Dinn Corporation
{{Short description|Roller coaster design and manufacture company}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Dinn Corporation
|logo =
|type = Private
|foundation = 1983
|fate = Closed
|founder = Charles Dinn
|location_city = West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio
|location_country = United States
|key_people = Charles Dinn, Denise Dinn Larrick, Randy Larrick, Jeff Dinn
|industry = Roller coaster construction
|defunct = 1991
}}
Dinn Corporation was a roller coaster designing and manufacturing company established in West Chester, Ohio, in 1983 by Charles Dinn. The company is noted for moving and rebuilding several existing wooden coasters and building ten new wooden roller coasters in the United States.{{cite journal | last1 = Seifert | first1 = Jeffrey | year = 2008 | title = Dinn and Summers, A Brief Resurgence in Wooden coasters | journal = RollerCoaster! Magazine | volume = 29 | issue = 3 | pages = 18–27 | issn = 0896-7261}}
History
Charles Dinn served as Kings Island's Director of Construction, Maintenance and Engineering, where he oversaw the design and building of The Beast{{cite web
| title = Screeeeeeam!
| url = http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/features/2014/05/29/screeeeeeam
| accessdate = 2014-05-29
}} with a team including Al Collins, Jim Nickell, William Reed and Curtis D. Summers. In November 1983, Dinn left Kings Island and opened his own corporation in West Chester, Ohio. The corporation relocated three older wooden roller coasters from parks that had been closed to new parks{{cite book | last = Rutherford | first = Scott | authorlink = Scott Rutherford | title = The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion | publisher = Citadel Press | year = 2002 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/rollercoasterlov00stev/page/143 143] | isbn = 978-0-8065-2309-5 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/rollercoasterlov00stev/page/143 }} One of the firm's first projects was rebuilding the San Antonio Playland Park Rocket as the Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort. In 1985 Dinn contacted Curtis D. Summers, Inc., an engineering firm in Loveland, Ohio, to provide the design for the restoration of the helix of Paragon Park's Giant Coaster which his company was moving to Wild World in Largo, Maryland. That was the start of relationship that lasted until 1991. In 1987 the two started building new coasters, with Wolverine Wildcat and Raging Wolf Bobs both opening in 1988.
In 1991, Dinn closed the Dinn Corporation after a dispute that occurred during the construction of Pegasus at Efteling. This was despite a possible project in the works for Kings Island to open in 1992.{{cite web | title = Rattler Letter mentioning Dinn Corp | url = http://www.masstort.org/Downloads/rattler1.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160805191730/http://www.masstort.org/Downloads/rattler1.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2016-08-05 | accessdate = 2019-11-18
}} However, his daughter Denise Dinn Larrick formed the now-defunct company Custom Coasters International, with many of the key personnel from the Dinn Corp.{{cite web
| title = Roller Coaster History
| url = http://www.bobholland.com/amusementparks/coasterhistory.html
| accessdate = 2009-05-26
}}
On July 6, 2021, Dinn died at the age of 88 in Clermont, Florida.{{cite web | title = Charles Dinn Obituary | url = https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/21626357/charles-j-dinn | accessdate = 2021-07-08
}}
List of roller coasters
Dinn Corporation built 11 roller coasters around the world and assisted with at least 3 known restoration.[https://rcdb.com/6842.htm Dinn Corporation - rcdb.com]
=Relocated/rebuilt coasters=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||||
| Name | Park | Country | Opened | Status | class="unsortable" | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcat | Lake Compounce | {{flagicon|USA}} United States | 1927 | {{yes|Operating}} | {{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Wildcat|location=Lake Compounce|rcdb_number=420|accessdate=June 12, 2012}} |
| Phoenix Formerly Rocket | Knoebels Amusement Park Playland Park | {{flagicon|USA}} United States | 1985 1948 to 1980 | {{yes|Operating}} | {{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Phoenix|location=Knoebels Amusement Park|rcdb_number=143|accessdate=June 12, 2012}} {{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Rocket|location=Playland Park|rcdb_number=142|accessdate=June 12, 2012}} |
| Wild One Formerly Giant Coaster | Six Flags America Paragon Park | {{flagicon|USA}} United States | 1986 1917 to 1985 | {{yes|Operating}} | {{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Wild One|location=Six Flags America|rcdb_number=148|accessdate=June 12, 2012}} {{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Giant Coaster|location=Paragon Park|rcdb_number=147|accessdate=June 12, 2012}} |
=New coasters=
Water projects
The Dinn Corporation served as project managers on the following ride installations:{{cite journal | last1 = Slade | first1 = Gary | year = 1990 | title = Spotlight on Dinn Corporation (special section) | journal = Inside Track | issue = November 1990 | pages = 1–5}}
- Raging Rapids, Kennywood
- The Grand Rapids, Boardwalk and Baseball
- Zoom Flume, Lake Compounce
- Paradise Island, Wild World
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{commons category}}
{{Roller coaster manufacturers}}
Category:Companies based in Ohio
Category:Roller coaster manufacturers
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1983