BSI Business of the Week: Space Walk of Cedar Rapids

Fun Thrives Despite Tough Times

Despite changes that have affected the Cedar Rapids community in recent years, at least one thing remains the same – people like parties. Space Walk of Cedar Rapids can attest to that fact with sales increasing steadily by 15 percent every year. The company is one of the nation's most recognized providers for inflatable amusement rentals, with the Cedar Rapids location being the only branch in Iowa.            Space Walk was founded by John Scurlock, a physics professor at Centenary College in Shreveport, La. His idea to develop the first inflatable ride was conceived after seeing his students jumping on a partially inflated dome of a tennis court that he was working on.Space Walk Cedar Rapids Manager Dave Lundon finds his job rewarding when he sees the reaction of kids as the company arrives to set up for a party. Inflatable items available include a giant slide, obstacle course, joust, bungee run, Velcro wall, inflatable jam box, giant boxing gloves, and a dunk tank. A customer favorite is the rock climbing slide, while Lundon says he prefers the laser tag maize. With over 35 pieces in his collection, Lundon says there's a little something for everyone for every kind of party or corporate event.Even with all of the fun surrounding the business, there have still been obstacles. Lundon's property was zoned residential and commercial, so when the flood of 2008 hit Cedar Rapids, he was forced to leave not just his business, but his home, too. “The last night my wife and I were in our home we got about two hours of sleep,” Lundon recalled. “We could hear the basement floor cracking all night and suddenly a geyser appeared.”The building's basement floor buckled and what was once a home and a growing business for the Lundon family is now an empty building. According to Lundon, a contractor assessed the property and determined the building is fixable, but repairs are too costly at this time.Space Walk of Cedar Rapids was even able to keep operations going during the flood. Lundon had enough advanced notice from the flood predictions that he was able to notify customers of the impending disaster and deliver inflatables prior to the event. With June being the busiest month for the supplier, Lundon was kept on his toes, making every effort to provide for his customers. Even when he wasn't able to travel to locations, he provided instructions for setting up over the phone. While some June events were cancelled due to the circumstances, business increased by 30 percent in July 2008 in comparison with July 2007 sales.As Lundon looks to the future, he hopes to expand his business, but first he must find a solution for his building. He hopes one day to have a facility that is open year-round with inflatables and parties held at the location.“The entire situation has been a learning experience,” Lundon said. “People have been helping people in ways they never would except in tragedy. Eventually our community and our businesses will be better off and more prepared if this situation happened again.”

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