SAM STERN
Coinman of the Month
Sam Stern, this month's Coinman, has quite a bit
of experience in the coin machine amusement
industry - about 47 year!; worth of experience to be
exact. And within that time he has had the
opportunity to view the industry from the vantage
point of an operator, a distributor, and, most
notably, a manufacturer.
He started in the busmess in 1991 when he was
talked into buying five coin-operated amusement
machines. At the time he was working in the men's
clothing business, but the coin machine business
offered him more promise; so he was quickly
absorbed by this new undertaking.
Things happened quickly for him. By 1999 he had
developed quite a route and expanded his services
by taking - on a Rock-Ola distributorship in
Philadelphia. Seven years later he ?uas ready to
make another step, this time into the manufactur-
ing business. He bought 49 percent of WiUiams
Manufacturing Company and two years later sold
his route. Then in 1959 he saw the opportunity aud
purchased the rest of WiUiams Manufacturing. He
kept the company until 1964 when he sold it for
stock to Seeburg Corp. He remained on until 1969
14
as president at WiUiams. When his contract was up,
he went over to BaUy and served in the capacity of
executive vice president for one year. But he was
back the next year at See burg, as president; and
there he remained until December, 1976 when he
learned that Chicago Coin had defaulted on a loan.
Jumping at the chance, he and his son, Gary, moved
in, took over the company, and formed Stern
Electronics.
In the short time since that acquisition, Stern has
become a pinbaU manufacturer to be reckoned with.
With such solid state games as Pinball, Stingray,
Stars, and now Lectronamo, the Chicago-based
company /tas served notice that it is here to stay.
Sam has two sons who have also done weU for
themselves. His son Gary is, of course, president of
Stern Electronics (Sam is vice president); and his
other son, David, is now a successful surgeon.
A member of the Jewish United Fund and the
Weisman Institute, Sam Stern is 66 years old. By
his own admission, his 47 years in the business has
given him a "fair knowledge" of the industry-
which he says is healthier than ever, as weU as a
similar knowledge of his favorite pasttime, pinball.
PLAY METER , September, 1978