JoBlo Media founder joins Montréal pinball company North Star Coin Machine Co. to finance expansion

Last Updated on November 2, 2023

JoBlo Media and NORTH STAR COIN MACHINE CO. are joining forces to bring the joy of pinball to more pinheads in Montréal, Canada! On Monday, NORTH STAR COIN MACHINE CO. announced a new partnership with JoBlo CEO and resident pinball wizard Berge Garabedian (aka JoBlo) to fund an expansion of the amusement and arcade arena. After working with the City of Montréal to make pinball legal after decades of laws against it, NORTH STAR COIN MACHINE CO. expanded pinball and arcade machines around the city, bringing the joy of manipulating plungers, flippers, and bumpers to several locations, including Time Out Market, Centre Bell, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, and more!

Mr. Garabedian joins previous investors Charles Bombardier and Justin Evans (co-founder of Landr.com), and the primary executive team of Adam Kiesler and Charlotte Fillmore-Handlon for this exciting new venture.

“The world is in a bad place these days. People want to get away and just let loose, enjoy the day-to-day and that’s where a company like North Star comes in,” Garabedian said as part of an official press release. “I’m very proud to be a part of a team who’ve being doing an incredible job of cultivating happiness in the world, while building a highly profitable business at the same time. Watching their accelerated growth after surviving the Covid shutdowns has gotten me very excited to join this team and help them reach the next level.”

With Mr. Garabedian on board, NORTH STAR COIN MACHINE CO. aims to introduce more opportunities to enjoy the thrill of gaming in select parts of Montréal, such as the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. The expansion also strives to increase its presence in multiple Montréal brew pubs and enable the launch of a new large-scale arcade location in Montréal.

“I consider myself very lucky to have found a passion in my life that I was able to make a living from as an adult,” Garabedian said while taking stock in his hard work to build an essential and creative corner of the entertainment industry. “One that allowed me to combine my pure love of movies with my entrepreneurial business background. Today I’m happy to announce a new investment that allows me to partner with the best pinball/arcade company in all of Montreal, Canada, dudes who had to take the city to court in order to get pinball back in the bars! Gotta love it.”

In addition to founding JoBlo.com, producing film projects, and establishing an expansive YouTube network focusing on the film and entertainment industry, Mr. Garabedian is an avid pinball and arcade cabinet player, libation enthusiast, and a hell of a Halloween party planner. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to his place, prepare for an evening of pinball, delicious beer, and a showcase of movie memorabilia (pictured above).

This new pact marks the beginning of an exciting era for pinball and arcade gaming. Put your quarters up, and shoot for the high score! If you’d like to see more of what North Star is all about, check out their Instagram below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by North Star Pinball (@northstarpinball)