Maclan celebrates 50 years of keeping wheels turning forward
AT: Susan Storey
Special to Amusement Today
LAKELAND, Fla. — Since 1975, the Maclan Corporation has made sure the wheels on theme and amusement park rides go round and round. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the family-owned-and-operated company has remained true to its core values of quality work, serving customers and treating employees like family. “It does sound cliché to say everyone at Maclan is family, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” shared Maegan Wallace, head of amusement sales and marketing, Maclan Corporation. “Each other reflects how we treat our customers. We believe in the power of the handshake and standing by our word.”
Maclan’s origin story started as a small company that served the phosphate mines in Polk County, Florida. That all changed in 1977 when the company got a call from the still-very-new theme park, the Magic Kingdom, which was located 30 minutes up the road. The rest has been rolling history. The team at Disney initially approached Wallace’s father and Maclan Owner and President Phil Lane to pour a polyurethane part for the Grand Prix (now Tomorrowland Speedway) ride's front bumper bracket. After supplying that service, Lane and his team met with Disney’s maintenance department to look at the attraction’s wheels. At that time, Disney was sourcing polyurethane wheels from California and was seeking a new alternative. A solid plastic that serves as a wear material on wheels, polyurethane gives wheels longer lifespans, better durability and a smooth ride. The park needed a solution close to its Florida home, and Lane saw an opportunity.
“We were local and able to meet Disney’s needs,” Wallace explained. “From that point on, we became the local wheel supplier for that attraction. That then led to supplying wheels for the rest of the park’s rides.”
As Walt Disney World grew, so did its relationship with Maclan. At the start of their partnership, Maclan supplied 55,000 wheels a year to the Magic Kingdom alone. That number has spun millions of times over.
The relationship with Disney also allowed Maclan to innovate and develop new products. To help with EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth, Maclan developed a new paraphenylene diisocyanate (PPDI) product to significantly extend the lifespan of the attraction’s ride vehicle wheels. The PPDI material became a game-changer with Spaceship Earth and the overall wheel manufacturing process for the industry. PPDI is now used on coaster wheels around the world.
Supplying wheels for amusement rides is a constantly rotating business, and Maclan’s team manufactures, replaces and supplies wheels every day of the year. The process of replacement includes stripping the old layer of polyurethane and reapplying a fresh new layer. Depending on the design, speed, size, weight and overall use of the ride, some wheels need to be replaced as often as every 30 days, while others can last for more than a year. It's a continual process that ensures park rides keep moving. “Our first work with the theme park industry originated with calls from the parks themselves seeking to replace and repair their wheels,” Wallace said. “Over time, we recognized we could serve customers better if we were part of the initial ride design phase.”
Wallace credits the IAAPA Expo as the catalyst that helped Maclan expand beyond parks.
“Our experience and partnership with Disney enabled us to become experts at manufacturing wheels for all types of attractions, particularly roller coasters,” she explained. “We also developed processes for inspection and documentation to that help customers keep everything in working order, and schedule and plan for rehab and replacement. It was at IAAPA Expo in 2012 that we began to talk directly with ride manufacturers. We discussed how bringing us in during the design phase would benefit both the park client and the ride manufacturer themselves. Our goal was to help streamline the process and help reduce downtime and replacement time and costs.
“In 2016 we began a partnership with Vekoma Rides, becoming one of two exclusive wheel manufacturers,” she continued. “That opened doors to new international business, and we’ve been rolling ever since!”
Additional partnerships followed and today Maclan also supplies wheels for global ride manufacturers RMC and S&S. “My dad often says, ‘Name a ride, we’ve probably supplied wheels for it,’” Wallace added. “Our manufacturer and vendor relationships, along with the relationships we’ve built through our work with AIMS, PAPA, NEAPPA and IAAPA have helped us serve customers around the world.”
While the company has remained based in Lakeland, Florida, Maclan’s facilities have expanded to include over 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space and multiple warehouses. Today, Maclan employs 50 people.
“We are a specialized company working within a specialized industry,” Wallace furthered. “No one comes to us with a degree as a polyurethane expert. We hire and train our employees from the ground up. Everyone on our team understands and owns every part of the process. Maclan is known for providing quality products and excellent customer service. The wheels on a ride make it smooth, fast and safe. We are proud to be the go-to wheel supplier for the amusement industry.”
“Our family values can be seen in every aspect of the business,” Wallace said. “We guarantee our work and will fix anything a customer asks. No questions asked.”
“My brother and I are proud to work alongside our dad in this business,” she added. “Family-owned businesses are special; they are both tough and amazing. The amusement industry is filled with family-owned parks as well as vendors and suppliers. It’s a unique community to be a part of.”
“Maclan has been on a wild ride,” Wallace concluded. “From mining to Mickey Mouse to serving parks in Dubai, Vietnam and beyond, we’ve had an incredible first 50 years. We are excited to keep wheeling and wheeling for another 50 years — and beyond.”
