The Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA) supports not only the amusement industry, but also community, civic, and many other nonprofit organizations, along with agricultural fairs across the nation. Representing more than 2,500 members, including 200 carnivals, 15 circuses, and hundreds of traveling food and game concessionaires throughout the United States, the organization celebrates the economic and social contributions of the traveling amusement industry.
One important way OABA recognizes those contributions is through the annual selection of industry members to receive the OABA Industry Pioneer Award and induction into the OABA Hall of Fame.
According to communications coordinator Dawn Chipman, both honors recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the industry. “In order to join the OABA Hall of Fame, an individual must have been in the outdoor amusement business for a minimum of 20 years and made significant contributions to the preservation, leadership, education, or design and technical services of our industry,” she explains.
Chipman adds that the OABA Industry Pioneer Award honors a member who has made a unique contribution and significantly changed or improved the mobile amusement industry.
This year, the organization honored Bobby Pugh and Bob Hauser as Hall of Fame inductees, while Ron Porter received the Industry Pioneer Award.
“Every candidate has done unique things to improve our industry.”
OABA President and CEO Greg Chiecko notes that each recipient has made meaningful contributions to the industry. “Every candidate has done unique things to improve our industry. Bobby Pugh has raised the bar in the quality and appearance of our shows. He has also contributed time, talent, and resources to our organization on many issues. Bob Hauser built a quality show in Canada and focused strongly on ride safety and equipment quality. He participated in major safety programs in both the United States and Canada. Ron Porter, our Industry Pioneer Award recipient, built a food and concession supply company based on quality service and a deep understanding of the portable amusement business. He is a true partner to both customers and employees.”
Bobby Pugh: Raising the Bar on the Midway
Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Bob Pugh grew up watching the midway rise on the town's fairgrounds. That early fascination led him toward the amusement industry even while working in his family's auto salvage and motor transportation businesses. Recognizing both the opportunity and his son's interest, Pugh's father purchased a new Tilt-A-Whirl and combined it with kiddie rides owned by the local Gooding Amusements. Pugh went on the road with the Tilt-A-Whirl and quickly fell in love with carnival life.
Father and son soon committed fully to the business, investing $100,000 in five rides and generators. Pugh built the ticket boxes and wired the show, launching what became the Pugh Amusement Company.
Over the years, Pugh helped modernize the midway by introducing staff uniforms and promoting new ideas such as “pay one price” ride promotions. He also formed a long-standing friendship and business partnership with Rick Reithoffer of Reithoffer Shows.
Now retired, Pugh describes himself as an “old school carnival guy living in the modern world,” and says he still enjoys meeting the many wonderful people encountered along the midway.
Robert F. Hauser: Building a Premier Traveling Midway
Fellow inductee Robert F. Hauser grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He and his sister were born into their parents' well-known animal show, which traveled throughout Canada with exotic animals that were treated like members of the family.
His passion for the carnival industry emerged early. He began with a homemade “Pitch 'Til You Win” game and later purchased his own Paratrooper ride, which led to the creation of his own West Coast Amusements unit at just 19 years old.
Hauser set out to create what he called the best traveling midway in Canada. Alongside his work with West Coast Amusements, he collaborated with North American Midway and Funtastic. He became widely known for his meticulous maintenance standards and commitment to equipment quality.
Operating from a 76,000-square-foot workspace, Hauser maintained equipment so well that it was often selected for use in industry seminars and even appeared in films such as Carpool and Catwoman. He also served in several industry organizations, including the Northwest Showmen's Club and the Royal Hawaiian Showmen's Club. The Northwest Showmen's Club honored him with its Show Person of the Year award.
Ron Porter: Supplying the Midway
Industry Pioneer Award recipient Ron Porter grew up in DuQuoin, Illinois, where he initially followed in his father's footsteps as a distributor of national food brands through Porter Produce. In 1993, however, a phone call from a concessionaire asking Porter to deliver food to the Tulsa, Oklahoma fairgrounds changed the course of his career.
Porter quickly recognized that midway concessionaires had significant unmet needs when it came to food supplies. He founded Fare Foods to meet the specialized requirements of the fair industry. The company's product line expanded to include everything from branded cups and packaging to exclusive funnel cake and corn dog coating mixes.
Porter developed a reputation for understanding exactly what concessionaire customers needed, both in products and service. Many customers became close friends and trusted partners. Porter also traveled extensively to ensure that concessionaires had the supplies they needed, embracing the industry's guiding principle that the show must go on.
In addition to his business leadership, Porter served on the Showmen's League of America and later as its president, where he emphasized mentoring young people and supporting the next generation of industry professionals.
Honoring Industry Leadership
Together, the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees and Industry Pioneer Award recipient reflect the spirit and mission of OABA.
As Chiecko explains, “The OABA stands as the member-based association for the outdoor portable amusement industry through advocacy, education, and leadership. Whatever issues our members face, we tackle them with professionalism and dedication.”
