Building Quality, Efficiency, and Pride l Bay Tek Entertainment

At Bay Tek Entertainment, our story has always been one of craftsmanship and care. Founded in 1977 in Pulaski, Wisconsin, we’re a family-owned manufacturer driven to provide fun and profit through innovative arcade games. But behind every game that lights up a family entertainment center is a team of people dedicated to something deeper, manufacturing excellence. Our journey toward greater efficiency and world-class quality isn’t just about productivity metrics; it’s about building a culture where pride, teamwork, and continuous improvement come together to deliver products that make people smile.

A New Chapter in Continuous Improvement

Before 2023, our manufacturing focus was simple: build the best games and keep them moving them from assembly to packaging and through shipping. Orders were strong, production was steady, and our teams worked tirelessly to meet demand. But like any company that values excellence, we knew there was more potential to improve within our process.

In 2024, Renee Day, our Manufacturing Manager, and her team took a hard look at how we worked from the time a cabinet was assembled to the quality assurance test. Through a combination of detailed time studies, open and honest conversations, and an open-minded willingness to change, we uncovered opportunities to become more efficient, maintain our product quality, and do all of this with a priority on safety.

One of the most important changes came when our teams adopted a “move to the work” approach. Instead of staying fixed to one area or dedicated production line, our people began to help wherever they were needed most. Moving around the facility to balance the flow and keep things running smoothly.

This shift also allowed us to rethink how we structured our lines. In the past, each line specialized in a specific type of game. Today, our lines are flexible and able to adapt quickly to whatever game comes next, whether it’s a wheel game, sports game, or video game. That adaptability has not only improved efficiency but has also built stronger collaboration across our teams.

“We didn’t just want to build more games,” says Day. “We wanted to understand exactly how long each game took to build and what level of quality we were truly putting out.”

Armed with those insights, Bay Tek restructured production scheduling and the results spoke for themselves: from 2024 to 2025, we reduced overtime by 66% without any change in our quality and safety metrics.

Quality First, Every Day

In manufacturing, “quality” isn’t a department; it’s a mindset. Over the past two years, our team has made quality conversations part of the daily rhythm on the shop floor. Every build meeting starts with discussions around what went right, what could improve, and how we can ensure the next game is even better.

This simple shift, from reacting to defects to proactively preventing them, has dramatically reduced rework, increased output, and built deeper pride across every production cell. Today, our operators don’t just assemble games; they own the quality of the final product.

“Talking about quality every day has changed everything,” Day explains. “It’s no longer just something we check at the end; it’s something we protect at every step of the build process.”

That shared accountability has strengthened communication between teams and created a culture where success is measured not only in units produced but in craftsmanship and consistency.

Built by People Who Care

At Bay Tek, manufacturing excellence isn’t a goal, it’s an ongoing journey shaped by people who take pride in doing things right the first time. Each employee, from manufacturing engineer to line assembler, plays a role in ensuring that every game we ship represents our corporate values: Fun, Innovation, Leadership, Trust, Excellence, and Respect.

These values aren’t just painted on a wall. They guide how we solve problems, train new team members, and support one another. They’re what keep our games performing flawlessly in arcades around the world and what keep our people growing together in Pulaski, Wisconsin.

As we move forward, one thing remains constant: our commitment to excellence that never sacrifices quality for speed, and to people who never stop learning, helping, and building together. Because at Bay Tek Entertainment, manufacturing isn’t just about making games it’s about making a difference.

Interested in joining a company that builds with purpose?Explore career opportunities at Bay Tek Entertainment and see how you can help us create awesome entertainment while being part of a team that takes pride in quality, efficiency, and the joy of building something that makes people smile.