THE MODERN CEO
ELAINE HODGSON, INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES Vernon Hills, Il
Why would anyone leave a job working on the Space Shuttle at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center? Elaine Hodgson never loved her first job there as an industrial chemist and left to pursue a programming career and create video games. Today, Hodgson is President/CEO of
Incredible Technologies (IT) in Illinois. IT is among the coin-operated amusement industry’s most successful game manufacturers. IT used that accomplishment to enter the casino industry in 2007. The company now occupies a significant gaming niche and maintains a satellite Las Vegas design studio/show room. IT is a privately-held, certified Women’s
Business Enterprise, holding memberships in every major gaming and amusement trade association. Hodgson is the only female CEO of a major slot machine manufacturer and was inducted into the 2019 class of the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame during the 2019 G2E. Hodgson says “I’m very happy, although I’m not a glory seeker. This award let us highlight our company and 255-member team’s hard work. I’m very proud of their achievements, especially since many have worked with us for over 20 years.” IT employs professionals who represent the most skilled and talented technical, sales, marketing and production personnel across the US.
“I try to surround myself with people whose
expertise means I don’t need to micromanage. IT is four per cent of the casino market and our cash flow is ‘king.’ We must carefully analyze our actions because the entertainment industry is a fickle roller coaster ride. Every level up to maintain our competitiveness costs more money to develop,” Hodgson states. In 1985, Hodgson and her partner, IT
Executive Vice-President Richard Ditton, launched their start-up pinball hardware development business in a home basement in suburban Chicago. Hodgson and Ditton have parlayed these modest origins into a global game development and production leader. IT’s international success exploded in 1989 when its breakout Golden Tee Golf video game phenomenon changed everything. The company later organized an international tournament system with huge cash prizes. Golden Tee’s enormous global amusement
presence inspired Hodgson to enter the casino gaming industry as a game developer and manufacturer in 2007. Targeting the adult-oriented video entertainment category, IT received its licensing as a Class-III electronic gaming machine supplier, primarily in tribal casinos. Today, IT holds gaming licenses in 150 jurisdictions in 26 states and most large Canadian provinces. Four years after its gaming entry, IT placed
its first casino slot machine in 2011. In under a decade, IT has become one of the fastest growing US video slots companies.
“Yes, over 10 years we are an ‘overnight
success’. Gaming’s regulatory requirements mean fewer opportunities to fail. Through hard work, gaming now accounts for 80 per cent of our annual revenues,” says Hodgson. Most Indian tribes have favourably
received the IT product line. Because many tribal locations are in remote areas, Hodgson flies her own plane to visit customers in states like Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa. Hodgson oversees all aspects of IT, including game development, strategic business planning, marketing and sales of the company’s products. Ditton’s technical skills have launched numerous innovations to expand IT’s business opportunities. They have also prioritized and invested in
improving their human resources concentration. IT offers online training videos to fight against harassment, bullying and terrorism. Hodgson says, “We are sensitive to
investigating complaints. They may take more time and money to address, but IT errs on the side of being respectful.” Looking ahead for IT, Hodgson is
grooming a new generation of talented employees. “I advise young people to drop their egos and take pride in the teamwork. They should take calculated risks, never remain stagnant and use common sense when spending. This is no different than how shopkeepers ran their businesses in the 1800s.”
“I advise young people to drop their egos and take pride in the teamwork.”
MARCH 2020 43
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