Smart Industries Rolls Out Mini Skill Cranes

DES MOINES, IA -- New from Smart Industries is a pair of miniature crane machines designed to help operators expand their location bases. The Classic Mini and Classic Mini Four Player may be small, but they offer many of the same features found in the manufacturer's full-size models.

The four-player version measures 24" W. x 34" D. x 63" H., while the single-player is a petite 12" W. x 17" D. and 62" H. The single-player model features wheels for easy mobility, while the four-player uses casters for steadier placement.

"Our minis have a much smaller footprint than traditional cranes," said Smart's Jim Dupree. "The playfields are smaller as is the game itself. They're about as big as an over-sized bulk vender. We feel that smaller, high-end key chains, lighters, jewelry mixes and licensed goods are what works well for product."

Dupree said the new cranes are well suited for 50¢ and $1 operations. Their small size allows for versatile placement, perhaps as a supplement to a full-size crane or the solution to a location that previously did not have enough space to host a standard size unit. Dupree said convenience stores and mom-and-pop groceries are ideal businesses for the minis.

Smart's minis ship with LED lighting, sound effects and whimsical graphics, as well as a coin mechanism. Both incorporate the manufacturer's crane software, adapted from its line of full-size models, and a prize-detection system.

For additional information, visit smartind.com or call (732) 238-0096.

THINK SMALL, BE SMART:Jeff Smart (l.) demonstrates his company's new mini skill cranes for Dan Case of Tejas Distributors (Round Rock, TX), during the recent Amusement Expo International. Smart Industries' two mini skill cranes squeeze big features into compact sizes.