The Aussie Pinball Arcade

Aussie Pinball Forums => General Discussion => News & Announcements => Topic started by: Pinballace on May 19, 2009, 02:38:15 PM

Title: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: Pinballace on May 19, 2009, 02:38:15 PM
You're reading it here first....

In the single largest transaction since the Illinois Pinball (IPB) purchase of the Williams pinball parts and tooling, Pinball Inc. has agreed to purchase the majority of IPB’s inventory of new and new old stock Capcom, Bally, Williams, and Alvin G. pinball parts inventory.  Gene Cunningham, owner of IPB, who is turning 75 this year, is turning his focus to core products of cabinet art, playfields, plastic sets, backglasses, and translights allowing him to slow down from his 80 hour work weeks.  The purchase includes the world’s largest pinball parts inventory consisting of new and new old stock Capcom, Williams, Bally, and Alvin G. parts excluding the parts that will be the core of IPB’s business.  Going forward, new parts will continue to be made by both IPB as a manufacturer and Pinball Inc. as a supplier. 

Pinball Inc. owned by James Loflin, is currently the only manufacturer of plastic replacement ramps for Bally/Williams pinball machines in the world.  Loflin started Pinball Inc. as a pinball service, retail, and refurbishment company 20 years ago.  Just over 7 years ago Pinball Inc. started the manufacturing of ramps and has supplied the hobby with over 15,000 ramps.  Over three years ago Pinball Inc. and IPB joined forces to allow new ramps to be manufactured using the original tooling from Williams.  Now, Pinball Inc. looks forward to expanding its manufacturing to include injection molded parts, rubber molded parts, and metal die parts, along with many others utilizing the original tooling and drawings. 

IPB has made it’s mark in the pinball hobby over the last decade.  The purchase of Williams, Capcom, and Alvin G. assets almost 10 years ago put IPB on the map.  The hobby was stunned in 2004 when Cunningham announced he was going to do a one time run of Big Bang Bar pinball machines from his “Pinball Manufacturing” company.  In 2007, Cunningham fulfilled his promise and shipped the completed machines worldwide becoming the only pinball manufacturer other than Stern Pinball to produce a full run of pinball games since the turn of the century.

Both companies have stated that they will continue to work together as they have over the past years to bring many new parts that are needed to the pinball hobby and to insure a smooth transition.


....more to come as there is a Aussie dealer involved in this deal in a huge way.
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: pinnies4me on May 19, 2009, 02:49:38 PM
OMG! What great news!

Let me be the first to publicly congratulate you James, I couldn't be happier to know that these precious part for our beloved games continue in the hands of a good person (I will always be grateful to Gene for not only parts, but of course BBB). It's the best news for the hobby in I don't know how long, something positive for once. I am truly overjoyed to hear this has happened.
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: Strangeways on May 19, 2009, 02:56:22 PM
Huge News.

Congratulations to Pinball Inc and James on the acquisition of the inventory. From what I've heard, this inventory is the largest of its kind in the world, and it is great news that these parts will find themselves in machines in the future.

IPB will continue as an manufacturer, which means more product to be produced and Pinball Inc as a supplier, which means more product to market - faster. Get ready for a flood of requests, James !

More to come - Involving an Aussie Dealer  ^^^

What a week in Pinball !

.. and we heard it FIRST on AP !

 *%*
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: bwodie on May 19, 2009, 04:22:44 PM
OMG! What great news!

Let me be the first to publicly congratulate you James, I couldn't be happier to know that these precious part for our beloved games continue in the hands of a good person (I will always be grateful to Gene for not only parts, but of course BBB). It's the best news for the hobby in I don't know how long, something positive for once. I am truly overjoyed to hear this has happened.

Couldn't of said it better myself!
James products have always been excellent quality, heres cheers to more new parts for our games :)
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: elkor-alish on May 19, 2009, 05:30:00 PM
Awesome news!

Great to see some of the big companies keeping the pinball dream alive. #*#
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: markc on May 19, 2009, 05:42:42 PM

well done James  and thanks again for the chance to be involved in this

mark
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: MartyJ on May 19, 2009, 05:48:23 PM
Great news again from you James....

Can wait for the good stuff to begin arriving!

(and those ramp's for Police Force too!!!!)

Double great news for PBSP...
Title: Re: Pinball Inc purchases Illinois Pinball (IPB) parts inventory.
Post by: markc on May 19, 2009, 09:37:41 PM
Great news again from you James....

Can wait for the good stuff to begin arriving!

(and those ramp's for Police Force too!!!!)

Double great news for PBSP...

thanks Marty

yes it’s all good for everyone involved
and hopefully pinball be the winner