# Made Right Here: Featuring Stern Pinball

**Source:** Stern Pinball  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2014-09-12  
**Duration:** 5m 38s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vczknj-C3aI

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball factory tour video showcasing manufacturing operations in Melrose Park, Illinois, featuring George Gomez discussing the company's history, production processes, and workforce legacy. The video emphasizes Stern's position as the largest commercial pinball manufacturer in the US, highlights the skill and passion of long-tenured employees, and positions American manufacturing as a core company value. Includes factory floor demonstrations of assembly and subassembly processes.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Stern is the largest manufacturer of commercial pinball machines in the United States; until recently was the only manufacturer — _George Gomez statement on video: 'Well, we're the only manufacturer—the largest manufacturer of commercial pinball machines. Until recently we were the only manufacturer.'_
- [HIGH] George Gomez has been in the pinball business for 67 years total (since age two when his father started the business) — _Direct statement: 'I've been in the pinball business—or next to it—since I was two years old. My father, having started as a game operator and becoming a pinball manufacturer, when I was two. So it's been—it's been, uh, now 67 years.'_
- [HIGH] Stern employs hundreds of people directly and the extended pinball manufacturing community in Chicago area employs thousands — _George Gomez: 'you're providing work here for a couple hundred people. But our extended community—manufacturers in the Chicago land area—there's thousands of people working in our pinball machines and parts.'_
- [HIGH] Some Stern employees have worked in the pinball industry for approximately 40 years — _George Gomez: 'We've got guys that have been working in the pinball industry for like 40 years.'_
- [MEDIUM] The pinball machine was invented by Gary Stern's father and predecessors, with Gary having handed the business to the next generation — _Video narration: 'That the pinball machine was invented effectively by Gary's father and his forbears, and that Gary has now handed it on to guys like Jack—that's the whole story right there.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "If we didn't make pinball machines, the world would exist, but a little bit of the fabric of life would be gone. We sell fun. That's what we make."
> — **George Gomez (inferred from context)**, Opening statement
> _Core company philosophy and value proposition; frames pinball manufacturing as culturally important_

> "I tell you the other day I was at the movies and I saw somebody playing a Rolling Stones pinball machine, and I like, I made that. That was really cool."
> — **George Gomez (inferred)**, Early in video
> _Personal connection to product legacy and emotional satisfaction from creating games that reach consumers_

> "In this company there's a tremendous legacy of knowledge about pinball. There's a lot of what we call tribal knowledge—you know, of how we do things, why we do things, and of skills being passed."
> — **George Gomez**, Mid-video discussion
> _Emphasizes institutional knowledge and skill transfer as competitive advantage_

> "I've been in the pinball business for 36 years as of today. It's still as exciting as it was 36 years ago."
> — **Unnamed Stern employee (likely John Borg based on context)**, Mid-video testimonial
> _Employee retention and passion; demonstrates long-term career satisfaction_

> "I'm proud as an American to look and see that you know there's a company here in Chicago taking pride in the machines they're making and shipping it—I mean literally around the world."
> — **George Gomez**, Closing statements
> _Positioning Stern as American manufacturer resisting offshore outsourcing; patriotic framing_

> "Everybody here is so passionate about what they do—from the designers to the art guys, software engineering—and there's such a wealth of experience that you just can't find another job."
> — **George Gomez**, Mid-video discussion
> _Describes passion and institutional loyalty as barriers to employee turnover_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Pinball machine manufacturer headquartered in Melrose Park, Illinois; claims to be largest commercial pinball manufacturer in US |
| George Gomez | person | Chief Creative Officer/Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball; family legacy in pinball industry spanning 67 years; featured prominently in factory tour discussion |
| Gary Stern | person | Founder/owner of Stern Pinball; father began as game operator and pinball manufacturer; passed business to next generation |
| Jack Stern | person | Next generation of Stern family leadership; receives business handoff from Gary Stern |
| John Borg | person | Stern Pinball designer with notable history; mentioned as example of long-tenured expertise |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Stern Pinball designer with amazing history; mentioned alongside John Borg as example of experienced talent |
| John Trudeau | person | Stern Pinball team member with notable history |
| Jim Belt | person | Stern Pinball employee who mentored new hires; mentioned as example of institutional knowledge transfer |
| Maxwell House | company | Partner/sponsor of 'Made Right Here' video series |
| Rolling Stones Pinball Machine | game | Stern Pinball game referenced by George Gomez as example of product reaching consumers |
| Star Trek Pinball Machine | game | Referenced during factory tour as game being assembled (Vengeance model mentioned) |
| Melrose Park, Illinois | location | Factory location for Stern Pinball operations; emphasized as American manufacturing hub |
| Chicago area | location | Extended manufacturing community employing thousands in pinball machines and parts |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Manufacturing operations and assembly line processes, Workforce legacy and employee retention, American manufacturing and domestic production
- **Secondary:** Company history and family business succession, Institutional knowledge and skill transfer, Market position and competitive landscape

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Overwhelmingly positive promotional content. George Gomez and Stern employees express pride in work, passion for pinball, and commitment to American manufacturing. No criticism or conflict present. Video is designed as promotional content for both Stern and Maxwell House.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball emphasizes scale (hundreds of direct employees, thousands in extended community) and American manufacturing commitment despite global competition (confidence: high) — George Gomez: 'providing work here for a couple hundred people. But our extended community—manufacturers in the Chicago land area—there's thousands of people working in our pinball machines and parts' and 'Even as other companies went offshore, we're providing work here for a couple hundred people.'
- **[community_signal]** Stern emphasizes long-term employee tenure and institutional knowledge as core competitive advantage (confidence: high) — Multiple references to 40-year veterans, tribal knowledge transfer, employees since company founding, and 67-year family legacy in business
- **[market_signal]** Stern claims status as largest commercial pinball manufacturer with recent entry of competitors, positioning as market leader against new entrants (confidence: high) — George Gomez: 'We're the only manufacturer—the largest manufacturer of commercial pinball machines. Until recently we were the only manufacturer.'
- **[community_signal]** Video highlights retention of key design talent including John Borg, Steve Ritchie, and John Trudeau with 'amazing histories' (confidence: medium) — George Gomez identifies designers as examples of long-tenured expertise: 'Guys like John Borg and Steve Ritchie, John Trudeau, are guys with amazing histories.'

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## Transcript

Joe and Max head to the Midwest to Stern Pinball in Melrose Park Illinois where they'll give spin to a factory of Full Tilt fun in partnership with Maxwell House this is made right here if we didn't make pinball machine the world would would exist but a little bit of the fabric of life would be gone we we sell fun we that's what we make I tell you the other day I was at the movies and I saw somebody playing a Rolling Stones pinball machine and I like I made that that was really cool we start by saying you know we we have to create the most compelling the most fun pinball machine we know how to make I I love coming here every day to make these games so George how many pinball manufacturers are there in the United States well we're we're the only uh manufacturer the largest manufacturer commercial pinball machines until recently we were the only manufacturer you know a pinball machine is made up of so many different parts so on on the right side here you've got the Playfield line on the left side here you've got the cabinet line but if you think about all of the componentry all of these components come together right here so the cabinets are coming together on this side and they're being fed from the work cells over there and on this side the components that are coming out of the subassembly areas are being fed into the assembly line and and these folks put them all together at some point the playfields get flipped they work on the front side of the play field wow so it's a lot of stuff this is the first time the playfields essentially get brought to life powered up they get powered up you can see the rotisserie see how she's turning it you know from one side to the other so she can work both sides of the Playfield just come off the assembly line that's fresh this morning that's right got that fresh smell that's right right here we're in a subassembly area you guys are going to help us assemble the Vengeance What's this called so that's an engine they sell engine nay Cel yep that's Star Trek terminology got make make sure hey make sure you show him which hold and put that in yeah see she's going to pull it out look there's a foot pedal I don't know if my boot's going to fit in here looks good yeah is that okay I don't think there's an easy job here I don't know about that I don't know about that there you go you got it hold on wait hold on wait oh yeah he likes to keep going even though you said just wait no this is where I get sprayed in the face yes now we're going to apply soap and water Max you're way off I was way off there's a little bit of is this you going to pop this decal off and do another one yeah yeah you're not going to let this go no no so a lot of moving Parts a lot of knowhow and a lot of people absolutely in this company there's a tremendous Legacy of knowledge about pinball there's um a lot of what we call tribal knowledge you know of how we do things why we do things and of end of skills being passed when you talk about the tribal mentality it's the skills being passed back and forth between people absolutely some of these people have been here since Gary started the business I've been in the pinball business or next to it since I was 2 years old my father having started as a game operator and becoming a pinball manufacturer when I was two so it's been it's been uh now 67 years you want to talk about like not a lot of turnover we've got guys that have been working in the pinball industry for like 40 Years everybody here is so passionate about what they do from the designers to the art guys software engineering and there's such a wealth of experience that you just can't find another job guys like John Borg and Steve Ritchie John trau are guys with amazing histories I've been in the pinball business uh for 36 years as of today it's uh still as exciting as it was 36 years ago I'm proud as an American to look and see that you know there's a company here in in Chicago taking pride in the the machine they're making and shipping it I mean literally around around the world you know you hear all sorts of stories about jobs going overseas and it warms my heart every day to come in here and see hundreds of people working it's good for America because we're American manufacturers even as other companies went offshore we're providing work in here for a couple hundred people but our extended Community uh manufacturers in the Chicago land area there's thousands of people working in our pinball machines in Parts there when I first started uh Jim belt kind of asked me like do you know what you're getting into when you're starting here at Stern Pinball and it's true you know everybody just loves what they do so much I mean how can you not that the pinball machine was invented effectively by Gary's father and his forbears and that Gary has now handed it on to guys like Jack that's the whole that's the whole story right there that's made right here Stern Pinball made right here Melrose Park Illinois in partnership with Maxwell House good to the last drop for more episodes of made right here go to Maxwell house.com Slade here

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e3f73ec0-70f2-4b6b-bf62-a964306efa27*