Could Merlin buy a Chinese roller coaster?
- Thread starter Archie
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Munchy Road Hippopotamus
Mega Poster
If the quality keeps improving and costs are low of course they will at some stage. Most big companies use, at the very least, Chinese parts, a lot use goods manufactured entirely in China. It is the industrial powerhouse of the world wouldn't the Theme Park industry utilise this as well?
The thing is, at the moment Chinese manufacturers just aren't among the established upper echelons of coaster design. Most of the products look to be direct dupes of more successful and established models by proper manufacturers, which could potentially damage relationships with their regular suppliers. Also - not to say that Merlin particularly care about this to a high extent, but - it's common knowledge that working conditions in the manufacturing industry in China are poor, which makes for a really awkward moral dilemma that could potentially damage public relations.
Jinma is definitely promising, but they're not necessarily star-attraction material at the moment. Would also like to see them step away from taking designs from multiple manufacturers and really step into their own element when it comes to design of the individual components.
Jinma is definitely promising, but they're not necessarily star-attraction material at the moment. Would also like to see them step away from taking designs from multiple manufacturers and really step into their own element when it comes to design of the individual components.
Munchy Road Hippopotamus
Mega Poster
But the question was could they? Of course they could. Will they? Very probably, even if its not in the near future.
Most big companies have manufacturing from China and we don't complain about their products. The device this message is being read on had a high probability of being made in China.
Coasters may not be quite up to that standard yet but inevitably they will be. Eventually European and US theme parks will have coasters made in China and Merlin will do likewise. Chinese manufacturing, like fate, is inexorable.
Most big companies have manufacturing from China and we don't complain about their products. The device this message is being read on had a high probability of being made in China.
Coasters may not be quite up to that standard yet but inevitably they will be. Eventually European and US theme parks will have coasters made in China and Merlin will do likewise. Chinese manufacturing, like fate, is inexorable.
Niles
Giga Poster
I cannot see it happening anytime soon or at all unless the Chinese market can offer the same innovative, high quality, unique rides that other companies in the west can.
The best Chinese manufracture i think is Jinma rides (Originally Golden Horse) they seem to be making much better looking coasters recently. In fact they have a subsidiary in Noble rides located in Switzerland, this has been set up for the European market so i feel this is the most likely one if Merlin were to work with a Chinese company.
However looking at their current portfolio See Here while it may be cheaper there is nothing that stands out as interesting or unique. They do say however they have access to Jinmas resources which may give them access to their coasters See here .
Their LSM Launch Coaster looks promising but does not do anything to stand out, but let say they could in a few years replicate something like Toutatis, but for half the cost....Then yes you would be silly not to, but for now they still have a way to go and a reputation to build before Merlin would think about it.
The best Chinese manufracture i think is Jinma rides (Originally Golden Horse) they seem to be making much better looking coasters recently. In fact they have a subsidiary in Noble rides located in Switzerland, this has been set up for the European market so i feel this is the most likely one if Merlin were to work with a Chinese company.
However looking at their current portfolio See Here while it may be cheaper there is nothing that stands out as interesting or unique. They do say however they have access to Jinmas resources which may give them access to their coasters See here .
Their LSM Launch Coaster looks promising but does not do anything to stand out, but let say they could in a few years replicate something like Toutatis, but for half the cost....Then yes you would be silly not to, but for now they still have a way to go and a reputation to build before Merlin would think about it.
If the question is "Could they?" Then likewise, I could ask "Could I start a theme park in my lifetime?" Very possibly. Doesn't mean it's gonna happen though.
TPoseOnTantrum
Giga Poster
I'm going to go off on a tangent for this one and generalize how Jinma could be on track to gain a foothold in the Western Market. Some context is necessary.
The thing is that Jinma has set themselves up perfectly to do just this. In the past two years alone they established their spinoff Noble Rides firm in Switzerland - developing a whole new lineup of product concepts to offer from it - and has become directly involved with Wisdom Rides in the US. The latter is a fairly shady story on its own; Wisdom is a portable ride manufacturer well past their prime that has been gradually losing ground to other (better) fairground ride manufacturers, but who now market/broker Jinma's new line of products whilst advertising them as their own. I recall an interview they gave ahead of IAAPA last year, where the manufacturer known for a limited catalogue of cheap carnival flats was now advertising 200 ft tall observation wheels and full size LSM launch coasters with a booth four times their usual size. That transcript didn't mention Jinma or Noble even once. How does a company like that suddenly make this jump in offerings? When they're put in the pockets of a Chinese company hungry for a backdoor into the United States market.
Lately it's become apparent that they've made their first breakthrough in the form of Missouri's Oasis at Lakeport development, which is set to break ground this year and maybe open as early as 2024. It's an absolutely perfect first sale for them; the inexperienced developers were looking to cut costs, have hardware developed painlessly, and purchase a full park package that can be used as a company sales referral, which will include a full scale LSM coaster and observation wheel. From what I understand, both Wisdom and Noble Rides are the firms conducting business here, but ultimately everything is being designed and manufactured out of Guangdong.
Locally, the US domestic steel coaster manufacturers are at risk of declining given a combination of limited product offerings, several unmitigated disasters, and high costs for advertised "cheaper" products that have turned parks away. That's not to say that the American manufacturers aren't doing well - that would be an oversimplified statement - but they're open to serious competition if this new Jinma Park in Missouri and its attractions prove successful. I personally don't think that Europe is as susceptible to Noble Rides suddenly becoming a huge player since they have a higher amount of established manufacturers, who know the danger that a hungry Chinese firm possesses and likely have a fair amount of influence over the parks there, but the US is a different climate. If the Jinma/Noble/Wisdom holy trinity start presenting the American parks with cheaper alternatives to S&S, Premier, Mack, B&M, and Intamin while proving that their quality is passable, then you're going to start seeing buyers consider them. It's highly unlikely that they'll overtake the Italian manufacturers in shipping huge amounts of catalogue to the States, but that bridge can be crossed when we get there.
Focusing on Merlin in particularly (apologies for the above rant), my two cents is that they won'y buy from Jinma/Noble. Not without major and drastic change in the industry - which would mean most of their preferred manufacturers becoming unavailable and the Italian companies getting outgunned - or their leadership revising how they decide who to contract for rides. Jinma has alot of untapped potential, but they don't offer anything that other firms already have and have better of.
The thing is that Jinma has set themselves up perfectly to do just this. In the past two years alone they established their spinoff Noble Rides firm in Switzerland - developing a whole new lineup of product concepts to offer from it - and has become directly involved with Wisdom Rides in the US. The latter is a fairly shady story on its own; Wisdom is a portable ride manufacturer well past their prime that has been gradually losing ground to other (better) fairground ride manufacturers, but who now market/broker Jinma's new line of products whilst advertising them as their own. I recall an interview they gave ahead of IAAPA last year, where the manufacturer known for a limited catalogue of cheap carnival flats was now advertising 200 ft tall observation wheels and full size LSM launch coasters with a booth four times their usual size. That transcript didn't mention Jinma or Noble even once. How does a company like that suddenly make this jump in offerings? When they're put in the pockets of a Chinese company hungry for a backdoor into the United States market.
Lately it's become apparent that they've made their first breakthrough in the form of Missouri's Oasis at Lakeport development, which is set to break ground this year and maybe open as early as 2024. It's an absolutely perfect first sale for them; the inexperienced developers were looking to cut costs, have hardware developed painlessly, and purchase a full park package that can be used as a company sales referral, which will include a full scale LSM coaster and observation wheel. From what I understand, both Wisdom and Noble Rides are the firms conducting business here, but ultimately everything is being designed and manufactured out of Guangdong.
Locally, the US domestic steel coaster manufacturers are at risk of declining given a combination of limited product offerings, several unmitigated disasters, and high costs for advertised "cheaper" products that have turned parks away. That's not to say that the American manufacturers aren't doing well - that would be an oversimplified statement - but they're open to serious competition if this new Jinma Park in Missouri and its attractions prove successful. I personally don't think that Europe is as susceptible to Noble Rides suddenly becoming a huge player since they have a higher amount of established manufacturers, who know the danger that a hungry Chinese firm possesses and likely have a fair amount of influence over the parks there, but the US is a different climate. If the Jinma/Noble/Wisdom holy trinity start presenting the American parks with cheaper alternatives to S&S, Premier, Mack, B&M, and Intamin while proving that their quality is passable, then you're going to start seeing buyers consider them. It's highly unlikely that they'll overtake the Italian manufacturers in shipping huge amounts of catalogue to the States, but that bridge can be crossed when we get there.
Focusing on Merlin in particularly (apologies for the above rant), my two cents is that they won'y buy from Jinma/Noble. Not without major and drastic change in the industry - which would mean most of their preferred manufacturers becoming unavailable and the Italian companies getting outgunned - or their leadership revising how they decide who to contract for rides. Jinma has alot of untapped potential, but they don't offer anything that other firms already have and have better of.
Agree with TPoseOnTantrum.
The market is there - but I don't see Merlin in the near future - but the small, slightly run-down seaside parks in the UK and US. These parks hang just in there with no money to buy even a family coaster from Zierer or Gerstlauer. These parks today buy new Zyklon coasters from Italy! If a Chinese manufacturer can pass for example German TÜV standards while keeping the price below that of the low-tier Italian manufacturers I can see these parks jumping at the opportunity.
The market is there - but I don't see Merlin in the near future - but the small, slightly run-down seaside parks in the UK and US. These parks hang just in there with no money to buy even a family coaster from Zierer or Gerstlauer. These parks today buy new Zyklon coasters from Italy! If a Chinese manufacturer can pass for example German TÜV standards while keeping the price below that of the low-tier Italian manufacturers I can see these parks jumping at the opportunity.
The Undead Creature
Mega Poster
Trust me, Chinese rides don't seem to meet any western standards....
I have personally reviewed designes for 3 seperate major rides from 3 seperate Chinese companies and none of them even come close to meeting UK safety standards. If the standards are not met under UK law then the ride becomes uninsurable and if anything were to happen then the controller would be hung out to dry.
When they make the copies of European designs, they copy the look, what and to some extent the how. But they don't copy the why. What I mean by this is that they make a copy of a component in terms of physical dimensions but where a company here would make it out of high tensile steel, the Chinese company would make it out of much cheaper and easier to machine mild steel. And this is the stuff that you can see in the design.
The scary part is the stuff the design doesn't tell you.....
You might see a design that looks good on paper but after using the machine for 6 months, a part fails that is supposed to last years according to the specification. Turns out instead of making the part out of the specified material they decided to make it out of cheese instead.