What Inflatable Images does

Inflatable Images is a privately held, family-owned custom inflatable manufacturer founded in 1981 and headquartered in a 70,000-square-foot facility in Brunswick, Ohio. The company designs, engineers, and produces made-to-order inflatables across six product categories: Custom Inflatables (arches, logos, characters/mascots, costumes, product replicas, beverage inflatables, hot-air-balloon shapes, shelters, fly guys), Crowd Engagement Inflatables (festival and concert installations, art and fashion pieces, photo opportunities, misting tents, pavilions, concessions), Inflatable Entrance Tunnels (standard, logo, helmet, mascot, breakaway, square), Interactive Inflatables (obstacle courses, games, slides, money machines, snow globes), Fire Safety Inflatables (including the trademarked Fire Safety House line), and Union Inflatables (including the exclusive trademarked Scabby the Rat).

Manufacturing is fully in-house and integrates 3D digital modeling, CAD pattern generation, Pantone-matched UV-resistant digital printing, precision cutting, industrial sewing, and welding/sealing. The company's revenue model is one-time, project-based custom manufacturing with quote-based pricing that scales with size, complexity, materials, and features; pricing is not publicly disclosed and customers submit specifications through website forms or direct contact. Distribution is direct-to-customer via the company's own national sales reps and worldwide shipping, supported by an owned e-commerce shop on scherba.mybigcommerce.com.

The company claims 20,000+ lifetime clients across verticals including advertising agencies, athletic departments, marketing directors, fire departments, and labor unions; named customers include Coachella, Marc Jacobs, Eric Emanuel, Hirshleifers, Converse, Vita Coco, Bubly, ESPN, Duolingo, and Cleveland Browns. Ownership remains with co-founders Robert Scherba (President) and David Scherba (Vice President); Caylie Scherba joined in 2018 and represents the third-generation leadership pipeline. No external funding, M&A, or AI capabilities are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Inflatable Images

Legal name

Inflatable Images

Website

https://inflatableimages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Inflatable Images is a family-owned custom inflatable manufacturer in Brunswick, Ohio, producing made-to-order marketing, sports, festival, fire-safety, and union protest inflatables in-house for brands, agencies, schools, fire departments, and labor unions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Inflatable Manufacturing

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Decor Props & Themed Set Rentals (HSACAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Balloon Decor & Installations (HSACAOAC)

Keywords

• Custom inflatable manufacturing
• Branded event inflatables
• Experiential marketing displays
• Inflatable entrance tunnels
• Union protest inflatables

Headquarters

HQ city

Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Inflatable Manufacturing: One-time custom manufacturing of inflatables to customer specifications. Pricing based on size, complexity, materials, and features. Includes design, production, and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Inflatable Images is a custom inflatable manufacturer that designs, engineers, prints, sews, and assembles branded inflatable products in its Ohio facility. Its offerings span entrance arches and tunnels, 3D mascots and characters, product replicas, beverage inflatables, hot air balloon shapes, shelters/tents, fly guys, crowd engagement and festival installations, interactive obstacle courses and games, fire safety training inflatables, and union protest inflatables including the trademarked Scabby the Rat.

Product overview

Inflatable Images is a custom inflatable manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of inflatable products across six main categories: Custom Inflatables (arches, logos, characters, mascots, costumes, product replicas, beverage inflatables, hot air balloons, shelters, fly guys), Crowd Engagement Inflatables (festival/concert installations, art/fashion pieces, photo opportunities, misting tents, pavilions, concessions), Inflatable Entrance Tunnels (standard, logo, helmet, mascot, breakaway, square styles), Interactive Inflatables (obstacle courses, sports games, slides, money machines, snow globes), Fire Safety Inflatables (safety houses, community safety houses, donation boots, costumes), and Union Inflatables (Scabby the Rat, fat cats, protest pigs, custom designs). All products are custom-manufactured in the company's Ohio facility using 3D modeling, digital printing, and precision sewing. The company serves brands, sports teams, event organizers, fire departments, and labor unions across the United States and worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Inflatables Premium custom-designed inflatable products including arches, logos, characters, mascots, costumes, product replicas, beverage inflatables, hot air balloon shapes, shelters, tents, and fly guys. All products are custom-built to client specifications with in-house design, printing, and assembly, serving brands, agencies, and event organizers.
• Crowd Engagement Inflatables High-impact inflatables for transforming events into interactive experiences, including festival and concert installations, art installations, event inflatables, photo opportunities, misting tents, pavilions, and concessions. Designed for event organizers and experiential marketers.
• Inflatable Entrance Tunnels Custom inflatable entrance tunnels for sports teams, races, and events including standard, logo, helmet, mascot, breakaway, and square tunnel styles. Built for dramatic pregame entrances and high-visibility event openings.
• Interactive Inflatables Engaging inflatable products for audience participation including obstacle courses, sports games, slides, climbing structures, money machines, and snow globes, used at fairs, festivals, schools, and corporate events.
• Fire Safety Inflatables Educational inflatable products for fire departments and schools teaching safety skills, including smoke simulation houses, learning stations, and community outreach structures. Built for fire prevention and public education.
• Union Inflatables Protest and advocacy inflatables for labor unions including the trademarked Scabby the Rat, Corporate Fat Cat, protest pigs, and custom union demonstration figures. Built for picket lines, rallies, and labor demonstrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by over 20,000 clients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Scion ConsultingminorOthersListed as the company powering Inflatable Images' website technology. Scion Consulting appears to provide web development/technical services for the company's online presence.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 4imprint: Large publicly traded promotional products distributor with an inflatable product line among many categories—broader scale and portfolio, but overlapping customer need for branded physical marketing and event assets.
• HALO Branded Solutions: Major US-based branded merchandise distributor that includes custom inflatables as part of a broad promotional products suite—comparable customer base of agencies and enterprise marketing teams, though inflatables are one of many categories.

Direct peers

• Landmark Creations: Custom inflatable manufacturer specializing in promotional and event inflatables for brands and agencies—a directly comparable product mix (mascots, arches, product replicas, tunnels) targeting the same enterprise and agency customer base.
• Air Dimensional: Custom inflatable design and manufacturing company serving brand activations, sports, and entertainment—directly overlapping in 3D modeling, custom builds, and brand-campaign use cases for marquee consumer accounts.
• Inflatable Design Group (IDG): Design-forward custom inflatable manufacturer serving agencies, brands, and sports teams—directly overlapping product categories including mascots, tunnels, arches, and product replicas for enterprise customers.
• Bigger Than Life Inflatables: Specialty custom inflatable maker focused on large-scale promotional and event inflatables—a directly comparable enterprise customer profile and product mix across brand activations, festivals, and sports events.
• East Inflatables: Custom inflatable producer with a comparable B2B model serving ad agencies and event organizers across the US, directly competing in custom arch, character, and product replica categories for activation campaigns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6lsrbYnMldDPvxeQAvbhdA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inflatable-images
• Pinterestpinterest.com/inflatableimage
• Xx.com/InflatableImage
• Facebookfacebook.com/InflatableImages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inflatable Images