Adventure Golf & Sports
A Traverse City-based company designing and manufacturing mini golf courses for land and sea gained global reach thanks to MEDC’s International Trade services
The Adventure Golf & Sports (AGS) story teed off in 1975, when the Lundmark family – including Arne, his wife Judy and two sons Mark and Scott – created a family entertainment center called Arne’s Funland in Traverse City, Michigan.
Eleven years later in 1986, a new company was formed under the Adventure Golf Services banner. Arne began marketing, designing and building miniature golf courses, baseball batting cages, go kart tracks and family entertainment centers. The core product for design/build services for other owner-operators was traditional miniature golf – moving earth and pouring concrete – which helped set AGS apart from the rest.
In the early 2000s, AGS identified a patented modular panel system that opened a wide variety of products and markets including its portable, modular, rooftop and cruise ship products. In 2009, Arne’s son Scott joined the company as president to help drive sales and develop a succession plan with the family. AGS purchased and renovated its offices and warehouse facility in 2012, and over ten years later, AGS has steadily grown into a successful company, with nearly 40 full-time and part-time trained and loyal team members installing projects around the world.
The company’s miniature golf product is made with materials from the United States, pre-built in their warehouse in Traverse City and shipped internationally, accompanied by AGS’ Michigan-based installation crew. AGS also serves domestic clients such as Great Wolf Lodge.
Looking to expand their business, AGS continued to pursue opportunities to make inroads in the international cruise ship family entertainment industry, including miniature golf, lawn courts, putting greens and golf hitting bays. The company had the staff required for installation and support services in new markets but needed assistance making connections internationally to earn those contracts.
AGS discovered the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) through news articles about Michigan seeking ways to help fund local companies’ efforts to grow international business. At the suggestion of MEDC International Trade Manager Chris Bosio, AGS met with MEDC’s International Trade Center representatives – in-country consultants who offer expertise at no cost on how to do business in specific foreign markets.
The company then tapped on the MEDC’s International Trade team again to receive support through Michigan’s State Trade Expansion Program (MI-STEP). MI-STEP grants gave the company the financial assistance they needed to take international sales trips to meet with potential clients and exhibit in international trade shows, which resulted in new contracts and export sales to markets including France, Germany and Spain. To date, AGS has leveraged over $55,000 in MI-STEP grants to enter the international mini-golf market and has gone on to earn over $1.1 million in facilitated exports.
“There is a point in every company’s growth where the dream is larger than the budget to achieve that dream,” said Scott Lundmark, AGS president. “MEDC played an important role in helping AGS achieve its dream. It is difficult to quantify all the reasons for success, but the early MEDC funding was a key ingredient in helping take our growth plans to the next level.”
Thanks to the company’s longstanding relationship with the MEDC, AGS is poised to continue its growth, bringing fun and entertainment to the masses on land and at sea.
Learn how you can take your Michigan business global and increase international sales at michiganbusiness.org/services/international-trade/.