Altec is a leading technology provider specialising in cutting-edge automation and control systems for the themed entertainment industry. Founded 25 years ago, the company has evolved from a small operation into a trusted partner for some of the world’s most iconic attractions, including Universal Studios and Disney parks worldwide.
With a focus on precision engineering, high-speed motion control, and seamless integration, Altec has been instrumental in bringing to life immersive and interactive experiences that captivate audiences. Now expanding its services to include show action equipment and advanced ride systems, Altec continues pushing the boundaries of themed entertainment, delivering innovative solutions that ensure both safety and unforgettable guest experiences.
As Altec celebrates its quarter century in business, we speak to the leadership team about the company’s beginnings, transformative projects, and vision for the future. They also reflect on Altec’s expanding role in creating immersive guest experiences worldwide.
Altec’s experience in themed entertainment
Reflecting on the company’s inception, its president and co-founder, Bill Long, says he had a simple yet ambitious vision. “It was just me and one other partner. We had an idea that we should branch out independently, and that’s how it started—just the two of us, 25 years ago.” This decision launched Altec on a path of continuous growth and adaptation.
Founded by a team with deep expertise in high-speed, precision motion control, the company initially focused on industrial projects before recognising an opportunity to bring its technical prowess to the themed entertainment sector. With a keen eye for innovation, Altec entered the entertainment market. Here, it is leveraging its industrial background to deliver robust control systems for increasingly complex ride experiences.
Altec first collaborated with Disney in 2003, supplying drives and controls for the Soarin’ Over California attraction in Orlando, Florida. It then worked on the electrical and controls upgrade for the monorail trains at Disneyland Resort in California in 2007. However, the company’s big breakthrough in this sector came from its involvement in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at the Universal Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida.
This project would set new standards in immersive design and establish Altec as a trusted partner for the industry’s leading players. It showcased Altec’s capacity to handle intricate control demands while ensuring reliable guest experiences, marking a pivotal point in its expansion.
Growing in size and expertise
Today, Altec’s services extend well beyond controls, incorporating show action equipment and advanced ride systems, as the company continues to play a central role in crafting unforgettable attractions for global audiences.
“Altec is a company that grew from humble beginnings into what it is today and beyond through innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction,” says Long.
Tyler Hansen, engineering manager, has been with the firm for 18 of its 25 years. Reflecting on its growth, he says:
“With the growth in technology, control systems have become much more complex. The ride control system now manages a lot more safety requirements. With that added complexity, we’re taking on a larger scope and have increased the team size to accommodate that.”
A presence in Orlando
Long says the Harry Potter ride at Universal is a particularly proud achievement. “That’s definitely still the feather in the cap. It was by far the biggest project we’d ever done in entertainment at the time. And it was extremely satisfying, especially seeing how successful it became.”
After completing work on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey for Universal Orlando Resort in 2010, Altec provided its expertise on several other theme park projects during the following decade, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland, the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Universal Studios Japan and Hollywood, Batman: Knight Flight at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, and the Decepticoaster attraction at Universal Studios Resort in Beijing.
Building on this momentum, it formed a subsidiary company, Altec Entertainment, Inc., in 2022, with an office in Orlando. This expansion has allowed the company to provide even closer support to its primary customers, including Universal and, increasingly, Disney. “Orlando is where our biggest customers are, and we wanted to be right there with them,” says Long.
Mike Dill, director of Altec Entertainment Inc., says: “Orlando is the theme park capital; everything is here. We found that as our parent company is located in Canada, we were sometimes not thought of as regularly as other local companies. So, we decided we needed a presence here to generate business and allow us to collaborate better on future projects.”
With a foothold in Florida, Altec is now well-positioned to support projects at the heart of the entertainment industry. This includes a particular “epic” project currently underway in Orlando, one of the most ambitious Altec has tackled to date. While most details are under wraps, Long says: “It’s next level in all aspects”. He notes that it could set a new standard for complex attractions.
Dill adds: “The park itself is going to be amazing. The technology and advancements will be beyond anything that anybody’s ever seen.”
The competitive edge
Altec’s core offering has always been in the area of controls and automation. This is a field where precision and reliability are paramount. “We started as a controls company,” Long says. “Today we continue to partner with other vendors to handle the controls, software, and programming for complex ride systems. There’s often a lot of pressure on us because we’re the last ones to finish—getting the attraction up and running.”
However, the company’s expertise has grown far beyond its initial scope. In recent years, Altec has expanded its services to include show action equipment. This is a significant step toward becoming a comprehensive provider in the themed entertainment sector. “We started as a controls company, but in our industrial side, we gradually grew into supplying machinery as well,” Long adds. “In the last few years, we’ve focused on leveraging that capability in the entertainment space.”
Altec’s roots in industrial automation offer a unique advantage in this area, especially as ride systems grow increasingly complex. According to Long, the industrial automation background brings a distinct level of precision and accuracy. “Industrial automation is typically high-speed and very accurate motion control,” he says. “That’s a depth we have, and it’s becoming more relevant as ride systems incorporate more complex motion control requirements.”
This expertise has allowed Altec to create experiences that are not only safe and reliable but also dynamic and immersive, aligning with an industry-wide shift toward ever more engaging attractions. “Precise motion control is becoming a bigger part of attractions,” Long says. “And that’s one of the things that sets us apart.”
Dill adds:
“We have extensive knowledge of machine capabilities and automation in different sectors that perhaps the specific theme park industry companies don’t. So, we can bring in technology from other industries.”
Industry trends: immersive and interactive experiences
Long points to a growing demand for immersive and interactive experiences when asked about trends in the themed entertainment industry. While Altec responds to the needs of its clients, he adds that guest expectations are driving innovation, with more emphasis on engagement and realism. “It’s more immersive, more engaging, and interactive. Those are the big buzzwords right now; you’ll see that in the attractions we’re working on—they’re next level.”
Altec’s commitment to meeting these expectations has solidified its place as a trusted partner for clients who seek to create groundbreaking attractions. With innovations that enhance guest engagement, Altec is well-equipped to keep pace with evolving industry demands.
“It requires a lot of innovation to stay ahead of your competitors in this business. It’s helpful that we can use that experience and that technology to help us improve the systems we provide in the amusement space,” says Hansen. “With that investment in technology from the automation providers, it’s allowing the increased complexity and the creation of attractions that offer the guests a lot more immersion.”
“I think we are at the forefront of this technology now, so we can develop some machinery and show pieces around it,” says Dill. “We also have our subsidiary in Texas that can build for us now. That will give us a new foothold into the industry, providing our electrical and controls technologies along with the mechanisms, meaning we can offer a turnkey solution to specific customers. That will benefit the theme park industry as it continues to grow and meet visitors’ expectations.”
The Altec company culture
Innovation is key to ensuring that Altec stays ahead of the competition. Speaking about how the firm fosters creativity in its work culture, Dill says:
“Technology is evolving so fast, but we do a lot of training with our teams. We work with our suppliers and manufacturers of various electronics to constantly be trained in their latest technologies. Also, we push our employees and motivate them to commit to continuing education. We spend our entire lives learning, especially in this field, so being open to that is essential.”
It’s about empowering the team to stay on top of the latest developments, adds Hansen:
“We don’t like to create something and then just reuse it over and over again. We want to provide our engineers with the capability of using the latest and greatest technology so that we can provide the best product to our customers and, ultimately, the best rides to guests. So, we want to let them use their imagination and find creative solutions to problems.”
“It’s a supportive culture. Whether you’re a new hire, a junior engineer, or the management team, we all support each other. We have a strong onboarding process, and we have a lot of good leaders in the office at all levels.”
“We’re a young company here in Orlando, and our employees are also young, so we’ve worked hard to establish good company morale,” says Dill. “It can be challenging because our work is very demanding, but we try to counter that by having an open work environment in our office. We want people to talk to each other. Collaboration is vital between us because, with our engineering background, not one person knows everything.
“Wellbeing is important for us too – we want to ensure people aren’t burned out.”
The next 25 years of Altec
As Altec looks to the future, Long wants the company to expand its capabilities even further. “I hope we continue to grow into a major supplier of not just controls and automation but also equipment and potentially even ride systems,” he says, highlighting his long-term vision for Altec’s role in the industry.
Hansen says: “We’re looking to continue providing cutting-edge ride control systems. But I think what’s exciting for us is pairing those proven ride control systems with our manufacturing capabilities from other industries. That’s something I’m looking forward to. What I enjoy about this industry is controlling machines, and it’s even better when you can create machines that people get excited about.”
Dill adds: “Here in Orlando, we’re focusing on growth and our customers’ needs. It’s exciting to be getting into these critical areas of new technology. We want to provide something that when people come into a park, they say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that.’”
In addition to technical expansion, Long hopes to foster a company culture that emphasises employee satisfaction and growth. “I’d like Altec to be known as a great workplace,” he says. “Our legacy should be that people can grow and build a career at Altec. That would be very special to me.” His dedication to creating a positive work environment reflects Altec’s broader commitment to quality and satisfaction—not only for its clients but also for its team members.
Reflecting on Altec’s unique role in themed entertainment, Long also talks about the satisfaction of making people happy through his work: “The entertainment industry is about fun, and that’s what makes it so unique,” he says. “One of the biggest satisfactions is standing outside the exit of a ride we’ve worked on and seeing the smiles on people’s faces. It’s truly gratifying.”
Altec’s dedication to innovation and quality has left a mark on the industry, contributing to many experiences that delight millions of visitors worldwide. As the company looks ahead to the next 25 years, it remains committed to pushing boundaries, expanding services, and delivering unparalleled quality in themed entertainment.
