Earlier this week, American Pinball announced it had been acquired by JB Vincent LP, a Texas-based family office led by LED manufacturing entrepreneur J. Bryan Vincent. The news came after a year of dormancy, layoffs, and uncertainty about whether AP would ever release another pinball machine.
Ron Lindeman is staying on as president under the new ownership. He joined AP as Sales Manager in March 2024 and moved up through director and general manager roles before the acquisition. Prior to pinball, he spent over 20 years in vending and amusement operations.
Like what you're reading?
Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox.
Related Posts
I reached out with a list of questions. He responded in writing. Here's what he had to say.
Deal Structure
Colin: The press release says JB Vincent LP acquired "the assets" of American Pinball. What specifically did that include?
Ron: Brand, facility, tooling, inventory. The only license was Hot Wheels, which ended at the end of 2025—but we're finishing up orders that were placed before that.
Colin: Will Aimtron [AP's original owner] have any ongoing role?
Ron: Clean break.
Colin: Did the acquisition include Orbit Games?
Ron: Yes. Orbit Games is included but will be a separate company focused on the commercial side.
Colin: How long was this deal in the works? AP has been largely dormant for over a year—did this factor into that, or did it come together recently?
Ron: Less than 90 days.
Operations
Colin: Will operations stay in the Chicago area, or is Texas consolidation on the table?
Ron: No, both companies will stay in the Chicago area.
Colin: There's been speculation about AP pivoting toward contract manufacturing. Is that still part of the plan?
Ron: It's not a core part of our business. We look at these opportunities on a case-by-case basis.
Product Roadmap
Colin: The release mentions "securing valuable licensing agreements." Can you share what categories you're exploring? Does that signal a shift away from original unlicensed titles?
Ron: I can't be too specific, but we are focused on licensed titles from all these categories—film, TV, video games, nostalgia properties.
Colin: What's the status of the long-rumored Cuphead? And is there any chance we'll see the three Dennis Nordman concepts that were developed at AP—including the rumored Whitewater sequel?
Ron: Nothing is for sure, but we are looking at all options and nothing is off the table. We just need to look at timelines and see what makes sense.
Colin: What's a realistic timeline for learning more about the first new release under Vincent's ownership?
Ron: We are still reviewing this, but our goal would be to have one to two titles out in 2026.
New Leadership
Colin: Vincent mentions being a pinball enthusiast. Can you tell us more about his relationship with pinball? His background is LED manufacturing, which is largely unrelated to coin-op—how does the team expect that experience to translate?
Ron: Bryan has run successful businesses with similar components, but it's all about putting the right people in place.
Community & Trust
Colin: A big focus of the press release is culture and rebuilding trust. Given AP's current reputation within the community, what are some concrete steps you're taking? Have you reached out to any former employees about returning?
Ron: We are looking for a fresh start and plan to treat our team right. We will look at former employees to see if they could be a good fit for our path forward.
Colin: What message would you have for dealers and distributors who may have taken losses or lost confidence over the past couple years?
Ron: We are looking to create great machines with titles people want to buy, having the quality they should expect backed up with what will be the best service in the business.
Looking Ahead
Colin: What does success look like for American Pinball one year from now?
Ron: Having two great titles in the market with three to four machines in the pipeline.
Colin: Does Vincent have any plans for additional acquisitions within the pinball manufacturing space?
Ron: No.
That's what we've got for now. One to two titles in 2026 is an ambitious turnaround given where things stood a few weeks ago. Whether the team can deliver—and whether the community gives them a second chance—remains to be seen.
Colin is the chief pixel pusher at Kineticist. He's a lifetime gamer who became enamored with pinball after taking in a family copy of the 1979 classic Joker Poker (the EM version). Since then he's bought, sold and repaired many machines, competed in all kinds of tournaments, and contributes to This Week in Pinball, the New England Pinball League, and Pin-Masters of New England. Previously, Colin spent over a decade working in marketing for agencies and tech startups. He also started and ran a music blog, happy hour website, and wrote a regular craft beer review column for Central Track in Dallas. Once aspired to be an artsy film director.
No comments yet. Sign in to be the first.