Monday, December 17, 2012 — For several years families and events have turned to All 4 Fun Inflatables for adding fun to their parties, festivals and church fellowships.

At the end of November, All 4 Fun took its business to a new level, moving into the shopping plaza on U.S. 52 next to Gold’s Gym and increasing its offerings to include batting cages, paintball and laser tag.

Owners Brian and Kathy Taylor hope that their expansion provides a healthy source of fun for the community.

“When the best thing (kids) can do is go sit, and hang out, we got issues,” Kathy Taylor said.

“That had a lot to do with it.”

“The goal is to provide something for youth to do. Nothing here before really other than skating,” added  Brian Taylor, who is the fire marshal for the city of Albemarle.

It was Kathy who really started the business about 10 years ago. At the time, she was a fundraising consultant working for Reader’s Digest, and often was responsible for gathering entertainment for fundraising efforts.

“I’d have to rent (inflatables),” she said.

“They were always dirty, tore up or late.”

Knowing she could do better, she decided to buy her own.

“I decided to buy my own so I knew that they would be clean and in good condition,” she said.

Since that time, she has added to her collection, now owning about 20 inflatables ever since she started with the standard “Moon Bounce.”

The business has continued to do family parties, and will continue to offer that service in the future, but their move indoors will allow them to do even more.

“We’ve been trying to do this for five years, and something’s always gotten in the way,” she said.

“It’s not just we had a whim and decided to try it one day. It’s been a lot of years of prep work to get here.”

Members of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce, elected officials and special guests were in attendance at a ribbon cutting for the business Thursday afternoon.

“This is a great occassion and a great crowd,” Chamber of Commerce Chairman Matt Smith said.

“It’s good to have something so spectacular in Albemarle. We wish you guys lots of success.

“I bet you guys see a lot kids’ eyes get big when they walk into this place. You’re making great use of the space.”

“It’s good to see people employed and this building being used,” Stanly County Commissioner Peter Ascuitto said.

In honor of their recent opening and ribbon cutting, All 4 Fun Inflatables is running a $3 off coupon on admission to the inflatables in local newspapers.

Also, All 4 Fun is sponsoring a membership drive with Gold’s Gym in Albemarle, just a couple of doors down.

With a family membership to Gold’s, members will be able to drop their kids off at All 4 Fun while the adults go work out at the gym.

In their new facility measuring about 19,500 square feet, they keep about seven inflatables indoors, with the others stocked outside and ready to use for events.

But with their batting cages and ability to host paintball and laser tag behind the facility, All 4 Fun Inflatables can offer something for people of all ages, in particular teenagers.

The Taylors are committed to keeping their business current and up to date, already offering what they call Teen Time, where ages 21 and under can gather for events such as the cornhole tournament they hosted last weekend after normal closing hours.

But All 4 Fun didn’t want to appeal to just the roughhouse play of boys bouncing around obstacle courses or the art of war going on behind the building on the paintball fields. To add some balance, Kathy set up the “Mad Hatters Tea Party,” a room modeled after “Alice in Wonderland,” with additions of a corner set aside for hair and nails.

With activity going on throughout the building, All 4 Fun has worked to keep safety a priority. Each year, All 4 Fun has to pass safety inspections through the N.C. Department of Labor, assuring that all equipment does not pose any unnecessary safety risks.

“They inspect us yearly to make sure we’re up to date on everything,” she said.

“We do our inspections each year and all employees are trained, and they do nightly inspections to make sure everything is good with the equipment.

“We’re pretty into the safety part of it. I have kids myself and that’s what got me into the business.”

All 4 Fun Inflatables, Batting Cages and More is at 1454 US 52 North and can be reached online at www.All4funinflatables.com and on Facebook.

Staff writer Ian Faulkner contributed to this story.