If you've ever been to Hersheypark or bought a ticket for a Martz Trailways bus, you've probably used technology developed by a Reading-area company that happens to be one of the fastest-growing businesses in the country.
Gateway Ticketing Systems, based in Boyertown, designs ticketing software for customers including theme parks, zoos and water parks. It also includes physical tools such as ticket printers and barcode readers. With $13.8 million in revenue in 2010 and 3 percent growth over the last three years, the company was named No. 4960 on Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing businesses in the United States.
The company currently employs about 100 people and plans to add another five or six jobs this year, CEO Michael Andre says.
He says Gateway works hard to make the ticketing process as simple as possible for its customers and their visitors. For example, systems that minimize the number of keystrokes required to issue a ticket enable visitors to quickly get through the gate at an amusement park.
Gateway recently brought the concept of loyalty cards, which many retailers use, to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Ohio. Visitors can use their loyalty cards to earn rewards from purchases inside the zoo. “It's encouraging repeat attendance to the zoo,” Andre says.
Next month Gateway plans to launch a smart phone-enabled system so visitors to various attractions can buy tickets on their phones. This will mean customers can use their phones instead of a paper ticket.
Source: Michael Andre, Gateway Ticketing Systems
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen