NBGS International, Inc.

International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 73 (2002) by Nelson Rhodes

NBGS International, Inc.

3150 IH 35 South New Braunfels, Texas 78130 U.S.A. Telephone: (830) 620-5400 Fax: (830) 629-2867 Web site: http://www.nbgsintl.com

Private Company Founded: 1984 as New Braunfels General Store Employees: 100 Sales: $20 million (2004 est.) NAIC: 713110 Amusement and Theme Parks; 713990 All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

NBGS International, Inc. is an industry leader in the design, engineering, and fabrication of waterpark rides and attractions, or what the company calls "Transportainment." From original concept to implementation, the award-winning NBGS is a sister company to Waterpark Management Inc., which oversees the Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, the nation's most successful waterpark, located in New Braunfels, Texas. In addition to its one-of-a-kind waterpark attractions, NBGS designs and manufactures soft-play areas, playgrounds, and fountains for municipal centers, shopping malls, resorts, campgrounds, and cruise ships.

In the Beginning: 1970s–80s

In modest-sized New Braunfels, Texas, population 36,000, sits a giant: the Schlitterbahn. While fellow Texans had long enjoyed the town for its annual Wurstfest (a ten-day celebration of German pride, represented in tons of wurst [sausage] and beer), it was literally put on the map by the mighty Schlitterbahn Waterpark. The story of NBGS International, Inc. began with the Henry family's desire to create an amazing, one-of-a-kind waterpark near their riverfront hotel, the Landa Resort. Bob and Billye Henry bought the Landa, which was surrounded by the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, in 1966. Landa guests, area residents, and college kids from nearby San Antonio (25 miles south) and Austin (40 miles north) had long enjoyed swimming and sunning themselves on inner tubes, lazily traversing the rivers. The Henrys began thinking a more structured "waterpark" would bring vacationers and tourists to the Landa and generate dollars for New Braunfels as well.

Over the next several years Bob Henry created a number of chutes and river rides for the Landa. The resulting waterpark was eventually named the Schlitterbahn, which meant "slippery road" in German. The Schlitterbahn was modeled after the Solms Castle in Braunfels, Germany, where the town's original settlers had come from. The waterpark's centerpiece was a 60-foot replica of the German castle's Bergfried Tower, around which Henry designed four water slides. The Schlitterbahn (often referred to as Schlitterbahn West) opened in 1979 and for the next several years the Henrys added additional attractions and water rides to the park. In 1980 came the 50,000-squarefoot Lagoon pool (with the first ever swim-up refreshment bar) and the Hillside Tube Chute; in 1983 the Cliffhanger Tube Chute and a recreation facility; and in 1984 the Tunnel Tube Chute, tennis courts, and another pool.

Bob and Billye Henry's son Jeff founded a company called the New Braunfels General Store (later known as NBGS International) in 1984. NBGS provided some maintenance and foam-coated equipment, designed by Jeff, to the Schlitterbahn. The two entities had a working partnership for years, though NBGS would move beyond its role as Schlitterbahn supplier to designing and building recreational complexes around the world. Through the ingenuity of the Henrys, the Schlitterbahn became the most celebrated waterpark in the United States and the standard to which all others aspired.

Rapid Expansion: 1990s

By 1991 another 25 acres, a few blocks east of the original Schlitterbahn, were added to the megapark and called Schlitterbahn East. The new section included additional concession stands, a gift shop, lockers, and more German-themed water rides including the Boogie Bahn for body surfing. The world's first uphill "water coaster," designed by NBGS and called the Dragon Blaster, wowed guests by the Schlitterbahn's 15th anniversary in 1994. The following year Schlitterbahn became the top seasonal waterpark in the United States, rivaled only by year-round parks.

By 1996 several amazing new rides, designed by NBGS, were added to the Schlitterbahn—rides that solidified its reputation as one of the world's most innovative recreational design companies. The Torrent River rapids ride, the Master Blaster uphill water coaster, the Black Knight dark tube adventure, and the Wolfpack family raft ride not only gave Schlitterbahn's visitors the ride of their lives, but put NBGS on the map.

With the ongoing success of the Schlitterbahn, the Henrys were looking to expand. One area of interest was in southern Texas, at South Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Located less than an hour from the Mexican border and near the city of Harlingen, South Padre was a major hangout for spring breakers, attracting thousands of college students each year. Families and tourists visited too, lured by the beaches and the Gulf's warm waters. The Henrys and several investors broke ground on the 15-acre South Padre Schlitterbahn in 1997. The new water rides and attractions, which Jeff Henry promised would be cutting edge with surfing areas and large wave pools, came from the increasingly renowned NBGS.