Slot Manager - January 2009 - (Page 15)

COVER tools for bringing in business, he noted. “We brought a lot of life to our floor and a lot of dimension to our floor. Our customers were very receptive to it as well. They loved it,” Sawhill said. Working with AC Coin also proved to be a rewarding experience, Sawhill said.“We were involved with a lot of their artists, sat down with them and really developed it together. It was a great process, a rewarding process for everyone involved,” he said. “This wasn’t any cookie cutter stuff that you’ll find. This was really custom.” AC Coin’s service orientation is one of the company’s strongest suits, Sawhill said. “I always felt it was a company that had depth, and there wasn’t anybody in the company I couldn’t talk to. I could pick up the phone and talk to anyone, whether it was one of their artists, one of their sign makers on up to Mac or Jason. “They developed a very strong product line, very good quality, and they backed it up.” environment,” Jerry Seelig said. “We’ve really looked at our pay tables to get the win per unit as high as possible.” Asked to select his favorite game he’s designed, he quickly replied, “the next one.” “As a game creator, you’re always looking for the next one. You can’t admire your work for too long,” Jerry Seelig said. Over the years, AC Coin has created some game-changing products. One of its earliest games, Bonus Road Rally from the 1990s, was a precursor to today’s community-style games. And its Slotto products – which marry a lottery ball drop-style bonus with a slot machine – have proven highly successful in the marketplace. That game came about while Jerry Seelig was watching television, waiting for “Wheel of Fortune” to come on so he could look for clues to why the game is so successful as a slot. The lottery drawing came on first, and that’s when the “A-ha” moment came. “I thought, ‘Wow, that would be cool if we could make that into a slot machine.” More recently, the company has found success with its communitystyle games, including Super Bankroll Bonus. Jerry Seelig picks “integrity” when asked the one word he’d use to describe the company’s value. “My dad said it helps you go to sleep knowing that you’ve done everything you could to make your customer happy, and that’s what he taught me.” Chris Strano, vice president of sales and marketing, said AC Coin’s workplace culture is driven by creativity and focus. “Everybody inside the business focuses in one direction – to get the job done. We have stressful days. There’s always something going on, but I can tell you we have fun.” “And it’s a fun industry to be in. Our customers are fun,” Jerry Seelig added. He noted the company has had success with both its video STORY Game on A C Coin’s proprietary games are offered to casinos on a lease basis. That keeps the company on its toes, creating great games. “If we don’t make great games, we’re in trouble. That’s the challenge – good games make and mediocre games do not,” Mac Seelig said. One who understands that well is Jerry Seelig, who has taken the reins of game development for the company. “It’s our job to do whatever we can to help the casinos bring back customers. They want high-earning product,” Jerry Seelig said. As the economy has changed, Seelig said the company has stepped up its efforts to create even better product for casinos. “The challenge in any business is how you create more and more value for your customer, particularly in this and mechanical slot product. “I don’t think there’s a secret formula. Every game is always different and just a little off the wall. It really comes back to what that player is looking for,” he said. “What we’ve learned is that while times change, the players don’t. They want the suspense, they want the drama, they want to be entertained.” Getting more great product out into the market is a key goal for the company going forward, CFO Jeffrey Seelig said in a recent company release. “Our growth has been explosive as the result of slot machine innovations; expansion throughout North America and the Caribbean; and diversification into complementary product lines,” he said. “We are excited to embark on our bold new initiative of introducing more revenue-earning games to our customers than ever before in our company’s history.” Family patriarch Mac Seelig said the company continues to evolve and diversify. “We have customers pushing us to go to the next level – whatever is the future, not just what’s out there now,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got very bright people,” and as the paradigms shift, so will AC Coin. Having a family business is a great motivator, Seelig said. “You really care a lot about keeping the customer happy. It’s your name, and your effort – it’s a little different than a public company.” He said he has relished what he calls “a tremendous opportunity to learn this business and learn it from the bottom up.” “It’s been a lot of fun watching the company grow over 30 years, and watching my sons take leadership roles, Would I do anything different? I don’t think so.” SlotManager www.slotmanager.net ❘ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 ❘ SLOT MANAGER 15 http://www.slotmanager.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Slot Manager - January 2009

Slot Manager - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note Quick Hits New Games Cover Story: Going Strong At 30 Game Changer: IGT's REELdepth Operations: Where There's a Will, There's a Way Games: G2E 2008 Slot Report Common Ground Marketing Inside Edge Advertiser Index Forum

Slot Manager - January 2009

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