NJ Firefighter Finds Spark with New Business

Garwood, NJ — Craig Manning has been a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) for more than 20 years. In 2011, he opened GameTruck, a patented mobile video game theater concept featuring flat-screen HDTVs, comfortable seating, a high-quality sound system and the latest video game consoles, in Garwood, N.J., with his wife, Gina.

The GameTruck business model allows the Mannings to operate the business from their home. The flexible schedule also suits Craig’s firefighting schedule.

“I love my job as a firefighter and finding a business that allowed me to continue firefighting was perfect,” Craig said. “I can book parties around my shift schedule and Gina runs the business and handles parties when I am working at the fire house.”

GameTruck offers a premier party experience for both children and adults in an interactive, multiplayer environment that accommodates 24 players. Self-powered, climate-controlled GameTruck trailers are outfitted with comfortable seating, four to as many as eight flat-screen HDTVs, enhanced sound systems, more than three dozen of the latest multiplayer video games and all the major video game consoles (XBOX360®, Nintendo Wii™ and Playstation®3). A GameCoach manages each event, promoting fair, interactive play.

“Gina has been a stay-at-home mom for several years so GameTruck is a great opportunity for us to team up and work together,” Craig said. “We love the idea of GameTruck. It’s a unique, fun birthday party experience for kids that is also safe so parents don’t have to worry.”

With Craig’s full-time job as a firefighter and Gina’s responsibilities to their four children, the couple wanted a proven business model that would be easy to launch, which is why they decided to buy a home-based franchise instead of starting a business from scratch. The GameTruck model allows franchisees to be up and running within 60 days of signing the franchise agreement.

GameTruck offers a comprehensive two week training and education program that combines both WebEx instruction and live-event training from the company’s training team at the franchisee’s location. Experts, franchisees, techs, gamers, drivers, marketing experts and the founders participate in this comprehensive training program. In addition, GameTruck seamlessly combines its customer website and call center with a proprietary franchisee back-end operating system to maintain a simple, streamlined process for both customers and franchise owners. For example, the corporate office helps answer calls so that Craig does not miss a lead while he is at work.

“The support a franchise offers makes it possible for me to keep the job I love and run a business I love,” Craig said. “Gina is also able to run the business while taking care of our kids, which has been a huge benefit.”

The Mannings also use GameTruck to give back to their community, taking the mobile video game theater to various charity events. For example, every year they take the GameTruck to Play Ball for Miracles, a fire and police charity softball tournament.

Since it was founded in 2006, GameTruck has grown to 60 franchisees operating 80 GameTruck rigs in 150 territories across 23 states and Lagos, Nigeria. Expansion is underway in Canada and Trinidad and GameTruck expects to add 30 new franchisees and 60 new territories in 2012 alone, with long-range projections for 200 to 250 units covering the U.S. and Canada. GameTruck is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 8,029,368 issued October 4, 2011.

GameTruck Aligns With Make-A-Wish®

TEMPE, Ariz., May 16, 2012  — GameTruck Licensing, LLC is now a proud sponsor of Make-A-Wish and its mission to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. GameTruck—the original and only patented mobile video game theater—joins other well-known national corporations in their efforts to support the Make-A-Wish vision of granting every eligible child’s wish. GameTruck franchise owners will participate in more than 500 Make-A-Wish chapter events throughout the year.

“We are extremely excited to support a great organization like Make-A-Wish,” said Scott Novis, founder and CEO of GameTruck. “GameTruck already focuses on making kids’ dreams come true every day, and this is the perfect way for us to raise the bar. This alliance allows us the ability to get involved with volunteer opportunities, event participation, donating GameTruck experiences and cause marketing promotions.”

“For Make-A-Wish, companies like GameTruck are essential to fulfilling our wish-granting mission,” said David A. Williams, president and chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish, America. “GameTruck goes above and beyond to create wish experiences that make life more enjoyable for wish kids and their families.”

About GameTruck
GameTruck offers a premier party experience for both children and adults in an interactive, multiplayer environment that accommodates 16 or more players. Self-powered, climate-controlled GameTruck trailers are outfitted with comfortable seating, four to as many as eight flat-screen HDTVs, enhanced sound systems, more than three dozen of the latest multiplayer video games and all the major video game consoles (XBOX360®, Nintendo Wii™ and Playstation®3). A GameCoach manages each event, promoting fair, interactive play. Since it was founded in 2006, GameTruck has grown to 60 franchisees operating 80 GameTruck rigs in 150 territories across 23 states and Lagos, Nigeria. Expansion is underway in Canada and Trinidad and GameTruck expects to add 30 new franchisees and 60 new territories in 2012 alone, with long-range projections for 200 to 250 units covering the U.S. and Canada. GameTruck is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 8,029,368 issued October 4, 2011.

About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed say a wish come true can affect their health outcomes. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States, its territories and in 47 countries on five continents. With the help of generous donors and more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the world every 23 minutes. It has granted more than 280,000 wishes since its inception in 1980. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.

Akron: Video game truck brings the party to the kids

AKRON — It’s hard to miss the 33-foot, lime green trailer towed behind a matching pickup truck.

But it’s what’s on the inside of GameTruck that’s really the head turner.

Six HD, LED flat screen TVs, a 20-foot leather couch and an endless supply of video games and controllers.

Scott Beskid owns the first franchise of the new company in Northeast Ohio.

The former social worker from Hudson has spent the last eight years as a stay at home dad for his two sons, ages 7 and 9, while his wife has a fulltime job.

About nine months ago, the Beskids began looking at franchise opportunities that would allow Scott to work, but still be home during the hours when his kids are not at school.

They looked at restaurants and stores, then stumbled upon GameTruck.

GameTruck is an Arizona-based company that’s relatively new — it formed in 2006 — like a “family room on steroids” the franchise owners take the truck to events around town.

It’s an entertainment idea for parties, so up to 24 kids can play interactive video games together at once, in a safe, air conditioned environment.

Parents can pick the games they want included and the amount of time for the rental.

It’s also making stops at local businesses, which are renting the truck for presentations and teaching seminars.

GameTruck recently partnered with NASA to create learning games geared for children in K-5th grade.

Just six weeks into partnership and Beskid has a full calender of kids’ parties, corporate events and even some upcoming educational opportunities for schools.

The only other GameTruck in Ohio is the Columbus area, but Beskid thinks there will be more throughout the state in the near future.

Whether or not it’s a success, his kids — and all the kids who step inside — give GameTruck a resounding “Yes!”

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