|
IN MEMORIAM:
Franz Mack Created a Legacy that Lives On
by Keith Miller
 Franz Mack helped transform a family-run 230-yearold company well-known for making stage coaches and carousels into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of amusement rides, and worked with his son to found one of the world’s busiest seasonal parks. The IAAPA Hall of Fame member died Oct. 3, 2010, at the age of 89.
“Our father was a great role model for all of us until the last days of his life,” said his son Roland Mack Europa-Park’s managing partner and IAAPA’s first vice chairman, in a written statement. “He has ‘lived’ character attributes such as humbleness, diligence, endurance, sincerity, emotionality, and frankness, and thus deeply influenced our family and our company.”
Franz Mack was a tireless leader, innovator, and visionary. Born March 7, 1921, in Waldkirch, Germany, as the fourth son of Heinrich and Theresia Mack, Franz grew up in the Black Forest. After being held prisoner during WWII in Alsace, France, he escaped with his brother and had to swim the Rhine River to freedom. His father hid him in Frankfurt, Germany, for a year until he returned to Waldkirch and married his wife, Liesel, who died in 2004.
 In 1958, Franz and his brothers Willi and Hermann assumed control of their father’s carriage and carousel business in Waldkirch. The company dated all the way back to 1780 and created wagons, carriages, caravans, and vending trailers; vehicles for go-kart tracks, carousels, and multistory haunted houses; and other amusement ride transports. The three brothers pushed the company toward becoming a bigger player in the amusement park ride business, and this was the genesis of today’s amusement industry titan, Mack Rides.
Franz started an electric department in the company in 1960, followed by a plastics department in 1968, where the plastic fabrication forms for the rides were designed and prepared. As the company continued to grow, he added other specialist craftsmen and professionals to the company, including engineers, carpenters, painters, lawyers, and accountants.
Many of the rides that came out of the company have been sold all over the world, like the famous Wild Mouse, Music Express and Swiss Bob Run. Other Mack Rides attractions include the e- Motion Coaster, dark rides, flat rides, and people movers. Some of the company’s recent prominent rides include all three “Journey to Atlantis” coasters in Sea- World’s United States parks, and the “Blue Fire” launch coaster at Europa- Park.
As if developing one of the world’s great ride companies wasn’t enough, in 1975 at age 54, with the help of his son Roland, Franz founded Europa-Park in Rust, Germany. During many trips to the United States and other places abroad, Franz and his son garnered numerous ideas for what they’d like to have in an amusement park, and now they had the chance to incorporate them into Europa- Park. Securing rides for the park was certainly no problem, with the skills and resources of Mack Rides at their disposal.
Today Europa-Park is the busiest amusement park in Germany and one of the top theme parks in the world, with 4 million annual visitors. It received the prestigious Applause Award from Liseberg in 1990.
Though he certainly had enough to do as head of Europa-Park and Mack Rides, Franz accepted many honorary posts, including conciliator in the German Association of Amusement Parks, and standards committee member of fairground rides of the German Association for Technical Inspection.
 Franz served as CEO of Mack Rides from 1948 to 1995. He developed the North American market for the company, and today it is expanding its reach in China and the rest of Asia. Even after stepping down as CEO, he continued to design rides. His passion for technology led him to develop the high-speed coaster “Euro-Mir,” which opened at Europa-Park in 1997. Though he was in his late 70s, this entrepreneur conceived and designed the ride himself, and he is credited for Mack Rides’ never-ending push to adopt new technologies into its creations.
Franz’s tremendous track record of hard work, innovation, and dedication led to numerous honors. He was presented with the Federal Cross of Merit in 1984 from the German federal president, and with the Order of Merit in 1997. For his laudable commitment to the public good, the city of Rust, Germany, appointed Franz an honorary citizen in 2001. He was also bestowed the Golden Medal of Merit by the city of Waldkirch, where his family had lived for generations and operated their carriage and ride business.
In 2006, Mack was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame as one of the “pioneers for the international success of leisure parks.” Upon induction, Mack remarked, “This award is a big surprise for me. Thirty years ago I would never have dreamt of being a Hall of Fame inductee, together with Walt Disney. For me, this award is also a proof that Germany is still able to compete on the international market.”
Mack is survived by two sons and five grandchildren. His sons, Roland and Jürgen, together with two of his grandsons, Michael and Thomas, manage Europa-Park and Mack Rides. Roland will become chairman of IAAPA in 2012. Franz Mack’s great legacy does indeed live on.
|
