Mike Thorne never dreamed of a career in the casino and gaming industries, but he's been on the casino network for nearly 27 years.
"It's hard to believe. It certainly is," Son said with a smile when asked that he had worked for nearly 30 years as a leading distributor of playback slot machines, parts and glass. "It's been a tough journey, but we're still strong."
The idea of starting a company was pushed behind his back in early 1996. At the time, Son lived in Minneapolis and owned a landscaping company. His neighbors had to buy many used slot machines in Reno, Nevada and bring them to the Midwest. Since Son had three relatively new trucks that could pull trailers, they asked him if he could.
Son remembered, "I jumped at the opportunity because it was an opportunity to collect my husband and wife's wealth just with a 25-hour drive."
When Son returned, there was only room in the garage to store most of the machines, but in the end, a neighbor asked Son if he was planning to take a picture and sell it, and a light bulb stuck in Son's head.
"I've always been a great networker with an entrepreneurial spirit and I know how to talk to people," said Son. "After that, I met a man who was the biggest slot seller in North America and started working with him, and eventually came up with the idea of a casino network. The rest, as they say, is history."
Today's casino network has a wide range of used parts, including touch screens, LCDs, reel strips and electronic components, supplied by manufacturers aristocrats, Bali, IGT, Konami, Spilo and WMS, supplies casino equipment from Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and the Caribbean, and supplies equipment for use in casinos in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and the Caribbean in addition to a few properties in Mexico. His list of clients includes Borridge Resorts & Casino, IP Casino Spa and Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel, Gold Strike Casino Resort, and Sam's Town Hotel & Casino Shreveport in Louisiana.
Over the past 27 years, there have been many peaks and valleys across the casino network and the gaming industry, thanks to the recession, technological advancements, and most recently the pandemic. When the business began, it was only Son and his wife, Luwela, who ran the company. The couple moved to Arlington, Texas, two years after the casino network began, where they once employed eight people and owned a 30,000-square-foot warehouse.
Today, the business is still thriving, but employees have returned to their microphone homes and are running it from home.
"That's how it all started, and that's how we're going to go," Son said. "When COVID hit, we saw what was written on the wall and decided to reduce it. So we came into a full circle."
"But we're still here and we continue to grow. Once again, I go back to all the relationships I managed to have over the years. This is why we were able to survive and thrive. I don't mean to brag, but the casino network couldn't exist without me. I don't think anyone else could have done what I did with this business. It's just a fact."
Undoubtedly, starting work with Eric Black, president of Suncist Graphics, is Suncist Graphics' most important relationship. Suncist Graphics accounts are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the business that casino networks create, and as a bonus, Suncist Graphics and Black have become best friends.
"Working with Eric and Sunkist has been a real blessing and one of the main reasons we're still strong," Son said. "But believe me, it was not easy for us or the Sunkist to survive. 슬롯사이트 순위
"A few years ago, Eric and I used to talk and say, 'We're going to be out of business soon because all these slot machines are going to film videos and they're not using glass anymore.' But to Eric's credit, we started to provide other things that the casino needed. We had to innovate."
"Today, even as every game turns to video and new technology emerges, the industry will need talent like us forever."
And Son is perfectly happy to keep plugging in and doesn't expect to retire anytime soon, nor does he want to.
"I love this industry and I'm excited," said Son, who is expecting big growth this year when he officially adds the Philippines to his territorial list. "I love people, I love gambling, and this is a very helpful and very profitable industry. I'm not going to get any younger, but the way we prepare for the situation is really fine-tuned machines. I'm 63 and I'll probably do this until I'm 80. And I wouldn't want it any other way."
