Vekoma Rides Manufacturing traces its roots to 1926, when Hendrik op het Veld founded a machine factory in the Netherlands originally called Veld Koning Machinefabriek, the source of the company’s abbreviated name. The business built farm equipment and later steel structures for the Dutch coal mining industry before shifting to steel pipes for the petrochemical sector after the mines closed in 1965.
In the 1970s, Vekoma was contracted by American ride builder Arrow Development to fabricate steel coaster structures for the European market, and the partnership taught Vekoma the trade. By 1979 the company struck out on its own under the Vekoma Rides Manufacturing name, opening its first coasters in Europe. Headquartered in Vlodrop, the Netherlands, Vekoma has since become one of the world’s most prolific coaster builders, with more than 430 installations across the globe.
Stats at a Glance
- Headquarters: Vlodrop, the Netherlands
- Founded: 1926 (as a machine factory)
- Entered coaster business: 1979
- Coasters built: Over 430 worldwide
- Signature models: Boomerang, Suspended Looping Coaster, Invertigo, Flying Dutchman
- Parent company: Sansei Technologies (acquired 2018)
From Farm Equipment to Roller Coasters
Vekoma’s path to becoming a coaster manufacturer was anything but direct. The company spent decades building farm machinery, mining infrastructure, and petrochemical piping before ever touching an amusement ride. That engineering background in heavy steel fabrication proved useful once Vekoma began building coaster structures for Arrow Development in the 1970s, work that eventually gave the Dutch firm the know-how to design and sell its own rides.
After launching independently in 1979, Vekoma grew quickly by offering parks a more affordable alternative to established American builders, while still delivering inversions and thrills. That combination of value and innovation helped the company expand into a global operation with installations across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Iconic Models and Innovations
Vekoma is best known for popularizing compact, thrilling ride formats. Introduced in 1984, the Boomerang is a shuttle coaster with three inversions in which a catch car pulls the train backward up a lift hill at one end, then releases it to run forward through the course; a second lift hill at the far end repeats the process in reverse, sending the train back through the inversions to the station. The design became one of the most widely installed coaster models in history. The company followed with the inverted Suspended Looping Coaster in 1994, the Invertigo in 1996, and the Flying Dutchman in 2000, billed as the first large-scale flying coaster.
More recently, Vekoma pushed into new territory with the ‘omni-coaster’ technology behind Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, where ride vehicles rotate freely on the track. Since being acquired by Sansei Technologies in 2018, Vekoma has continued producing both budget-friendly family coasters and record-chasing flagship attractions for parks worldwide.
Explore more: Explore more roller coaster manufacturers.
Notable Vekoma Coasters on ThrillZing
- Abyssus — Energylandia
- Batman: The Ride — Six Flags Mexico
Browse every ride profile in our roller coaster guides.
Vekoma FAQs
What is Vekoma known for?
Vekoma is a Dutch roller coaster manufacturer best known for the Boomerang shuttle coaster, the Suspended Looping Coaster, and other widely installed inverted and family coaster models.
How does a Vekoma Boomerang coaster work?
A catch car pulls the train backward up a lift hill, then releases it to run forward through the inversions; a second lift hill on the far end repeats the process, sending the train back through the course to the station. It does not use launch technology.
Where is Vekoma headquartered?
Vekoma is headquartered in Vlodrop, the Netherlands, and has been owned by Japanese ride company Sansei Technologies since 2018.
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Photo: WillMcC from Wikipedia english / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.