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Coaster Manufacturer locations

Bowser

Bowser

TS Member
How come most of the worlds major rollercoaster manufacturers are based in Germanic speaking countries?
 
Bowser said:
How come most of the world’s major rollercoaster manufacturers are based in Germanic speaking countries?
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I’d think that it partly goes back to the traditions and long history of the European fair circuit being popular in that part of the world. Zierer for example started out making carousels in Germany in 1930, and Anton Schwarzkopf started out as an apprentice in his fathers business which focused on the design of trailers used to transport circus equipment before starting his own business. Hubert Gertslauer was an employee of his who later stated his own company. And Intamin (INternational AMusement INstallations) started over in Switzerland in 1967 as a company selling rides to the US before two of their engineers branched out in 1988 to start their own company, Bolliger & Mabillard. Mack Rides history goes back to 1780 when Paul Mack began making carriages and stagecoaches and then in 1880 the company began selling organ wagons and caravans to travelling showmen.

And of course it would have been easy for these companies located in and around Germany to transport their products to the surrounding countries by road. And German engineering has long been highly respected.
 
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Bowser said:
How come most of the world’s major rollercoaster manufacturers are based in Germanic speaking countries?
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a lot of prestigious engineers are from Germany, I personally want to work for Intamin so am currently learning German. I will apply after I have gone to university! There’s probably no chance I’ll get in 🤣, me and my dreams! 🤣
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
I’d think that it partly goes back to the traditions and long history of the European fair circuit being popular in that part of the world. Zierer for example started out making carousels in Germany in 1930, and Anton Schwarzkopf started out as an apprentice in his fathers business which focused on the design of trailers used to transport circus equipment before starting his own business. Hubert Gertslauer was an employee of his who later stated his own company. And Intamin (INternational AMusement INstallations) started over in Switzerland in 1967 as a company selling rides to the US before two of their engineers branched out in 1988 to start their own company, Bolliger & Mabillard. Mack Rides history goes back to 1780 when Paul Mack began making carriages and stagecoaches and then in 1880 the company began selling organ wagons and caravans to travelling showmen.

And of course it would have been easy for these companies located in and around Germany to transport their products to the surrounding countries by road. And German engineering has long been highly respected.
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That all makes sense. But i am surprised that they still dominate, you'd think the US would have taken over considering the proliferation of theme parks there.
 
Bowser said:
That all makes sense. But i am surprised that they still dominate, you'd think the US would have taken over considering the proliferation of theme parks there.
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The US does dominate when it comes to woodies though with Gravity Group, GCI, Gravitykraft, and formerly CCI (who built 34 woodies in just 11 years before they went bust in 2002). And of course RMC with their conversions.

But in terms of American steel coaster manufacturers obviously the massive thing was Arrow going out of business, they were a very big player and a true pioneer (they created the first tubular steel track coaster with Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland in 1959). Though of course even their history has a German link in that Huss owned Arrow from 1981-1985 before Arrow Huss filed for bankruptcy before the company re-emerged as Arrow Dynamics.
 
Because one: the Germans know what they are doing engineering wise, and two: They don't tone down thrills on the assumption that "rides are for kids" like the rest of the world.
 
The Japanese are too busy building fast trains and toilets that clean your bum crack for you. The Chinese are too busy trying to take over the world so find it easier to rip off the designs of others. Most of the rest of Europe are either sleeping, on strike, or fighting wars. The Americans are too busy running around shooting each other. The UK is too busy declining, waving a union jack with one hand, and a white flag with the other.

Step forward the Germans, the Dutch, and the Swiss!
 
OK, old git history lesson.
After the war, the Germans were not allowed to manufacture certain things, but they had a large steel industry,
They had to find new outlets for their steel and engineering, that were not military based are adaptable to military use.
Hence heavy engineering for construction and engineering...
Hence building coasters.
They also made lots of pots and vases after the war, and they are now collectable, but abundant...because those factories couldn't make much else for a decade or so.
So coasters got built there, early, and well.
Reputation created.
 
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It’s not just Germany though but it is predominantly Germanic.

Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Netherlands.

And they either weren’t founded till decades after WW2 or existed long prior.
 
Bowser said:
It’s not just Germany though but it is predominantly Germanic.

Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Netherlands.

And they either weren’t founded till decades after WW2 or existed long prior.
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Proximity, then (as @rob666 has already pointed out) manufacturing restrictions acted as a catalyst.

Naturally there are bound to be amusement manufacturers who were in the area before the big boom, but the scale you're alluding to wouldn't be there without proximity and manufacturing restrictions post WWII.

Very much in the same way that a lot of tech startups / supershits are in California. Some started before the most recent tech boom, some after, some have moved, but they were all accelerated by the smart phone and broadband.

Go back far enough and you'll see constant examples, for other industries, throughout history.
 
John said:
Somewhat relevant to this thread, I was browsing the in-flight entertainment on my Swiss Air flight and found this. Was only available in German unfortunately
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Also it says it's not been rated. You wouldn't want to start watching it, and find that there's lots of nudity and violence.
 
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