# CHANGES AHEAD AT CPR **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2026-02-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2026/02/01/changes-ahead-at-cpr/ --- ## Analysis Classic Playfield Reproductions (CPR), a 21-year-old pioneer in reproduction pinball parts, is undergoing significant restructuring and downsizing following co-founder Mike Purcell's retirement. The company is shuttering contract manufacturing, moving to a smaller Halifax location with 2-3 staff instead of a dozen, and narrowing its product focus to core lines (playfields, backglasses, plastics) while exiting toppers and upgrade kits. Kevin Wayte, co-founder, is taking over as President and attributes the restructuring to market saturation—reproduction demand has cratered from 100-300 unit runs that sold in months to new first-time releases selling only six copies, reflecting a finite legacy machine population already served. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] CPR employed a dozen full-time staff plus 2-3 part-timers at its peak before restructuring — _Direct statement from article: 'At its peak, CPR employed a dozen full-time staff, along with two or three part-timers.'_ - [HIGH] Reproduction playfield sales have collapsed from 100-300 unit batches selling within months to first-time releases now selling only 6 copies — _Direct quote from Kevin Wayte: 'Back in the early years, with large playfield batches being 100-300 per run, those would be all snatched and shipped within a few months. Today in 2026, those same titles have tapered down to selling a few a year.' and 'There is now the phenomenon of releasing a first-time-reproduction playfield title in 2025 – and it sells six.'_ - [HIGH] CPR secured licensing agreements with Planetary Pinball (Williams/Bally) and Mondial Group (Gottlieb) to enable digital printing reproductions — _Direct statement: 'they secured licensing agreements with Planetary Pinball (for Williams and Bally titles) and Mondial Group (for Gottlieb games), allowing them to create many more authorised reproductions.'_ - [HIGH] Mike Purcell is retiring from full-time role as Air Canada pilot and stepping down as CPR President — _Direct statement: 'Mike Purcell, is both retiring from his full-time job as a pilot for Air Canada and stepping down from his role as President of CPR.'_ - [HIGH] CPR was founded in 2005 by Mike Purcell and Kevin Wayte, evolving from earlier business Halifax Pinball — _Direct statement: 'Classic Playfield Reproductions (or CPR) was formed in 2005 by Mike Purcell and Kevin Wayte in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The company evolved out of an earlier business, Halifax Pinball, managed by Mike and Greg Walker.'_ ### Notable Quotes > "A finite population of surviving 'legacy' games eventually leads to an inevitable decline in demand for reproduction parts... You only need and swap a reproduction playfield once." > — **Kevin Wayte**, N/A > _Core explanation for market saturation and business challenge—articulates fundamental market limitation for reproduction parts business_ > "Back in the early years, with large playfield batches being 100-300 per run, those would be all snatched and shipped within a few months. Today in 2026, those same titles have tapered down to selling a few a year." > — **Kevin Wayte**, N/A > _Stark quantification of demand collapse over 20-year period—illustrates scale of market contraction_ > "There is now the phenomenon of releasing a first-time-reproduction playfield title in 2025 – and it sells six. Yes, six. Then it goes dead quiet." > — **Kevin Wayte**, N/A > _Dramatic example of current market conditions for new reproduction releases—emphasizes severity of slowdown_ > "We cheekily use the meme 'Back to the Basement' as more of a signal of returning to our roots years ago. We no longer need the gigantic business-park commercial unit anymore." > — **Kevin Wayte**, N/A > _Explains downsizing branding and addresses literal vs metaphorical interpretation of 'Return to Basement' language_ > "We'll hold up the titles we've been known for, plus add a couple new ones every year as new artwork gets developed here. We already know what our next ten new-release playfields are going to be, across the next three years." > — **Kevin Wayte**, N/A > _Signals CPR's strategic pivot to sustainable smaller-scale operation with planned product roadmap_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Classic Playfield Reproductions (CPR) | company | Halifax-based reproduction playfield and parts manufacturer founded 2005, pioneering aftermarket Williams/Bally/Gottlieb reproduction products; undergoing major restructuring in Feb 2026 | | Mike Purcell | person | Co-founder of CPR (2005); retiring from Air Canada pilot role and stepping down as CPR President; previously involved with Halifax Pinball reproduction work | | Kevin Wayte | person | Co-founder and Vice President of CPR; taking over as President following Purcell's retirement; managing company restructuring and downsizing | | Greg Walker | person | Co-manager of Halifax Pinball with Mike Purcell; transitioned Halifax Pinball into Fantastic Pinball; involved in early Fathom reproduction playfield project | | Gene Cunningham | person | Owner of Illinois Pin Ball (IPB); commissioned CPR's first Centaur reproduction playfields project (2005) | | Planetary Pinball | company | Controls Williams/Bally pinball license; licensing partner with CPR enabling authorized reproduction playfields | | Mondial Group | company | Gottlieb license holder; licensing partner with CPR for authorized Gottlieb game reproductions | | Euro Pinball Corp | company | Italian pinball manufacturer; contract manufacturing customer of CPR for playfield production (2023 onward) | | Barrels of Fun | company | US-based boutique pinball manufacturer; contract manufacturing customer of CPR for playfield production (2023 onward) | | Halifax Pinball | company | Earlier business managed by Mike Purcell and Greg Walker; produced Fathom reproduction playfields; precursor to CPR | | Fantastic Pinball | company | Business transitioned from Halifax Pinball by Greg Walker; separate from CPR evolution | | Martin Ayub | person | Pinball News Editor; conducting upcoming interview with Kevin Wayte about CPR restructuring for Pinball Industry News PINcast | | Jonathan Joosten | person | Pinball Magazine Editor; conducting upcoming interview with Kevin Wayte about CPR restructuring for Pinball Industry News PINcast | | Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet; published comprehensive article on CPR restructuring and market analysis | | Illinois Pin Ball (IPB) | company | Gene Cunningham's pinball operation; commissioned CPR's first major project (Centaur playfield reproductions using original Bally silk screens) | ### Topics - **Primary:** Market saturation and declining demand for reproduction parts, CPR business restructuring and downsizing, Personnel transition (Purcell retirement, Wayte promotion), Contract manufacturing business viability - **Secondary:** Legacy pinball machine restoration market, Licensing partnerships (Planetary Pinball, Mondial Group), Digital printing vs silk-screen production evolution, Product line rationalization ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0.45) — Factual reporting with measured tone. Content is pragmatic about business challenges without sensationalism. Kevin Wayte presents restructuring as strategic adaptation rather than crisis. Some minor positive framing ('returning to roots') acknowledges continuity despite downsizing. No criticism of management or market conditions—presented as inevitable natural evolution of finite market. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Reproduction playfield market has fundamentally contracted due to finite legacy machine population saturation; new first-time releases now sell single-digit units vs historical 100-300 unit batches (confidence: high) — Kevin Wayte: 'Back in the early years, with large playfield batches being 100-300 per run, those would be all snatched and shipped within a few months. Today in 2026, those same titles have tapered down to selling a few a year.' and 'There is now the phenomenon of releasing a first-time-reproduction playfield title in 2025 – and it sells six.' - **[business_signal]** CPR moving from large commercial facility to smaller location in Halifax; strategic return to lower-overhead operation model consistent with reduced demand environment (confidence: high) — Article: 'the company will move to a much smaller location. It will still be based in Halifax, but will employ just two or three staff' - **[business_signal]** Contract manufacturing proved unsustainable for CPR; margins compressed and volume/demand weakened, leaving company vulnerable despite expansion in 2023 (confidence: high) — Article: 'But contract manufacturing is a fickle business, with the lower per-unit margins typically offset by increased volume and steady demand. If either of those start to weaken, it can leave the company in a vulnerable position. Consequently, as CPR's manufacturing of playfields for other pinball makers wound down, it left them with some decisions to make about the company's future direction.' - **[sentiment_shift]** CPR framing restructuring with self-aware humor ('Back to the Basement', 'Return to Basement Sale', 'Mike's Retirement Sale') suggesting measured, non-crisis approach to community communication (confidence: medium) — Kevin Wayte: 'We cheekily use the meme 'Back to the Basement' as more of a signal of returning to our roots years ago.' - **[market_signal]** CPR is conducting liquidation sale of surplus equipment and stock following downsizing decision; reduction from dozen full-time staff to 2-3 staff (confidence: high) — Article: 'CPR is running a sale of surplus stock and equipment' and 'the company will move to a much smaller location...will employ just two or three staff working alongside Kevin.' - **[personnel_signal]** Mike Purcell stepping down as CPR President and retiring from Air Canada pilot role; Kevin Wayte assumes presidency and directs strategic restructuring (confidence: high) — Article: 'At the same time, co-founder, Mike Purcell, is both retiring from his full-time job as a pilot for Air Canada and stepping down from his role as President of CPR. Co-founder and Vice President, Kevin Wayte, will be taking over as President' - **[product_strategy]** CPR planning to narrow focus to three core product lines (playfields, backglasses, plastic sets) while discontinuing toppers and upgrade kits; planning new releases with defined 3-year pipeline (confidence: high) — Kevin Wayte: 'CPR is also pruning its product range down to the three core reproduction lines...We already know what our next ten new-release playfields are going to be, across the next three years.' --- ## Transcript HomeNEWSCHANGES AHEAD AT CPR Date: February 1st, 2026 One of the pioneers of reproduction parts for pinballs, Classic Playfield Reproductions, is undergoing a restructuring and downsizing following the retirement of one of its founders. Classic Playfield Reproductions (or CPR) was formed in 2005 by Mike Purcell and Kevin Wayte in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The company evolved out of an earlier business, Halifax Pinball, managed by Mike and Greg Walker who made reproduction playfields for the Fathom game. Following that project, Greg transitioned Halifax Pinball into Fantastic Pinball, while Mike teamed up with Kevin to found CPR. ![The entrance to CPR's current facility](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/02-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) The entrance to CPR’s current facility Their first commission as CPR was making reproduction Centaur playfields for Gene Cunningham’s Illinois Pin Ball (IPB). That project required CPR to be able to cut and route their own playfields, while using the original Bally artwork screens from IPB to produce perfect reproductions of the original playfields. ![Racks of playfields](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/03-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) Racks of CPR playfields Further reproduction playfields followed. In some cases Mike and Kevin were able to use the original Marc Silk screens to print the artwork, but in others they turned to the collector community to source high quality existing playfields to use as their reference. Later, production increasingly moved from Marc Silk screens to digital printing, as they secured licensing agreements with Planetary Pinball (for Williams and Bally titles) and Mondial Group (for Gottlieb games), allowing them to create many more authorised reproductions. ![A screen to create the mirroring on the Eight Ball Deluxe backglass](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/04-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) A screen to create the mirroring on the Eight Ball Deluxe backglass ![No Fear, Funhouse and Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball test prints](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/06-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) No Fear, Funhouse and Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Ball test prints In addition to playfields, numerous backglasses, plastics sets and speaker panels were also produced, along with a range of in-house designed toppers and other bespoke game enhancements. ![Some of the backglasses produced by CPR](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/07-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) Some of the backglasses produced by CPR The number of employees expanded along with their product range, but the market for reproduction playfields was changing. Where new production runs would once rapidly sell out, demand began to slow as many of the games which needed new playfields now had them. Kevin described the problem to Pinball News. He said, “ A finite population of surviving ‘legacy’ games eventually leads to an inevitable decline in demand for reproduction parts. Obviously the absolute end has not been reached yet, but the last twenty-one years of legacy machine ownership across the hobby has meant that those who needed major parts replacements have already been customers for those items. You only need and swap a reproduction playfield once.“ In 2023, CPR used their expertise to broaden the business, adding contract manufacturing of playfields for full pinball machine manufacturers, including Euro Pinball Corp. in Italy and Barrels of Fun in the US. They expanded the business, buying more equipment and bring on board more employees to manage the increased volumes. At its peak, CPR employed a dozen full-time staff, along with two or three part-timers. ![Predator playfields with freshly installed inserts & hardening epoxy](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/08-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) Predator playfields with freshly installed inserts & hardening epoxy But contract manufacturing is a fickle business, with the lower per-unit margins typically offset by increased volume and steady demand. If either of those start to weaken, it can leave the company in a vulnerable position. Consequently, as CPR’s manufacturing of playfields for other pinball makers wound down, it left them with some decisions to make about the company’s future direction. At the same time, co-founder, Mike Purcell, is both retiring from his full-time job as a pilot for Air Canada and stepping down from his role as President of CPR. Co-founder and Vice President, Kevin Wayte, will be taking over as President and plans to make sweeping changes to keep the business both manageable and profitable. Firstly, with the contract manufacturing ending and the continued slowing in sales of reproduction products, the company will move to a much smaller location. It will still be based in Halifax, but will employ just two or three staff working alongside Kevin. Kevin expanded further on the scale of the change in the reproductions market, telling us, “ Back in the early years, with large playfield batches being 100-300 per run, those would be all snatched and shipped within a few months. Today in 2026, those same titles have tapered down to selling a few a year.“ He continued, “ There is now the phenomenon of releasing a first-time-reproduction playfield title in 2025 – and it sells six. Yes, six. Then it goes dead quiet. Ten years ago, shipping 100 immediately after a run was standard fare. There was never a doubt that you could at least get 100 copies out. Not today. In recent years, we launched first-time-available playfields with a debut batch of only twenty pieces, tops. Now that number is usually only ten. The risk has been too high to pile on more. This is the new normal in 2025/2026.” CPR is also pruning its product range down to the three core reproduction lines on which the business was founded – playfields, backglasses and plastic sets. There will be no further sales of the toppers, plastic upgrade kits or speaker skins which were developed in-house. There will still be plenty of new reproduction products joining the existing lines though. Kevin said, “ We’ll hold up the titles we’ve been known for, plus add a couple new ones every year as new artwork gets developed here. We already know what our next ten new-release playfields are going to be, across the next three years. That’s plenty to keep us busy now.“ As a result of the downsizing, CPR is running a sale of surplus stock and equipment, called variously, “Liquidation Sale”, “Mike’s Retirement Sale” or “Return to the Basement Sale”. ![A small part of the CPR stock](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/09-classic-playfield-reproductions.jpg) A small part of the CPR stock Kevin explained to Pinball News there is a certain tongue-in-cheek aspect to the naming. He said, “ We cheekily use the meme ‘Back to the Basement’ as more of a signal of returning to our roots years ago. We no longer need the gigantic business-park commercial unit anymore. It doesn’t mean CPR is literally going back into Kevin’s basement.“ CPR launched the sale today in a public announcement on social media. ![The announcement from Classic Playfield Reproductions](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/classic-playfield-reproductions/13-classic-playfield-reproductions.png) The announcement from Classic Playfield Reproductions The sale is currently underway on the Classic Playfield Reproductions website. You’ll be able to listen to Kevin as he talks to Pinball News Editor, Martin Ayub, and Pinball Magazine Editor, Jonathan Joosten about the changes at CPR and the reproductions business, in the January 2026 edition of the Pinball Industry News PIN cast which will be released soon on Spotify, on YouTube, and here on Pinball News. 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