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COVER STORY
A & A Global has a
long and storied history
N
ot many companies can boast of a
78-year history marked by continued advancements and a dedication to
serving an ever-changing marketplace.
A & A Global Industries Inc. is such a
company.
A & A Global has grown at a steady
pace by introducing new products,
services, and divisions, and staying true
to its goal of providing quality vending
choices (high bounce balls, bulk vending and sticker machines and stands,
candy and crane toy mixes, capsule
items, jewelry, plush, prize kits, novel-
Executive Vice
Presidents Steve
Kovens (l) and Brian
Kovens.
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ties, stickers, temporary tattoos, and
much more).
One notable quote on the company
Web site says, “Whether it’s national
chain stores or the local mall, vending
machines are a part of Americana and
the products inside them share that distinction.”
Irv Kovens founded the company in
1938; today it is guided by his grandsons, Executive Vice Presidents Steve
Kovens and Brian Kovens. A number of
milestones were met along the way
including the launch of operations on
the West Coast; obtaining a patent on
an electronic bulk vending machine;
adding the crane, merchandise, and
redemption divisions; and founding
Koko’s Confectionary & Novelty to offer
edible novelties like candy jewelry.
Licensed items are in abundance:
DC Comics, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, NFL, Avengers, Barbie, Minions,
Hello Kitty, Hot Wheels, Monster High,
My Little Pony, Shopkins, Marvel, Star
Wars, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to name but a few. Star Wars
items include 3D Deco lights featuring
characters from the new BB-8 Droid to
the venerable Yoda.
Play Meter spoke with A & A Global
officials to find out more about the
company history, popular products and
services, and plans for the future.
What was the first product the
company featured?
In 1938, Irv Kovens needed some
extra money, so he started tinkering
with a few stamp vending machines in
his basement. He sold them to a few
acquaintances and soon became successful enough that he formed his own
company and distributed machines
nationwide. Parkway Machine Corp.
was born, which eventually became A
& A Global Industries. Just as with A &
A Global today, as his business grew
FEBRUARY 2016
The A & A
Global Sales
Team.
he branched into other industries.
“Our goal has always been to be
better and to always improve,” said
Brian Kovens. “We want to have better
products, offer more services to our
customers, and achieve higher customer satisfaction.”
Expanding beyond bulk vending,
the company now serves the amusement and redemption industries. “Our
200-plus bulk vending toys transition
perfectly as bin toys for small ticket
items,” said Barb Suter, Redemption
Division Manager. “Our customers will
greatly benefit from our successful relationships with licensors.”
Redemption Sales Manager Ann
Krull and Crane Division Manager
Kara Kokoruda join Suter to complete
the company’s redemption division,
offering a combined 45-plus years of
industry knowledge.
Suter leads the direction of the division providing the company with a
complete line of merchandise to meet
customers’ needs and expectations.
Kokoruda creates custom plush crane
packs, redemption plush, and merchandiser kits. She also helps develop merchandise for redemption counters and
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machines. Krull focuses on expanding
A & A Global’s role as a major supplier
to amusement centers, family entertainment centers (FECs), and arcades.
“A & A Global is known in the
industry for its fabulous product development, safety testing, and ease of
doing business,” said Krull. “I am
extremely impressed with our mission,
product, and direction.”
How many employees does A &
A have today?
We have nearly 100 employees
nationwide. With shipping points in
Baltimore and Los Angeles, we provide
customers with quick, reliable, and
affordable shipping.
What sets A & A Global’s
bulk/bin toys apart from the rest?
“We go all out on our toys,” said
Kim Mattison, Product Development
Manager. “Yes, we pay attention to size
and price to make sure that the item
works in machines and for our customers’ price points. It does not stop
there. We go beyond those limitations
and try to push our toys as far as we
can to make them really amazing.”
It can take six to nine months,
sometimes even 12 months, to develop
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a toy. The in-house product development team ensures that everything
about the toy is right: the shape, the
colors, the details, the paint, the texture, the materials, and the manufacturing processes.
“We design for safety from the first
doodles and sketches and we test all of
our products to exceed the current
safety requirements,” explained Mattison. “We will not even ship an item
until it has passed independent laboratory testing for safety.”
Once a product arrives in A & A
Global’s warehouse, items are spot
checked once again.
What are some of the most popular items for boys and for girls?
With so many popular feature films
being released in 2016, A & A Global
customers will not be disappointed.
They can expect to see more D C
Comics, Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cartoon Network, and Happyworld from Heidi Kenney products, as
well as A & A Global originals featuring fashionable jewelry and collectables.
“Through licensing, we are able to
increase the quality for our end users,”
FEBRUARY 2016
said Philip Brilliant, Vice President of
Marketing and Licensing.
Over the past year, the Redemption
Division has seen a dramatic increase
in its product line, now offering prizes
for every ticket level: capsuled toys, bin
toys, plush, electronic crane and merchandiser kits, and high end redemption prizes.
“The company has always stayed
ahead of trends and I am proud to now
be a part of that,” said Suter. “We carry
the hottest toys for 2016; for girls anything Shopkins and girl superhero
capes, inspired by the DC Super Hero
Girls.”
“And, of course Star Wars
lightsabers are extremely popular for
both boys and girls. Nerf Shooters are
an oldie but a goodie. Blasters are on
the rise.”
Last year, A & A Global launched
eight exclusive redemption brands:
Squashiest (includes all puffer (TRP)
material), Dr. Prankenstein jokes and
gags (products: disappearing ink, metal
handcuffs, jumbo silly glasses), ProSports, Room with a Hue (LED light:
mancave, princess, peace), Germies
(product: paddleballs and plush), Mock
Star (product: Echo Microphones and
other musical instruments), Forget Me
Not Classic Toys (product: pin art), and
Boing! (springs).
“We are thrilled to introduce our
new DC Comics Superman/Batman
Plasma Globes, which are A & A Global exclusives,” said Krull.
The classic novelty light features the
heroes’ logos, while the electricity
inside the 7.5 inch plasma sphere will
follow your fingertips. Simply move
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Top left: Redemption Managers, (l-r): Kara Kokoruda, Ann Krull, and Barb Suter. Top
right: At a strategic sales meeting, (l-r): Jason Kovens, Brian Ross, Gerry Clothier, and
Stacy Johnson. Center left: Product Development Manager Kim Mattison and Graphic
Designer Brett Shinksky review and finalize artwork. Center right: At the Los Angeles
West Coast operation: Megan Koschik and Anton Conaway. Bottom: Shipping
Department.
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FEBRUARY 2016
“We have an amazing
team of dedicated, hardworking professionals;
they are our biggest
asset.”
Top: A & A Global offers a wide variety
of merchandise. Center: Plasma Globe
Lights exclusive to A & A Global.
Bottom: A & A Global goes green
with solar energy.
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your finger along the surface and
watch the electricity surge. With three
modes of operation, the lighting plasma
ball can be off, on, or set to a soundactivated mode.
Do you follow a certain business
philosophy?
Innovative approach to products;
personal approach to people.
What do loyal customers cite as
the reason(s) they keep coming
back to A & A?
“We are real people, offering a custom personal approach to meet each
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customer’s individual needs,” said
Gerry Clothier, Vice President of Sales.
“We offer a wide variety of quality
products from candy to high end
redemption prizes.”
A & A Global has two shipping facilities in Baltimore and Los Angeles,
which offer customers convenient,
quick, and affordable shipping.
A & A Global has 1,000 years of
combined experience, 45-plus years of
experience specifically in the redemption industry, an in-house product
development team, 99 percent bulk
vending penetration, and 65 percent
market share and still growing.
What are you looking forward to
in 2016?
“We’re proud of where we come
from and where we’re going,” said
Brian Kovens. “We have an amazing
team of dedicated, hardworking professionals; they are our biggest asset.”
What additional information do
you want people to know?
A & A Global is now supplied with
100 percent renewable solar energy.
“The solar power system at our headquarters is a demonstration of A & A
Global’s dedication to sustainability
across our business,” said Steve
Kovens. “Our partnership with RER
Energy Group provides cost-effective
power and helps us meet our environmental goals.” (Project size: 1.61 MW;
generation: 1,915,000 kWh; number
of solar panels: 5,104).
A & A Global’s carbon footprint has
now been reduced by the equivalent
of: planting 31,974 acres of trees, powering 5,366 homes, removing 8,212
passenger vehicles from the road, and
consuming 4,389,394 less gallons of
gasoline.
For more information on A & A
Global, visit (www.aaglobal.com). ▲
FEBRUARY 2016