Tee for Two Entrepreneurs find a swingingly successful venture in arcade-style video games, such as 3-D golf.
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Vital Stats: Elaine Hodgson,47; Richard Ditton, 50; co-founders of Incredible Technologies Inc.(IT) in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Company: Manufacturer ofcoin-operated computer video games
Projected 2003 Sales: $60million
Drive: When their employer,which did contract work for home video game publishers, stoppedgiving out paychecks to its employees, designers/programmersHodgson and Ditton decided to start anew and play by their ownrules.
Ace! The partners say theirpopular 3-D simulated golf game, Golden Tee Fore!, is the mostsuccessful coin-operated arcade-style game since Pac-Man, based onrevenue from player use. In approximately 35,000 bars or othervenues, thousands pay the $3 to $5 fee to play a virtual 18-holeround. Even with the proliferation of home gaming systems, GoldenTee draws crowds. "People still want to go out, have a fewdrinks and socialize," Hodgson theorizes. Other IT offeringsinclude deer hunting and a shooting gallery.
"Fromaccounting to programming to taking out the garbage, we've doneit. Now we have over 110 employees." |
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Hodgson andDitton were married when they started IT. Now divorced, they defyconvention by still working together-amicably. What's thesecret? "Great respect," reveals Ditton. "I respectElaine, and she respects me. We have three children and a business.Although there were problems along the way, we worked out thedifferences."
Stay Putt: Golden Teecontinues to flourish, with 400,000 registered "golfers"vying for $200,000 in tournament prize money. Linked online fromeach video game, finalists meet face-to-face in a nationalchampionship, with winners advancing to a world championship. TigerWoods, watch out.
