Small to Big Sky Zone
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“We charge people to jump,” mp,” says Jeff Platt, Sky Zone co-founder founder and chief executive officer, cer, of the trampoline parks franchise nchise business he started with h his father, Rick. Customers pay by the half-hour to don orange socks and bounce at one e of Sky Zone’s 107 locations. That’s at’s a lot simpler than the original plan—to create a professional sport ort that mixed football, ootball, Founded 2004 hockey, and Location basketball ball Las Vegas Employees played on 13,680 trampolines. ines. Revenue It didn’t take 2009 $2.2 million off, so the he Platts 2010 $3.3 million 2011 $15.8 million converted ed their 2012 $50.6 million gas 2013 $88.1 million Las Vegas 2014 $167.6 million training facility into a place where kids (and and adults in touch with theirr inner child) could jump around. d. —Interview by Kate Rooney oney
on was t locati The firs nt to be a ea really m for ground g in in tra ere th — sport d a new ourt an c ig b was a . When rs e k c some lo d it up to the ne s we ope throom our ba e. d public, o c up to weren’t have party n’t e We did e spac . So th e. rooms m ti r e v ed o morph
e If you’r ga openin p, ho s a z piz n a you c have o h ants w before. lt u s n o find c shops d pizza ou an opene y e an giv y can They c nt layout, the nd a e s m m ip equ syste o u your N o . y ls e o o iv g eting t that for a k r a m your done ad to d ever one ha e park. We h n li . o t p tram uipmen the eq invent
.A appen ther s do h yo ie r n a ju e In k e line, li . We’v o p is r m a es k tr over involv s , s y e it in iv act in bus d had been rs an 10 yea r 20 million ve o We’ve well jump. people from that d learne ce on how n ie r e ’s p ex risk. It e igate e’r w g to mit in ometh have s r e v ne h. We ed wit y, we satisfi ce compan n f risk ra o u t s n in e an presid e ic v o have a ment, but n ge mana al. se leg in-hou
We ’ to foam ve ad s and lam pits ded fitn we -dun , and dodg k sch ess c do bi a ba the a eball r b , s l t a o s op ol p se hday ketb ility e Sa ning rogra s, and part all, u i Ne di Ar spots ms. W afte es, r w Z ab e i n eal ia, K the ’re and uw U.K thi ait, a ., sy ear nd .
I don’t li ke “exercis the word e” beca use it makes it feel li ke we’r a gym. e We’re n ot a gym We’re a . bout pro moting movem ent and expres through sion movem ent. You coming ’re for that s ens e o freedom f you fee l when you’re 5 to 7 fee t in the you’re fl air, ying, an d that’s the coo lest fee ling in th world. Y e ou don’t have to be an a thlete, y ou don’t have to be in sh ape to jump on a tramp oline. B you’re g ut etting a really good w orkout.
The s oc ks have become big part a really of our b rand. I w wearing as them on ce in an and a s e airport, cu my sock rity guard looke d at s and sa id, “Oh, y Sky Zon ou go to e?”
Edite d Bloom by Cristin a berg .com Lindblad
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANNY ZAPALAC FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK NESSWEEK
Focus On/Small Business
