SuzoHapp North America (formerly Happ Controls, Inc.) is the largest manufacturer and distributor of

input device In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system, such as a computer or information appliance. Examples of input devices include keyboards, computer mice, scanne ...

components and related accessories for

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...

vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise m ...

casino game A casino game is one in which players gamble cash or chips on various possible random outcomes or combinations of outcomes, often in a casino environment. Such games are also available in online casinos, where permitted by law. Casino games can ...

s, and

industrial control system An industrial control system (ICS) is an electronic control system and associated instrumentation used for industrial process control. Control systems can range in size from a few modular panel-mounted controllers to large interconnected and in ...

s in the U.S. Headquartered in

Mount Prospect, Illinois Mount Prospect is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is part of Elk Grove and Wheeling townships, about northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately north of O'Hare International Airport. As of the 2020 census, the vill ...

, the company produced its own products locally until 2005, when it began outsourcing to China.

History

In 1986, Frank Happ was employed at the U.S. branch of Coin Controls, a

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

-based company that manufactured coin doors and control systems for arcade machines. The company wanted to sell its controls division, which Happ purchased with a second mortgage on his home to form Happ Controls. His three children became employees of the company as they came of age, including Tom Happ who eventually took over from his father as president. In 1998, a distribution center was opened in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

to serve the local casino industry. In 2001, Happ purchased the assets of Midway Amusement Games, which was the original Midway Manufacturing Company that had been spun off from

Midway Games Midway Games Inc. (formerly Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known simply as Midway) was an American video game company that existed from 1958 to 2010. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Rampage (franchise), Ra ...

. Happ also purchased the coin door division of Coin Controls, reuniting the two original business operations under his own enterprise. In 2004, the

private equity firm A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...

Pfingsten Partners purchased a majority stake in Happ Controls. The infusion of capital enabled the purchase of the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

-based manufacturer

Suzo Suzo International was founded in 1955 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and supplies components and solutions for the amusement, video game, casino, and vending industries. It also develops and manufactures several (electronic) components, software ...

. The resulting merger produced the Suzo-Happ Group of companies, effectively doubling the company's revenue. In 2012, the Suzo-Happ Group was purchased by ACON Investments. Tom Happ remained the executive vice president of the Suzo-Happ Group until his departure in 2014.https://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=650DC4553F514A848B520ED329F08BA3&nm=Music+%26+Games+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=C8BF6C76F16B47EB83842BB77CB743D2

References

{{reflist Electronics companies established in 1986 Electronics companies of the United States Companies based in Mount Prospect, Illinois Manufacturing companies based in Illinois