JCO

What JCO does

JCO is a privately held themed entertainment planning and design consultancy headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, founded by Jumana Brodersen. The firm designs immersive environments for theme parks, water parks, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and marine mammal parks worldwide. Its core service offering covers the full project lifecycle through four practice areas: Long Range Planning (project briefs, design criteria, destination assessments, and concept-level master plans), Concept Design and Development (refining the central creative idea into bid-ready deliverables with local architects and engineers), Architectural Services (working drawings, specifications, building permits, contractor solicitation, contract negotiation, and construction administration delivered via licensed architect Steve Tozer), and Project Management (construction-phase supervision to preserve original design intent).

The firm's competitive basis is human expertise rather than technology: a small core team in Saint Louis is augmented by a network of affiliated specialists including theming designers, illustrators, exhibit designers, brand strategists/writers, and animal behavior experts sourced from senior roles at SeaWorld/Busch Entertainment and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Revenue is generated through professional service fees billed on a custom project basis, with engagements typically spanning multiple years from concept through construction completion. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored to scope.

JCO serves an enterprise B2B buyer base including major theme park operators (SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Herschend Family Entertainment), destination attractions (Tivoli Gardens, Holiday World), zoo and aquarium operators (Saint Louis Zoo, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, The Florida Aquarium), Middle East hospitality and entertainment venues (Emirates Palace, Jumeirah/Wild Wadi), Chinese developers (Wanda Cultural Tourism Planning and Research Institute), and cultural institutions (Missouri Botanical Garden). The firm operates globally through direct client engagement led by Jumana Brodersen and business development lead Leo Liu (China), maintaining affiliations with AZA, IAAPA, TEA, and AIA to access industry decision-makers. Distribution is relationship-driven and enterprise field sales, supported by a company website and organic social presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Name

JCO

Legal name

JCO

Website

https://thejco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JCO is a Saint Louis-based themed entertainment design consultancy providing master planning, concept design, architectural services, and project management for theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums, and marine mammal parks worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Themed Entertainment Design Services

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)

Keywords

• Themed entertainment design
• Master planning services
• Immersive environment design
• Animal habitat design
• Attraction design consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design and Planning Services: Design and management services for themed entertainment development from concept through completion. Services include long-range planning, concept design, architectural services, and project management. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design engagements, likely billed on a project basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

JCO is a themed entertainment planning and design firm that creates immersive environments for theme parks, water parks, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and marine mammal parks. The firm provides four core services: Long Range Planning (pre-design, master plans, and land use), Concept Design and Development (refining the big idea into bid-ready deliverables), full Architectural Services (working drawings, specifications, and building permits), and Project Management through construction completion. Projects span master planning, attraction design, animal habitat design, observation wheel developments, and themed retail and dining environments worldwide.

Product overview

JCO is a themed entertainment planning and design company providing comprehensive design and management services for themed environments including theme parks, water parks, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and marine mammal parks worldwide. Their core service offerings include Long Range Planning, Concept Design and Development, Architectural Services, and Project Management. Projects range from master planning and concept design through full architectural services and construction administration, serving clients globally including water parks (Wild Wadi, Wuxi Indoor Waterpark, Chongqing Indoor Waterpark), aquariums (Chongqing Indoor Aquarium, Jinan Indoor Aquarium, Guilin Ocean Park), animal habitats (Saint Louis Zoo River's Edge, Florida Wilds), observation wheels (Broadway 360, Pier Park Skywheel), and themed retail/dining spaces (Santa's Marketplace).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long Range Planning Pre-design services for themed entertainment projects including project brief formulation, design criteria definition, product strategy, benchmarking, destination assessments, land use plans, and concept-level master plans. Intended for owners and developers of theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums, and marine mammal parks.
• Concept Design and Development Develops the core creative idea based on design principles, defines project scope, refines design, creates detailed drawings, and partners with local architects and engineers to deliver bid-ready packages. Used by entertainment venue operators seeking to bring themed concepts to actionable design.
• Architectural Services Full-service preparation of contract documents including detailed working drawings, specifications, building permits, contractor solicitation, contract negotiation, and construction administration. Delivered by licensed architect Steve Tozer as principal-in-charge for JCO projects requiring full architectural services.
• Project Management Supervision throughout the construction phase to ensure the original design intent and guest-focused goals are met. Provided to entertainment venue clients during construction of themed attractions, habitats, and park developments.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums)coreOthersJCO maintains affiliation with AZA, a leading organization for zoos and aquariums, supporting their work in animal habitat design and conservation-focused exhibit design for member institutions.
• IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions)coreOthersJCO maintains affiliation with IAAPA, the global trade association for the attractions industry, supporting their themed entertainment design services worldwide.
• TEA (Themed Entertainment Association)coreOthersJCO maintains affiliation with TEA, the international organization representing the themed entertainment industry, connecting them with industry peers and standards.
• AIA (American Institute of Architects)coreOthersJCO maintains affiliation with AIA, supporting their architectural services. Steve Tozer is a licensed architect and AIA member serving as principal-in-charge for projects requiring full architectural services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ITEC Entertainment: Theme park design, production, and project management firm serving global operators. Comparable end-to-end service model and client roster of major parks and attractions.
• Thinkwell Group: Boutique-to-mid-sized master planning and design firm for theme parks, museums, and destination attractions. Most directly comparable to JCO in service mix (planning, concept design, production) and client profile (global entertainment operators).
• PGAV Destinations: Master planning and design consultancy for theme parks, attractions, and resorts. Competes with JCO on master planning, concept development, and attraction design for zoos, aquariums, and theme parks.
• Forrec: Design and planning consultancy specializing in theme parks, water parks, and resorts globally. Overlaps with JCO's master planning, attraction design, and waterpark concept work.
• BRC Imagination Arts: Design and production firm for themed attractions, museums, and brand experiences. Overlaps with JCO in immersive environment design for entertainment venues and interpretive/exhibit-heavy projects.
• Legacy Entertainment: Themed entertainment design and master planning firm with extensive indoor theme park and waterpark work in Asia, especially China. Closely comparable to JCO's China-anchored indoor waterpark and aquarium portfolio.
• Falcon's Beyond: Themed entertainment design and IP development firm working across attractions, resorts, and location-based entertainment. Comparable in offering concept-through-execution design services for global entertainment clients.

Broad incumbents

• Walt Disney Imagineering: Disney's in-house themed entertainment design and engineering arm. Serves as both a benchmark and indirect competitor; sets industry standards for themed design that JCO competes against for non-Disney projects.
• Stantec (Community Development / Urban Places): Global design and engineering consultancy with a community development practice touching parks, attractions, and destination planning. A larger incumbent that competes on integrated architecture and planning engagements.
• AECOM (Attractions & Destinations practice): Global engineering and design firm whose attractions and destinations practice competes on large theme park master planning and architecture. A broader incumbent with deeper pockets and ability to bundle architecture, engineering, and project management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theJCOdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-jco-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thejcodesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 JCO