Elaut Acquires Coast To Coast Entertainment

LAKEWOOD, NJ -- Elaut USA, the U.S. unit of the Belgian skill crane manufacturer of the same name, has acquired New Jersey-based Coast to Coast Entertainment LLC, which will operate independently under the Elaut umbrella. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Coast to Coast Entertainment markets cranes and ticket redemption games. The company also markets prize merchandise, and it recently added redemption tickets to its lineup. Monkey Bizz-Ness, Hot Stuff and Toy Taxi are among its current machines, along with Hurricane Tunnel, a windstorm simulator. John Maurer and Gary Balaban founded the company in 1999.

The two amusement companies already had close ties. Coast to Coast Entertainment had licensed Elaut's technology for its own crane equipment, and earlier this year it named the Belgian company its exclusive European distributor. Coast to Coast has already moved to Elaut USA's plant in Lakewood, NJ, where the two divisions will share resources.

Elaut NV, which was founded in 1959, is a leading manufacturer of equipment for the amusement industry in both Europe and the U.S. The Sint-Niklaas, Belgium-based company launched its first freestanding crane machine, the Good Luck, in 1978. Elaut was the first to offer a crane with three motors on an independent carriage, which set the stage for skill cranes' popularity in the U.S. Elaut is also the largest operator of amusement games in amusement parks in the U.S. The company opened Elaut USA in 2008. Glenn Kramer is chief executive of the U.S. division.

"I'm thrilled with this addition to our company," said Eric Verstraeten, owner of Elaut NV. He praised Coast to Coast's founders for building an organization known for passion, high-quality products and giving operators what they need.

Coast to Coast's Gary Balaban offered similar sentiments. "We both have long histories in this industry," he said. "From manufacturing through operations, both companies can draw from each other to build even stronger entities.

Coast to Coast Entertainment's new address is 1000 Towbin Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701; tel. (732) 238-0096 or (800) 224-1717.