issues . please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . learn how and when to remove these template messages this article relies too much on references to primary sources . please improve this by adding secondary or tertiary sources . may 2008 learn how and when to remove this template message this article needs additional citations for verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . june 2012 learn how and when to remove this template message learn how and when to remove this template message von roll holding ag type limited corporation founded 1803 headquarters gerlafingen canton of solothurn switzerland key people thomas p. limberger ceo and vice president markus scherbel cfo number of employees 2086 31.12.2007 website www.vonroll.com von roll holding ag is a swiss industrial group that operates worldwide specializing in energy production . contents 1 history 2 business divisions company structure 3 von roll seilbahnen ag 3.1 products 3.2 operating von roll type 101s 3.3 former von roll type 101 s 3.3.1 monorail 3.3.2 space towers 4 see also 5 references 6 external links history edit von roll has its roots in the eisenwerke der handelsgesellschaft der gebr der d rholz & co. ironworks of the commercial firm of the brothers durholz & co. which was established in 1803 . this firm was then taken over in 1810 by von roll & cie newly formed by ludwig freiherr von roll 1771 1839 and jakob von glutz . in may 1823 ludwig von roll founded the gesellschaft der ludwig von roll schen eisenwerke which benefited from industrialization and railroad construction that demanded much iron . 1 following this the business developed into one of the most important industrial groups in switzerland and reached its high point in the 1970s with more than 10 000 employees . but like other swiss companies von roll suffered during the oil crisis of 1973 and the economic crisis it triggered . the company underwent financial restructuring after financial restructuring seemingly without end . as recently as 2003 von roll had to fight for its survival . at the end of 2002 following the accumulated losses of previous years von roll s equity capital had shrunk to 10.3 million . but in 2004 the company initiated a new strategy to focus on the insulation business beginning its turnaround . business divisions company structure edit von roll holding ag is a swiss industrial company that is active worldwide and today focuses on products and systems for power generation transmission and distribution . the company s operating activities are split into the segments von roll insulation von roll composites and von roll transformers . the company has been listed on the six swiss exchange since 1987 under the symbol rol . historically von roll was principally known for its ironworks and foundries . von roll holding ag is represented by approximately 3 100 employees at 30 locations in 19 countries and achieved sales of chf 710 million in 2008 . von roll is a global market leader in the areas of insulation products and systems for the electrical machinery industry as well as in the production of composite materials and components for industrial applications . in addition von roll provides thermal and fire resistant insulation products which are used in cable manufacturing and in the electronics industry . von roll therefore covers the entire value creation chain from engineering and production to application . the operating activities of von roll holding ag are split into three segments von roll insulation formerly electrical von roll composites formerly industrial and von roll elco transformers which was created in the fourth quarter of 2008 . von roll insulation produces and markets electrical insulation materials for large scale generators high voltage rotating machines wind turbines traction and machine motors for low voltage rotating machines and transformers . products in this segment include enamelled wires and coils resins and varnishes mica tapes and rigid and flexible laminates . von roll supplies both individual products and complete insulation systems . von roll composites provides products and services that focus on the mechanical thermal and chemical properties of insulating materials . the segment is divided into the product lines composite materials moulded parts and cables mainly fire resistant . the latest segment von roll transformers creates and supplies solutions for power transmission and distribution . this includes the installation maintenance and repair of high voltage transformers up to 850 mva in particular and of mid size and small transformers . the product range also includes distribution transformers mobile substations for temporary use for example in disaster situations and special transformers developed for the specific requirements of the electrochemical industry for instance . furthermore von roll offers various services in the areas of consulting and testing . these include consulting on the special design of workplaces the optimisation of manufacturing processes the reorganisation of production flows the layout of plants turnkey projects the reengineering of electrical insulation systems the introduction of complete electrical insulation systems and the training of operators and engineers . von roll has laboratories where it tests systems and materials in the field of electrical insulating materials and electrical insulation systems . the high voltage laboratory in breitenbach switzerland is specialised in the mechanical and electrical testing of high voltage materials and systems . the ul laboratory in schenectady usa focuses on all types of ul testing for low and medium voltages mostly ul 1446 testing . von roll seilbahnen ag edit von roll seilbahnen ag was the aerial tramway and cableway division that was sold to austrian manufacturer doppelmayr in 1996 . products edit perhaps von roll s best known product was the type 101 sky ride that operated in many amusement parks . a total of over 100 were installed ; as of 2008 only ten remained operational . on december 30 1954 felseneggbahn was opened . it was built by von roll in seven months for one million swiss francs . it still runs and on march 31 2010 it carried its 10 millionth passenger . 2 the disneyland skyway was von roll s first aerial ropeway in the united states . it opened on june 23 1956 and closed on november 9 1994 . operating von roll type 101s edit ride name opened park name location notes ref s krupka kom sky ride 1952 lanov dr ha krupka krupka czech republic jennerbahn 1953 berchtesgaden national park berchtesgaden bavaria germany felseneggbahn 1954 lake z rich canton of z rich switzerland 2 lake louise gondola 1959 lake louise lake louise alberta canada skyride 1962 cedar point sandusky ohio uses former frontier lift cabins 3 skyride 1962 superland rishon lezion israel skyride 1964 minnesota state fair falcon heights minnesota skyride 1965 tulsa state fairgrounds tulsa oklahoma bayside skyride 1967 seaworld san diego san diego california round trip ride 4 sky buckets 1968 six flags over georgia austell georgia 5 skyfari 1969 san diego zoo san diego california skyride 1974 busch gardens tampa tampa florida 6 skyway 1974 six flags great adventure jackson township new jersey originally built for the 1964 world s fair in queens sky lift 1974 taman safari bogor indonesia aeronaut skyride 1975 busch gardens williamsburg williamsburg virginia 3 stations all one way delta flyer eagle s flight 1975 california s great america santa clara california skyride 1980 washington state fair puyallup washington originally built for the 1962 seattle world s fair cableway 1995 national coffee park quind o department columbia combination ride of bronx zoo and knoxville world s fair rides former von roll type 101 s edit ride name opened closed park name location notes ref s alpine swiss skyride 1963 1994 aquarena springs san marcos texas closed in 1994 removed in 2013 astrolift 1967 1981 six flags over georgia austell georgia 7 astrolift 1961 1981 six flags over texas arlington texas removed over safety concerns astroway 1967 2005 six flags astroworld houston texas demolished along with the park brussels world s fair skyride 1960 1976 lakeland memphis tennessee delta flyer eagle s flight 1976 1984 six flags great america gurnee illinois frontier lift 1968 1985 cedar point sandusky ohio cabins used on skyride removed for iron dragon gondola skyride 1982 world s fair 1982 knoxville tennessee relocated to parque nacional del caf new england sky way 1973 2014 six flags new england agawam massachusetts built in 1963 at coney island brooklyn ny removed to build wicked cyclone ocean skyway 1958 1967 pacific ocean park santa monica california relocated to legend city phoenix az as sky ride 8 ore buckets 1960 1994 freedomland usa bronx new york towers are used at great adventure jackson nj satellite 1968 1983 legend city phoenix arizona skyfari 1972 2009 bronx zoo bronx new york relocated to parque nacional del caf skyride 1964 1999 brackenridge park san antonio texas closed in 1999 removed in 2002 due to maintenance costs skyride 1965 1971 coney island cincinnati ohio relocated to kings island skyride 1968 hemisfair 68 san antonio texas continued operation after fair closure skyride 1972 1979 kings island kings mill ohio relocated from coney island cincinnati oh skyride 1967 2004 la ronde montreal quebec canada built for 1967 world s fair stations still exist skyride 1972 1997 opryland nashville tennessee skyride 1966 1975 pirates world dania florida skyway 1956 1994 disneyland anaheim california removed due to stress cracks in matterhorn battery skyway 1971 1999 magic kingdom lake buena vista florida skyway 1983 1998 tokyo disneyland urayasu chiba japan sky way 1971 1981 six flags st. louis eureka missouri removed after accident on july 26 1978 . 3 killed and 1 seriously injured after a car fell from the ride . southern cross 1977 1983 six flags great america gurnee illinois space ride 1963 1967 riverview park chicago illinois swiss skyride 1964 1979 fair park state fair of texas dallas texas removed after accident 1 killed union 76 skyride 1962 1980 century 21 exposition seattle washington ran at seattle center relocated to washington state fair monorail edit the mk ii and mk iii monorail automated people mover apm systems were installed in a variety of locations before the technology was sold to adtranz later bombardier which continues to supply the parts for the monorail systems . the monorail cars at alton towers theme park in england were built for expo 86 in vancouver bc canada . von roll also manufactured the old sentosa monorail in sentosa island singapore in 1982 which closed down in march 2005 . the jurong bird park panorail in jurong bird park singapore is a four car straddle beam monorail that began operation in 1991 and ceased operations in 2012 . australia has had a total of four von roll monorail systems currently two are still in operation . a von roll mkii system is in operation at sea world theme park on the gold coast first monorail in australia which opened in 1986 whilst a mkiii monorail system operates in nearby broadbeach linking a shopping centre to a casino opened 1989 . another mkiii monorail system the metro monorail operated in sydney australia linking the city centre to darling harbour however monorail services ceased on 30 june 2013 9 it began operation on 21 july 1988 . 10 a mkii monorail system was also in operation during world expo 88 held in brisbane australia with a loop around the expo site at southbank . there is no trace of the monorail system at the site . space towers edit cedar point s space spiral astroworld s astroneedle and coney s space tower were built by willy b hler space towers company of berne switzerland with cabins by von roll . in 1971 intamin started marketing these towers and contracted these same companies to build them . willy b hler space towers was eventually acquired by von roll . see also edit von roll rack system references edit von