An icon of the US amusement games industry has passed. Al Kress, founder of Benchmark has died at the age of 80 from complications following a fall at his home in Florida, US.
Al was in hospital at Palm Beach with pneumonia, following the fall at his home in late August.
In a report by our colleagues at RePlay magazine, another veteran of the industry, Paul Jacobs, a friend and neighbour of Al, said: “Al was one of those rare guys who checked all the boxes in this business, manufacturer, distributor and operator.”
Al remained active in the business with his Benchmark Games company right up to a couple of years ago when it was acquired by Belgium’s Elaut, the leading crane machine maker.
In a very long and distinguished career, Al Kress has many milestones, but one of the key ones was his presidency of the trade association, AAMA.
His funeral takes place tomorrow (Friday, September 16) at St Christopher Church in Hobe Sound, Florida and then at the Aycock-Riverside Funeral and Cremation Center in Jupiter.
Al is pictured here at an IAAPA show with Bay Tek’s Larry Treankler.
