Van Biert and Mr Steenbakker. The company will continue its activities under the same trade name as an independently operating company. The Works Council of Vekoma Rides, which was involved in the process from an early stage, gave a positive advice on the acquisition. About Vekoma Vekoma (vekoma.com) is a leading rollercoaster manufacturer – one of the world's most innovative. The focus of the company is on the development, production and installation of roller coasters and special attractions and after sales services for theme- and amusement parks. In addition to a portfolio ranging from thrill- to family rides, Vekoma is continuously working on the development of customized projects commissioned by and in close collaboration with a wide range of international clients. Its head office is located in Vlodrop, in the Netherlands, and with over 300 employees, Vekoma is an important employer in the region. About Sansei Technologies Sansei plans, designs, manufactures, installs, repairs and maintains attractions, stage installations, elevators and other designed equipment in Japan and beyond. The company's attractions include roller coasters, water attractions, dark rides and much more. It also offers stage equipment, such as sliding stages, mobile stage equipment, inclined floors and rotating stages. Founded in 1951 and formerly known as Sansei Yusoki Co., Ltd. the company changed its name to Sansei Technologies, Inc. in January 2014. It is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Edited March 30, 2018 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Wow, never expected that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Wait...what? Hang on, let me wipe off my glasses here. Wait, that's actually what's happening? This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) Interesting, wonder how the S&S and Vekoma relationship would work now. Edit: So far IAAPA floor plan hasn’t combined all the companies yet. Edited March 30, 2018 by gerstlaueringvar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. While we all know how big mergers typically go, the paragraph about "governance structure" seems to indicate that Vekoma will still be...Vekoma, but they'll have someone looking over their shoulder all the time. I'd speculate that Vekoma's client base will either stay the same or potentially expand, but I'd also speculate that we'll see less "experimental" stuff from them moving forward (like that weirdo Pandora's Box thing and the Thrill Lift). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rougarou Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I wonder how this merger will effect the contract between Vekoma and RNC? The contract to sell RMC coasters in Europe through Vekoma? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Holy crap. This is massive news! I never thought Vekoma would be bought out considering just how huge they are. Could this be a case of ageing owners looking to cash out before retirement? I'm very curious to see how this impacts Disney's future attractions. Hopefully the partnership will stay healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rill'o'beily Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 ...we have found a reputable partner, with equivalent standards and values, who can offer continuity to the company and bring us even further. Reputable partner? Isn't Sansei the company that managed to make a garbage coaster that had a failing rollback system first day of operation and since partnering with S&S has had S&S projects significantly delayed multiple times now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarlaKoaster Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 This is huge news and I'm not sure how to react. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 About as expected as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAn7baRbhx4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Holy crap. This is massive news! I never thought Vekoma would be bought out considering just how huge they are. Could this be a case of ageing owners looking to cash out before retirement? I'm very curious to see how this impacts Disney's future attractions. Hopefully the partnership will stay healthy. If I remember correctly, Vekoma had financial troubles after the giant inverted boomerangs had so many issues and declared bankruptcy around that time. This might be a case of creditors cashing out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 If I remember correctly, Vekoma had financial troubles after the giant inverted boomerangs had so many issues and declared bankruptcy around that time. This might be a case of creditors cashing out. Ahhh, makes sense. I had completely forgotten those ever existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Yeah, I honestly feel that Vekoma currently has a better reputation than Sensei! Interesting news, I'm sure there's a lot more that we all don't know about behind the scenes to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainplane3 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntaminLove Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I'm cool with this as long as it doesn't negatively affect Vekoma's deal with RMC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Farmer Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 It's encouraging that the release mentions that operations will be largely unchanged. We'll see how that actually plays out, but hopefully things keep on keeping on at Vekoma. I've really enjoyed the turnaround in their reputation, at least among the coaster peoples- and look forward to what they bring us in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. We don't know that for sure. Remember, Disney did NOT go with Vekoma for their most recent coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Yeah, I honestly feel that Vekoma currently has a better reputation than Sensei! Interesting news, I'm sure there's a lot more that we all don't know about behind the scenes to this. I wonder if that’s exactly why Sensei bought them. Between S&S and Vekoma, Sensei can get out of the design business themselves and just use their facilities to fabricate? Regarding the Disney partnership, apparently Sensei built the latest versions of the omnimover ride systems for Disney (little mermaid and buzz light year), so I’m guessing no impact there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainplane3 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. We don't know that for sure. Remember, Disney did NOT go with Vekoma for their most recent coaster. Pretty well regarded insiders have confirmed it will be Vekoma. I know it's not official, but unless Disney decides to drop the work they're having Vekoma do and start over with someone else then it's pretty certain. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-179#post-8032740 https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-220#post-8123320 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 (edited) This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. We don't know that for sure. Remember, Disney did NOT go with Vekoma for their most recent coaster. Pretty well regarded insiders have confirmed it will be Vekoma. I know it's not official, but unless Disney decides to drop the work they're having Vekoma do and start over with someone else then it's pretty certain. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-179#post-8032740 https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-220#post-8123320 I put zero stock in any of the Disney fan sites and rumors. They are wrong most of the time. And, to be honest, I laughed out loud at your "Pretty well regarded insiders" statement! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! That right there is s funny crap! Edited March 31, 2018 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainplane3 Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. We don't know that for sure. Remember, Disney did NOT go with Vekoma for their most recent coaster. Pretty well regarded insiders have confirmed it will be Vekoma. I know it's not official, but unless Disney decides to drop the work they're having Vekoma do and start over with someone else then it's pretty certain. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-179#post-8032740 https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-220#post-8123320 I put zero stock in any of the Disney fan sites and rumors. They are wrong most of the time. And, to be honest, I laughed out loud at your "Pretty well regarded insiders" statement! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! That right there is s funny crap! Well, to name a few recent things: these are the insiders that knew Avatar was happening a year before the announcement. They knew the ride systems and capacity per hour as well. They said the Speedway wasn't going away well before Tron was announced for MK while every other Disney site was saying it was. And right now, they've mentioned to expect a Gringotts-type ride for the Guardians coaster but without show stops after the launch, heavy possibility of Mary Poppins to the UK Pavilion, and the Brazil pavilion is still moving slowly. Oh and a pre-1994 styled Tomorrowland which is finally getting underway now, over a year and half after they first mentioned it. All of this well before everyones favorite clickbaiter/news stealer gets it. They've been pretty right for several years so I think it's fair to trust them. But that's where I stand and I get that everyone else won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder_Run Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 As long as they don't stop creating Madhouses I'll be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 (edited) This might actually be really good news for Vekoma in North America. Maybe we'll start seeing a bigger presence from them in the coming years. I'm more curious to see what will happen with relationships like the one Disney has with Vekoma. That relationship has helped Disney produce some of the best rides we've seen at their parks yet (Expedition Everest, Tron, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc) and a change in owners could impact that. We shall see... I think it's safe to add the Guardians coaster to that list as well. We don't know that for sure. Remember, Disney did NOT go with Vekoma for their most recent coaster. Pretty well regarded insiders have confirmed it will be Vekoma. I know it's not official, but unless Disney decides to drop the work they're having Vekoma do and start over with someone else then it's pretty certain. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-179#post-8032740 https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-attraction-confirmed-for-epcot.929265/page-220#post-8123320 I put zero stock in any of the Disney fan sites and rumors. They are wrong most of the time. And, to be honest, I laughed out loud at your "Pretty well regarded insiders" statement! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! That right there is s funny crap! Well, to name a few recent things: these are the insiders that knew Avatar was happening a year before the announcement. They knew the ride systems and capacity per hour as well. They said the Speedway wasn't going away well before Tron was announced for MK while every other Disney site was saying it was. And right now, they've mentioned to expect a Gringotts-type ride for the Guardians coaster but without show stops after the launch, heavy possibility of Mary Poppins to the UK Pavilion, and the Brazil pavilion is still moving slowly. Oh and a pre-1994 styled Tomorrowland which is finally getting underway now, over a year and half after they first mentioned it. All of this well before everyones favorite clickbaiter/news stealer gets it. They've been pretty right for several years so I think it's fair to trust them. But that's where I stand and I get that everyone else won't. Excuse me while I roll my eyes the hardest they can possibly roll... This is what I think of your bullshit "insider information." Seriously, it's just so laughable but you don't understand that or why, so please just carry on, it's very amusing to me! “Those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know.” Edited March 31, 2018 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Unless someone posting on a forum is a primary source and can back it up, I'm so, so not interested in buying into what they're selling. Everyone remembers the good stuff that is happening and no one remembers the bad. Stuff from "reliable people" I know wound up never happening repeatedly, so when it comes to randos on a Disney forum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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