Supplier News
UK – Bell Fruit comes of age with Deal Or No Deal approvals
By Phil - 1 July 2013
Bell-Fruit Games officially celebrated its 50th year of trading with a grand party for all the staff at its factory in Leen Gate, Nottingham, on Friday, June 21.
The event was preceded on the Thursday evening by a dinner at the city’s Harts Restaurant where several key industry figures were in attendance.
As a measure of the importance attached to Bell-Fruit’s golden milestone, parent company the Novomatic Group ensured they had a major presence at the event. Flying in especially from Austria were Dr Franz Wohlfahrt, Mag. Thomas Graf, Mag. Peter Stein, Dr Johannes Reichmann, Mag. Harald Neumann and Max Lindenberg.
Managing Director John Austin stated: “The support Bell-Fruit have enjoyed since becoming part of the NOVOMATIC family last year is very much appreciated, and I know Professor Graf (founder and majority shareholder) is proud of our 50-year achievement. I too am proud to be at the helm of the company in its 50th year and, whilst it is good to reflect on the success of the past, it is now about the future and the next phase in Bell-Fruit’s development. With NOVOMATIC resources behind us we are perfectly positioned to lead the way by investing in technology and innovation, making our existing products and markets better, whilst exploiting the emerging opportunities.”
Astra Gaming Group CEO Zane Mersich added: “I would like to start off by giving a warm welcome to all of our customers here today and our sincere thanks for your valued support. I also want to express our thanks to those customers of today and those of yesterday who, although they cannot be with us here today, are very much in our thoughts as they have all supported Bell-Fruit so strongly. Not just today, not just yesterday but over the past 50 years. I am sure that I speak for all of us here today that are representing Bell-Fruit when I say a great many thanks; we are all humbled and grateful for your support over the past half-century.
“And to all of the employees of Bell-Fruit, past and present, who have made it possible, we must also say a huge thank you to each and every one of you. Bell-Fruit is truly a company of people and I often say that our most valuable assets leave the building to go home to their families every day.”
The biggest celebration, appropriately, was reserved for the factory staff who were treated to a party that lasted long into Friday evening. It was perhaps even more fitting that the revelry began with a personal video message from Noel Edmonds on the set of Deal Or No Deal. Together with the contestants, he sang ‘Happy Birthday dear Bell-Fruit.’
The message was particularly fitting as Bell-Fruit has just revealed it has received a full set of approvals from all of the major retailers for its latest model, DOND Double Chance.
Confirming the news was BFG Sales and Marketing Director John McLoughlin. He commented: “We are delighted that DOND Double Chance has now received full approvals from all retailers, as did its predecessor, DOND Golden Game. Additionally, we can also report encouragingly on another potential success story regarding Monopoly Reel Estate which is well on the way to full approval status.”
Mazooma Interactive’s Tony Oliver; BFG’s Pete Farrell, John Austin, John McLoughlin and John Lowton; and RLMS’ Phil Boulton are pictured toasting Bell-Fruit’s golden anniversary.
