 |
Premier people are just that, the best in the businesses. Combined, the company has nearly 75 years of experience in the theme park and amusement rides business alone. |
Jim Seay |
|
Jim Seay is the innovative President of Premier Rides, the preeminent roller coaster designer and manufacturer in the world. Mr. Seay was named President of Premier Rides in 1996 after joining the company in 1995 as Executive Vice President of Engineering. As president and sole owner of the firm, his business philosophy centers on innovation, quality and superior customer service. Under his leadership, Premier Rides has created and introduced numerous award-winning high-tech roller coasters and family oriented rides, including the Liquid Coaster™ and the Linear Induction Motor (LIM) Launch Coaster , as well as traditional roller coasters, Ferris wheels and custom designed attractions. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Seay explored the outer limits of flight technology as a project engineer for Hughes Aircraft. He shifted to the amusement ride arena in 1988 and spent the next seven years as an engineering and maintenance executive at Six Flags Theme Parks. Mr. Seay is on the Board of Directors of the Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International (AIMS) and serves as Vice Chairman of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) F24 Ride Safety Standards Committee . In addition, he serves as an industry representative to the Recreation Access Board, which focuses on providing ride access to people with disabilities, and is an active fundraiser for the children's charity Give Kids the World. Mr. Seay earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca , New York and received his MS in Engineering at California State University , Long Beach . |
Peter R. Schnabel |
|
Peter R. Schnabel, founder and Executive Vice President of Premier Rides, is well-known and widely respected in the amusement industry. He currently serves as senior advisor on special projects and continues to consult on various company-related issues. Schnabel has more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing of amusement rides. He is the former president of Intamin and worked with Universal on the introduction of numerous amusement attractions including the Back to the Future ride component and the E.T. ride component. Peter was also the responsible authority for the manufacturing and delivery of more than 300 large rides for leading parks in the United States . |
Randall C. Schmidt |
|
Randy Schmidt came to Premier Rides from
public accounting. Prior to joining Premier Rides in 1996, Schmidt was a
partner for seventeen years in a regional accounting firm serving clients
in a variety of industries on a wide variety of projects. It was while
serving in this capacity in 1982, that he first worked with Peter R.
Schnabel, the founder of Premier Rides. Over the years through this
relationship, an understanding of the amusement ride industry was
learned. |
|
Ben Lovelace is an Engineer and Project Director for Premier Rides. He has over 20 years experience working on projects as varied as small deep diving submarines and electro-hydraulic manipulator arms, to design oversight and integration management of all structural, mechanical, and electrical subsystems for high profile state-of-the-art roller coasters. Ben has gained extensive experience from the numerous years he spent with Universal Studios in Orlando directing engineering managers and technical coordinators in the procurement, design, fabrication, installation, and testing of rides and shows for Super Hero Island inclusive of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. He was also the President of E-Tec Inc., in West Palm Beach, who's corporate engineering capabilities included mechanical, hydraulic, structural, and electrical system design, as well as precision machine work, sheet metal forming, welding, fiberglass lay-up, and electrical and mechanical assembly. Ben holds a BS in Engineering, an MS in Business Administration, and an MS in Mechanical Engineering. |
Cynthia Emerick Whitson |
|
Cindy Emerick is a project engineer for Premier Rides and is now managing the service and support department for the company. She has over 10 years experience as an engineer with her specialty in material testing. She has worked in the theme park industry since 1993 and has overseen the manufacturing, procurement and installation of many world-class attractions including The Manhattan Express Roller Coaster and New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Viper Roller Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and Speed the Ride in Las Vegas. Cindy was also the project manager supervising the design, manufacturing, installation and testing of Premier Rides' revolutionary new wooden roller coaster trains on the world-record setting Son of Beast wood coaster at Paramount's Kings Island in Ohio. Cindy managed the team that implemented the lap bar restraint upgrades on Premier's LIM coasters across the country. Cindy is now in charge of service for Premier Rides. She will be working with parks on upgrading and servicing all attractions. She has recently been appointed to the Ride Safety Advisory Council for the State of Ohio and part of the Ohio Water Park Safety Committee |
Jim Siemer |
|
Jim Siemer is responsible for the
supervision of all ride construction and also works as a liaison between
Premier Rides, the theme parks and local inspectors. Previously, he spent
nearly six years with TOGO International Inc. in Cincinnati and has been
in general construction for over 30 years. He has now been a part of the
Premier Rides team and has been part of over a dozen roller coaster
installations. |
Home | Rides | Service | Team | Installations | Technical Specs | New News | Hot Links | Contact
Us