The farm village of Benton, Wisconsin may be small, but it has a thriving business that creates fun for people around the world.

Advertisement Man quits job, succeeds in pinball-building business Spooky Pinball is one of just three pinball manufacturers in U.S. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The farm village of Benton, Wisconsin, may be small, but nestled amid the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin is a thriving business that creates fun for people around the world.And it all started just three years ago by a man looking for a change."When I left my old job, I had been there for 21 years, and to use the word 'terrifying' would be an understatement," Charlie Emery, the man behind Spooky Pinball LLC. explained.Emery transitioned from the printing industry to the pinball industry, and he grew the business to nine full-time employees who design, build and ship machines from a 5,000-square-foot building."I like pinball," said Lucas Kastner, one of Emery's senior employees. "I’m not good at it, but I like it."Kastner said the industry is bouncing back thanks to some dedicated fans. But making the machines isn’t easy. There are a lot of wiring and switches to deal with, and Emery and his crew constantly have to be on their game to avoid potential pitfalls."It’s like building a car," Emery said. "There’s a million parts in these things and you have to have every single thing right."Spooky’s first pinball machine was called "America’s Most Haunted." The company made 150 machines and sold them all. The next project is a Rob Zombie-themed pinball machine. Spooky Zombie is making 300 of them, but they are already sold out too. "We have a lot of games to build over the course of the next 12 to 18 months," Emery said.With business booming, Emery’s future is far from frightening."I have no plan B. I am playing pinball and building games the rest of my life. Period," he said.Spooky is one of just three pinball machine manufacturers in the U.S. Each of Emery's pinball machines sells for nearly $6,000. Get the WISN 12 NEWS app