SOUTH WALES SECRET #66
Heighway Pinball
Founder of Heighway Pinball, the United Kingdom’s only pinball manufacturer, Andrew Heighway, the Pinball Wizard of Merthyr Tydfil, reveals the South Wales Secret.
Andrew Heighway is a man with a passion for pinball, a pastime that in the age of apps still continues and is adapting to new opportunities. While some may think that the machines may be relics of a bygone era, Andrew is determined to make sure they continue to thrive. “In 1990 I was a pinball ‘player’, if you like,” he starts. “You couldn’t walk into a bar without there being a pinball machine in there, it was huge! It led to it becoming a major business for me. I thought to myself ‘okay, who’s making pinball machines here?’ and nobody was, so I saw this business opportunity and for the next 10 years I was the go-to guy for everything to do with pinball. I wanted to bring pinball back to the masses again.”
But why did he choose to set up Heighway Pinball in Merthyr Tydfil? “I looked at different areas and I wanted somewhere with good transport links and cheap factory space, and job creation was a factor too. When you put all those factors together, it’s a good area to have a company because you have a much more skilled potential workforce.”
Andrew then reveals his South Wales Secret. “I would say my South Wales secret is here in Heighway Pinball. We’re not only the first ever pinball manufacturer to be in Wales but we’re actually the first ever pinball manufacturer to be in the UK. I think that in itself is a pretty big secret to get out in Merthyr Tydfil. You would never know about it unless somebody told you that the first ever UK mass manufacturer of pinballs is here in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.”
Heighway Pinball, Merthyr Tydfil. Info: 01685 370190 / www.heighwaypinball.com