Originally known as
Veldkoning, or
King of the Fields, when it was founded in 1926, the company was developed in the
Netherlands to manufacture
harrows,
plows, and
sowing machines. The company became known as
Eerste Nederlands Staalploeg en Pompenfabriek ("First
Dutch Steelplow and Pumps Factory") in 1948, when
equipment trading became another part of the company's mission. When the
agriculture industry began to decline in the early 1950s, the company changed its focus to the creation of larger
steel structures for the
mining industry - and changed its name once again, this time to
Machinefabriek Vekoma. Throughout the 1960s the Vekoma company worked mostly in mining and
petrochemicals, then in 1967 entered the
amusement park ride industry by constructing its first
ferris wheel. Ten years later, the company shifted into the fabrication of
roller coasters and in 1983 devoted itself to that sector completely. Today, Vekoma Rides has produced a number of
innovations including the
Suspended Looping Coaster,
Boomerang,
Invertigo,
LSM coasters, and the new
Flying Dutchman. Although there are 350 employees worldwide,
production facilities are still in the Netherlands and in China. Subcontractors are located throughout
Europe, the
United States, and
Asia. The company is part of the
ShowQuest Entertainment group, and plans future rides including the
tilt coaster and a
hammerhead stall. The current focus is on making rides
smoother to accommodate a wider
market range - they want to appeal to families, seniors, and younger guests.
There are nearly 175 Vekoma coasters operating throughout the world, the only continent not reached by the company is Antarctica. More than fifty of these are in the United States, including Batwing at Six Flags America, five steel Mind Erasers at various Six Flags parks, and Disneyland's Space Mountain. Rides in other countries include the Middle East's only roller coaster, the Thunderbolt, three of the four coasters at Disneyland Paris, and eleven coasters in the company's home country (four at Six Flags Holland).
Sources
http://www.vekoma.com/
http://www.rcdb.com