THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
CONTENTS
VOL 20.2
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Chris Holmes
6 ISSUE AT HAND
26 COVER STORY
Be My Valentine
We Love Bowling! Still in love with the business of bowling after all these years
By Scott Frager
By Jackie Wyckoff
8 SHORTS
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Gregory Keer keer@bowlingindustry.com
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS Fred Groh Patty Heath Mark Miller Jackie Wyckoff
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Brent Dyer gets promoted Bowling in Kabul Boyd Gaming Corp. of NV Rewards Good Students Expansions, Openings, New Beginnings
holmes@bowlingindustry.com
34 CENTER STAGE The Perfect Match Calvin Linton falls head over heels for Atomic and Action Bowls
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
By Fred Groh
16 OPERATIONS Is it Time to Dump your Old ATM?
46 REMEMBER WHEN
Bringing your ATM into ADA compliance
1950s
By Mark Miller
26
The Saturday Evening Post “Covers” bowling
20 INDUSTRY NEWS So Long!
32 Showcase
The final sale of the old USBC headquarters in Wisconsin brings out a lot of emotion
36 Classifieds 44 Datebook
By Mark Miller
13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com
www.BowlingIndustry.com
HOTLINE: 888-424-2695 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders. POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, 13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2012, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
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February 2012
THE ISSUE AT HAND
Will you be my mine? I must admit I’m not really familiar with Saint Valentine and how he came to be known as the patron saint of lovers. But I sure do hope he bought himself some shares in Hallmark Cards or Hershey’s Chocolates. This month, we dedicate our issue to all the lovers out there. If you love God, family, country, friends, fellow mankind and puppies, every other issue of IBI is for you. But if you love your industry, I mean truly love the bowling business, this issue is really for you! For the past few years now, we’ve tried to put this cover story together. For one reason or another it never got past the flirting stage. This year our editorial director, Jackie (my wonderful wife), took this project under her wing to make it happen and get it done. And, our not-to-be-confused-withmy-bride, feature writer Jackie Wyckoff did an amazing job capturing the love and passion men and women from around the industry have for our business and sport. When I’m on the road or meeting someone for the first time, there is
always one “pick up line” I can use to break the ice: “What do you love about the bowling industry?” This query never lets me down. I always get an amazing array of answers and always get folks in the talking mood. So, what do you love about the bowling business? The customers? The staff? The livelihood? Fellow proprietors? Industry friends? I often hear how fortunate we are to be in the business of fun. This is a true and genuine feeling from those lucky enough to be in the trade. I’ve learned the bowling business is a lot like a long lasting relationship. In any given minute, it can be filled with love and happiness, and then the next can foster a sense of frustration like none other. Every human emotion is covered in any given bowling work week. How often do we really take the time to express our feelings in words and share them with others– the people we care about? Please share your valentine message to the industry by logging onto www.BowlingIndustry.com and clicking the forum question devoted to lovers. You’ll find my heartfelt message there. No offense to Hallmark or Hershey’s, but there’s no chocolate bar big enough nor greeting card cute enough to express the way I feel about bowling.
– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com CONGRATULATIONS go to Frank Wilkinson, the winner of IBI’s online center photo promotion! By sharing photos of Rab’s Country Lanes, Frank is the recipient of a FULL registration to Bowl Expo 2012 in Reno, NV. Want to be a WINNER? Invite your industry friends to become members. Remember, joining is FREE. Just click the INVITE button once you are online and follow the prompts. Easy peasy. For every person you invite who joins, you have an opportunity to win a FULL registration to Bowl Expo in June. The more people you invite and who join, the better your chances to win. The deadline is January 31. Just one more way IBI keeps bowling’s business people up-to-date and involved in the industry of bowling. 6
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SHORTS
US BOWLING’S DYER GETS BUMP UP Brent Dyer, longtime US Bowling staffer, has been promoted to senior vice president. According to Daroll Frewing, company CEO, “Brent’s been dynamite, earning the respect of our customers, our field staff, office staff and factory team.” Dyer will manage all manufacturing responsibilities while working hand-inhand with US Bowling’s sales team. Dyer’s new promotion will allow both Daroll and David Frewing, company president, to focus on company growth and new product development. “While we dominate on new center starts,” Daroll Frewing states, “we haven’t concentrated much on modernization and capital improvement jobs. We’re also going to create a strong, new product line to offer the bowling industry. Brent comes from a great business background and is a great leader. We’re extremely proud of his accomplishments.” Left to right: David Frewing, Brent Dyer and Daroll Frewing
Bowling before a Bowl Game Every football bowl competition needs an icebreaker before the action begins. Thunderbowl Bowling Center in Allen Park, MI, was the venue bringing Purdue and Western Michigan universities together before Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. The Purdue-WMU bowloff was a great way to show sportsmanship and have fun before meeting on the gridiron. Thunderbowl has 90 lanes with arcades and helped create a night of spirited and good natured sportsmanship. Information and logo courtesy of www.mypolishtimes.com and Jacek Urbanczyk.
Back in the Day Say Hannibal, MO, and the first thing that comes to mind might be Mark Twain’s endearing characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But did you know that bowling got a good start in Hannibal as well? The 1911 opening of the Hannibal YMCA building, now long gone, was a fine and splendid affair. According to the Hannibal Courier Post, ground was broken for the new Y on July 18, 1910, and over $75,000 was raised for the building in 10 days. Included in the amenities were two bowling “alleys.” They were installed by local carpenters with the aid of representatives of the Brunswick-BaikeCollender Co. of Chicago. Both were regulation alleys with pine beds, “which makes the fastest alleys in the world.” Now here’s the nostalgic part. The YMCA charged five cents per game and pool table rental was 20 cents per hour. Ah, the good ol’ days!
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SHORTS AMERICAN BOWLING
IN KABUL The Strikers, a new center is up and running in Shawr-e-Naw, a neighborhood located in Kabul, Afghanistan. After eight months of construction, the bowling venue boasts 12 lanes, a restaurant, and is owned by two Afghan-Canadian brothers and their sister.
EXPANSION, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS Million dollar Lanes in Williston, ND, said goodbye to 1995 and hello to 2012 with a new point-of-sale system, flat screens for the lanes, and cutting edge scoring software by QubicaAMF. Owners Bryan and Sheila Goehring have invested $200,000 in renovations including new hardwood flooring. Bryan Goehring said, “We’re just spending money on the things inside first.” Customers now have an interactive experience and can choose between twelve different animated themes.
Bowling is alive and well in Mount Kisco, NY, and Grand Prix New York is helping with a new 19-lane bowling center within its 118,000-square-foot indoor kart racing and entertainment facility. Spin Bowl, which opened in November, features electronic scoring, lane-side couch seating, television screens and club lighting with revolving strobe fixtures. Wes Snyder, installation foreman of Brunswick Bowling, said the center will be good for all types of players. Nat Mundy, a founder and vice president of sales and marketing for Grand Prix, said, “This is a family entertainment center, and what we are doing is adding high-end bowling to the mix.” One of the goals would be to host league play and championship games and to encourage team sport bowling at local schools.
Bowlers enjoy bowling in Kabul. Photo credit: Jonathan Saruk
“A” Incentive Nevada centers support academic achievement The bowling centers at Gold Coast, Sam’s Town and the Suncoast, which are part of Boyd Gaming Corporation of Nevada, have established a Making the Grade program. Students with A’s and B’s can receive free games of bowling. Every A entitles a student to two free games of bowling and one free game for every B. The program is open to all elementary, middle and high school students. The requirements to participate are a report card and registration in Kidz Klub, a free bowling rewards program. 10
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After 35 years of operation without renovation, Ute Lanes Bowling Center in Fort Duchesne, UT, is about to get a reincarnation with a projected re-opening in March 2012. Renovations will include 12 updated lanes, a full-service restaurant and meeting center with Wi-Fi access. Forrest Cuch, CEO of the Ute Tribal Enterprises stated that funding for the $1 million project came from the Ute Tribe Business Committee and the architectural design and construction portions were awarded to Richard VanLeeuwen Construction out of Salt Lake City.
Lewiston, MN, now has a new bowling center after L.A. Lanes went out of business a year and a half ago. Dawn and Kent Glover saw a growing need for entertainment in Lewiston and hope that Glover’s Spare Time will fill that bill. It was a big project Dawn said. “It was tear everything up, replace just about everything, and we’re still finding little things that need to be tweaked here and there.” Their first event will be a bowling tournament whose proceeds will go to the Ronald McDonald House. High fives to the Glovers!
Bartlett Lanes of Memphis, TN, will get a makeover in the form of new lanes, more food, games and a new name with a $3 million expansion and renovation expected to be completed in the summer of 2012. The center’s new name will be Andy B’s Bowling Center, named for owner Andy Bartholomy whose Bartholomy Bowling Centers owns the center and also Winchester Bowl in Memphis plus three centers in Oklahoma and three in Missouri. 12 new lanes will bring the total lanes to 44 with an additional 13,000 s/f of space for parties, and an expanded game room with pool tables. The renovated center will employ 30 new permanent employees for a total of about 60.
SHORTS
Media
WATCH
MCDONALD’S GAME Want to keep those little ones involved while eating their Happy Meals? Bowling “Pinguins” is the latest in McDonald’s keep ‘em busy activities on the Happy Meal container. Aficiandos can also get virtual bowling shirts and balls for their mPal.
NEW APP - BOWLING WIZARDS Nextwave Multimedia, an independent developer, via GamesPress and Gamasutra, has made available its latest bowling game. With six levels of play with in-app purchases, Bowling Wizards brings “concealed surprises, magic and daring challenges.” Fantasy abounds with the Evil Wiz and the Bright Lord along with Bowlons and Pines and you, the player, taking on the task of restoring peace and harmony to the world. It is available through Apple iTunes, the Android Market, Nokia Store, and Mac App Store.
WII BOWLING BALL CTA Digital offers a nearly full-sized bowling ball including a wrist strap to give your Wii game a “reality” feel. The rest is up to you. One caveat might be to hold on tight!
PEOPLEWATCHING Ebonite International announced the promotion of Brian Hickey to Vice President of Operations. Hickey, formerly Director of Quality and Manufacturing, has nearly twenty years of tenure at Ebonite. His new position will add the areas of Materials/Purchasing, Scheduling and Distribution to his current responsibilities managing plant operations. “Brian has always been an outstanding employee dedicated to Brian Hickey Ebonite International’s success,” said Randy Schickert, CEO. Hickey was involved in the acquisition of additional brands, including Columbia 300 and Track, and the recent move of pin production from Mexico to Hopkinsville. He was also credited with nearly three consecutive years of a workplace safety record.
XLI EDGE ARRIVES QubicaAMF Worldwide announced the release of the new Xli EDGE Pinspotter. Advancements include the patented EDGE Performance Lift and a new Pin Distributor Cam. Backed by extensive research, the company states the Xli EDGE is designed to make business easier for proprietors and technicians by solving the most prevalent market problems including the increasing operating costs of old machines and rising safety concerns. The EDGE Video Training Tool aids in staff training and support. Neil Pennington, product manager of performance equipment for Qubica AMF Worldwide, says “We are very excited about the introduction of the Xli EDGE. It is our most advanced pinspotter ever… .”
KEGEL’S NEW PINSETTER PARTS DIVISION Spring of 2012 will be the launch for Kegel’s new division and product line, Kegel Pinsetter Parts, focusing on parts for A-2 and GS pinsetters. Over the past seven months, Kegel has created an elite team of pinsetter mechanics to assist with R&D and future technical support. Don Agent, a former pinsetter mechanic and an employee of Kegel for 16 years, will be leading the project. A new facility has been established for this new line which is dedicated solely to the production of parts and includes a state of the art machine shop and a staff of highly skilled machinists. The first introduction will be a catalog of 40 common replacement parts for the A2 pinsetters. According to Kegel, “each and every part in this catalog will have been modified or improved from its original design, whether through simple improvements, use of completely new materials, or radical re-design of the way the machine operates. 12
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OPERATIONS
By Mark Miller
I
f your bowling center or pro shop has an automatic teller machine, you may need to upgrade or even replace it to meet new federal regulations taking effect March 15. The U.S. Justice Department's 2010 Standards for Accessible Design of Automatic Teller Machines and Fare Machines require that all ATMs be equipped with voice and Braille instructions and set low enough to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act . That means they must be accessible to people with sight or hearing disabilities or in wheelchairs. "The voice instructions are the biggest part of the new regulation," said Kurt Duhn, general manager of ATM Network, a Minneapolis company that sells and services ATM machines to industries including bowling. "You have to make it so people can plug in their own headphones." Talking ATMs have been around since the first installation in San Francisco on Oct. 1, 1999 with about 100,000 installed nationwide, primarily in banks. "Certain models can be upgraded and some can't based on their age. It's like a cellphone. Soon after you buy it, there's already a new model to replace it," Duhn said. "The newer the model, the easier and less expensive it will be to meet the guidelines. "There are easy ways to retrofit for Braille including adhering stickers which will make you compliant. Braille stickers cost $5-10. Voice command upgrade kits vary from $200 to $1,000.You can get a new unit for under $2,500. If you need a $1,000 repair and it does any business at all you are better off buying a new one." Because new units are Internet ready, Duhn said they can save the $40-60 a month in telephone charges older 16
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Kurt Duhn, General Manager of ATM Network based in Minneapolis.
OPERATIONS machines require. Plus new technology not only features color screens, but also space to sell advertising and recoup even more of the costs. "For a good location making a lot of money, it's a no-brainer," said Sargon Givargis, president of Los Angeles-based Credit Card Industry Inc. which has about two dozen bowling clients. "If it's in a location that doesn't generate a lot of transactions, like $100 a month, it's a very expensive decision." Sargon Givargis, president of Los Angeles-based Credit Card Givargis said it will cost Industry Inc. about another $500 to remove and recycle old machines. But considering the alternative, in most cases it's still a good deal. Duhn and Givargis said the penalties for non-compliance could be more than $50,000 plus additional money from any civil lawsuits. "We've heard from some merchants who have said 'I'll take my chances. I'm on Main Street in a small town and nobody will come here,' " Duhn said.
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"We're trying to persuade them to do it anyway." While the rules were published in the Federal Register on Sept. 15, 2010 and took effect March 15, 2011, compliance is required by March 15, 2012. You may be liable even if you don't own the machine. The Justice Department actually has had a regulation dating back to 1995 requiring ATMs be “accessible to and independently usable by” visually-impaired people. But the vagueness of the regulation, especially the "independently usable" part, has prompted many to even skip Braille instructions. Givargis said many ATMs changed about five years ago to meet credit card company anti-identity theft encryption rules. He added that smart card reader regulations are on the horizon but that today's technology already complies. ❖
Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound, Texas. He is the national and Dallas-Fort Worth bowling writer for Examiner.com and a columnist for the Bowling News Network.
INDUSTRY NEWS
SO LONG
NEIGHBOR Sale of old USBC property ends long chapter of bowling in Wisconsin. By Mark Miller
T
he final chapter of the United States Bowling Congress' move to Arlington, Texas, was written two days before Thanksgiving when the organization closed on the sale of the former Bowling Headquarters in Greendale, WI to Walmart. Public records indicate the property sold for $4 million, well below the $7-9 million real estate people said it was worth when it went on sale in 2008, just months before the nation's economy tanked. It also was less than the nearly $5.4 million overall cost to complete the complex in the 1970s. “I am glad we were able to get the deal done, particularly since selling a commercial property is very challenging in this economy,� said USBC Executive Director Stu Upson. "The proceeds from the sale will be put into reserves for future reinvestment into programs and initiatives." Even though USBC reported combined losses of more than $6.2 million in 2008-09 and 2009-10, Upson said they were unrelated to the property not selling then. "Our budget doesn't include anything from the sale of property," he said. "The losses were all operational." Greendale and the region lost a national headquarters and its more than 200 well-paying jobs but will benefit from the extra property taxes a profit-making company like Walmart will pay. Not so for USBC. "They got stung," said Greendale Village Manager Todd Michaels. "They basically did it at the worst time. Nobody could foree that. From our standpoint they paid for their decision." Michaels said Walmart is demolishing the former USBC headquarters and research and testing facility to make way for a 100,000-square-foot store and 383-space parking lot in the back and middle of the property and two separate buildings for other retail businesses in the front. "It will be similar to a regular Walmart," Michaels said. "Take a super Walmart and shrink it by 50 percent. It will not be like the speciality shops we mostly have here. We're a retail destination so it fits." 20
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Demolition was expected in late December or early January with Walmart hoping to have the new store open in 2012. "It was a piece of history," said Roger Dalkin, USBC's executive director from 2004-07 and American Bowling Congress executive director back to 1989. "That building was synonomous with the home and capital of bowling. We were proud of it. I enjoyed that. I couldn't wait to go there. The building stood for what we stood for. When the wrecking ball swings, some of the old employees will try to be there to cry on each others' shoulders." That will officially end the Milwaukee area's identity as the national symbol of the sport dating back to 1907. The Greendale property opened in 1972 when the former American Bowling Congress moved from another Milwaukee suburb and the Women's International Bowling Congress relocated from Columbus, OH. "The real reason for the move with WIBC was the two organizations decided they could save some money by being in the same building," said Jack Mordini, who worked for USBC and ABC for nearly 40 years and was the only person to work at the old Bowling Headquarters from
INDUSTRY NEWS when it opened to when it closed. "Growing up in Wisconsin, I was very proud to have in my hometown the place that provided service for up to eight million bowlers. Being a bowler, I was proud bowlers looked to Milwaukee at least for the administrative side of the sport." Bowling Headquarters later became home to the Young American Bowling Alliance, USA Bowling and Bowling Inc. which merged with ABC and WIBC to become USBC on Jan. 1, 2005. Most USBC operations moved to Texas in November 2008 with the Greendale call center remaining open through Dec. 31, 2009. The old complex had been vacant since then. "ABC and WIBC decided it made sense to go together since they did virtually the same things and both were non-profits," Dalkin said. "ABC and WIBC had similar mission statements. USBC and BPAA have different missions and to uproot an entire organiation and staff and relocate a complete headquarters it needed to make sense financially to do it. There had to be a huge financial package to move the staff." There were incentives such as nearly $700,000 from a Texas fund to attract new businesses and Arlington waiving the first 10 years of property taxes both of which have been
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honored according to Upson. Dalkin said when he was asked to retire in July 2007, the Greendale building had been paid off for many years and annual expenses ran only about $800,000 including $250,000 for property taxes. "If we had stayed in Greendale, we could have put in a couple million dollars and stayed there a long time," Mordini said. According to Dornberger, it cost $8 million to purchase the Arlington property, $4 million to build the International Training and Research Center, $3-4 million to move USBC employees and equipment and $1 million in miscellaneous costs. Even with BPAA paying for half the property and ITRC, it still cost USBC about $10 million to make the move. "The property was appraised at $5-6 million," said Dornberger, USBC's chief operating officer from July 2007 until Upson took over as executive director in 2009. "I told them they shouldn't spend that kind of money but the proprietors felt strongly about that building even though there were a lot of other buildings available in DFW. I even had a list prepared but they had their minds made up. "We were moving 1,200 miles away so it didn't matter to us where in the area we moved but being next door to their old building apparently was important to the proprietors." Dalkin said he had a similar persuasion from BPAA. "Every time I visited Texas, (former BPAA Executive Director) John Berglund would tell me we should buy that building with them," Dalkin said. "I always asked why should we move 200 employees to Texas when they could move 30 to Wisconsin and we'd give them a wing of our building for free. "He said he would do it since he was from Minnesota but there was no way he could convince his board of directors to do it because there was no way they'd ever move into USBC's building." Berglund reiterrated that in an early 2008 USBC staff meeting when he called Milwaukee a second-tier city that BPAA would never pay to move to even though his
INDUSTRY NEWS organization would have saved millions. It became apparent the proprietors' strong desire to be together with USBC only at 621 Six Flags Drive was far more important than any financial considerations. "The leaders never saw this as a financial savings," Dornberger said. "It was to create a partnership, nothing more and nothing less. It was a partnership situation, and you have to listen to the partners." With USBC's move away from its sports roots to concentrate on growing membership and money, some industry people believe the partnership has shifted too much toward the proprietors. "I would agree with that assessment unfortunately," Dornberger said. "I think BPAA has more influence over USBC than they had because the USBC board won't stand up," Dalkin said. "It's become more important to what BPAA wants." "The evolution of the game, which is what you call it now because it's not a sport anymore, I'm not surprised by it," Mordini said. "It's the way the game has been sold. Before it was bowling centers where the sport was played. Now it's FEC's (family entertainment centers) where bowling is just part of the entertainment. It's been sold as a recreation for 25-30 years so I'm not surprised it's gone that way." One reason stated for USBC's move from Wisconsin and the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame's relocation from St. Louis was to create a highprofile International Bowling Campus in Arlington's entertainment district. The goal was to be a tourist destination amidst bowling's larger and more well-known neighbors. How well has that worked? "Being located in the entertainment district certainly has been good for the sport because of the high profile entities here like the Cowboys, Rangers and Six Flags," Upson said. "Yes, the Museum has been below expectations but as we are here longer and people know they can experience that
I think it will improve. The Training Center has been doing really well. We're very pleased with that." Despite the financial challenges and political heartache it caused in some quarters, Upson believes the move was the right thing to do. "Not selling the building until now really has nothing to do with it," he said. "The fact the industry is working so well together from my perspective, it was the right move." Even some critics think some kind of move from the Midwest was inevitable. "In the end any place in the Sun Belt would have been better in the long term than the Rust Belt and that's not a knock on Wisconsin or Ohio or any other states in the north," Dornberger said. "It's the way the economics of business are going in this country. Places like Texas offer no income taxes and limited business regulations." That's one of the reasons the bowling industry looked so strongly at the Orlando, FL, area at the start of the century. The proposed World Bowling Village was to feature a 60lane bowling stadium to host major events plus headquarters for 300 employees of the sport's major organizations. In need of funding from the state of Florida to make it happen, the deal died in legislative committees. Too bad, Dalkin said, because that to him would have been great for bowling. "Florida made sense if the legislature had passed the deal because they were going to give us the Village as a nonprofit as part of economic development," he said. "Arlington doesn't make sense. To move and uproot so many people, it could have been done with much less problem in Milwaukee. But the powers that be saw it differently. That was their opinion." â?– Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound, Texas. He is the national and Dallas-Fort Worth bowling writer for Examiner.com and a columnist for the Bowling News Network.
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COVER STORY
By Jackie Wyckoff
A
round 500 BC, Confucius said “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Good advice. I certainly took it. Steve Jobs put a more modern spin on it in his commencement address to the 2005 Stanford University graduating class. The icon of Apple told the graduates, “You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” He should have just told them to find a job in the bowling business. Really! Bev Van Blair, proprietor of Cardinal Lanes, a 20-lane center in Newton, IA, says “What I love most about the bowling business is that it allows for a lot of diversity in the different aspects of the business and the game. You can work with different customers, personnel, finances, coaching, parties and business groups. It’s different every day. The game itself is the same but can be played on so many different levels and is enjoyed on each of those levels whether recreation, league, tournament or sport
competitive levels.” We love our business. We love our jobs. In a recent survey on Facebook, 56% of the people in the bowling business responded that they “love” their job while another 31% said they are “very satisfied”. This is in stark contrast to a 2010 survey by Cigna Health which indicated that 65% of the general workforce does not get a “sense of satisfaction” from going to work each day. “There are many
Bowlers are incredibly passionate people and it is a joy to work with them every day. people involved in the bowling business, who genuinely want to grow the pie rather than fight over the same shrinking piece,” explains Brett Spangler, PBA Tour rep and staff manager for Motiv Bowling. “These people are so different than those you encounter in other industries who would rather hamstring you because you are perceived as a threat. Bowlers are incredibly passionate people and it is a joy to work with them every day. There is little that I do in life that makes me feel better than enabling someone to succeed where they have previously struggled.” Mark Sabatine, PBA laneman, a.k.a. “The Lane Doctor”, says that working with the best bowlers in the world is challenging as well as extremely fulfilling. This dichotomy is not unusual in the industry. Many of our challenges are also things we love. In today’s economy figuring out
What I love most about the bowling business is that it allows for a lot of diversity in the different aspects of the business and the game. 26
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COVER STORY a new way to meet expenses can be a challenge. But finding them is another thing we love about our business. Glenn Hartshorn knows about turning a challenge into a positive. When he left his position as Director of Automotive Sales for International Paper Company, he was bound to a three year non-compete clause which included all of the auto industry and all forest products… in his home state of Michigan! Hartshorn set up an interview with Jay Buhl and Eric Berry of AMF just outside the Detroit Metro Airport to discuss how he might find a home in the bowling business. The interview was going well when they all noticed that it was really quiet and that no planes were landing. They flipped on the TV mid-interview to discover the horrific events that had unfolded while they were engaged in conversation on that early morning of 9/11/2001. At that point the interview was over but Hartshorn’s career in the bowling business was just about to get started. After a five-year stint with AMF and a period with US Bowling, Hartshorn now has his own center consulting business. What he loves most about the business of bowling is the wide range of knowledge and skills. “Walk into any center in the U.S., on any given league night, and you can find CEOs bowling with car mechanics, bookkeepers bowling with sales people, precision machinists bowling with lawyers. Anything you want to accomplish in this business can be done by the customer base when you learn to tap into that wealth of diversity and talent.” In analyzing data collected by the Gallup organization, enhancing employees’ psychological health results in the economic health of the business. John
Working with the best bowlers in the world is challenging as well as extremely fulfilling
Snyder, proprietor of Thunder Bowl Lanes in Alpina, MI, and current President of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America says the way to keep your staff happy in their job is to empower them. “My customers are the life blood of the center’s existence and the same goes for our staff. The one rule we have is the staff cannot tell a customer that they don’t know. They are empowered to make sure the customer is taken care of.” Empowering staff members gives them a sense of ownership in the business which makes them happy. This translates to loving their job. Beth Standlee, owner of TrainerTainment agrees. Her company trains center staff and as the name implies, it is “entertainment training.” They make the job fun – as it should be. We are in the business of providing fun to our customers and therefore we should have fun – LOVE what we do and it translates to every aspect of the business. Standlee is devoted to the success of the businesses she serves. “At the heart of things, my
My customers are the life blood of the center’s existence
We believe that training, sales, and great guest service must be the cornerstone of any bowling organization company is a company that wants to help. We believe that training, sales, and great guest service must be the cornerstone of any bowling organization that is going to survive in this economy. Our sole goal is to provide relevant, fun training that produces serious results, and we are always learning all along the way.” Across the boards (pun intended), industry executives agree – we h our bowling jobs! Kathleen Perry, BPAA board member and proprietor of Easton Bowling Center in Easton, MD, agrees, “This career path has been great,” she said. “How many people can say they have fun at work and love doing their job?” Willie King, past president of Northern California Bowling Centers and director at
How many people can say they have fun at work and love doing their job? 28
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COVER STORY Boardwalk Bowl in Santa Cruz, CA, explains how it all started for him. “My first job was as the janitor. I was a sophomore in high school and at 4 a.m. I’d ride my bike down to the bowl, and start cleaning dirty ashtrays. Yuck! Thankfully, we don’t have smoking in bowling any more [at least not in California]. These days I can walk into any bowling center, go up to the front desk and introduce myself, and the owner or manager will be right out to see me and talk shop. It’s an amazing experience working in this industry.” David Prange works at the USBC Open Championships Tournament and is a board member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. He told us that “I have left the bowling business a few times but it hasn’t been for a long time. I keep coming back to where I am the most happy.” It’s true – once you work in the bowling business you are spoiled for working life. Jim Sturm, executive director of Bowling Operations for Reno’s Tri-Properties (Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus) said, “Working in bowling is like a drug. The more you work in
It’s an amazing experience working in this industry.
...favorite part of the job is being afforded the opportunity to work on so many different types of projects within the industry. the business the more you desire its challenges.” Joan Romeo, president of The Marketing Team and mom to USBC Hall of Famer Robin Romeo says, “I know it’s a cliché but it’s because of the people I’ve had the privilege of meeting that makes this the best business in the world and I love my job!” Bob Thomas, operations manager at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, says his favorite part of the job is being afforded the opportunity to work on so many different types of projects within the industry. The stadium hosts events from national tournaments to local non-profit fundraisers. Jim Chambers, proprietor of Cloverleaf Family Fun Center in Fremont, CA, noted that “I read somewhere that only 2% of people say they get to go to work. I’m one of those 2%.” And Ted Hoffman Jr. who has been active in every aspect of the business since 1948 sums it up pretty well when he said, “We are a family.” Ted’s comments hit home with many of us in the industry. We are a “Bowling Family.” From the players who bowl on the same night, to the friends who bowl in the same league, to our teammates, to the PBA Players we aspire to emulate, we are all family. We love each other, and we
We are all family. We love each other, and we love what we do every day. love what we do every day. Mark Twain said, “Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions”. Those of us who “work” in the bowling business often times find those lines blurred. We love our jobs, we love going to the “office,” we love our co-workers and customers and even love our competitors. Almost universally we love the fact that we can “play” in our work. Who needs a sweetheart on Valentines Day when we have our job? ❖
It’s because of the people I’ve had the privilege of meeting that makes this the best business in the world and I love my job! 30
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Jackie Wyckoff, who started bowling in 1968, is a San Francisco (CA) Bay Area native, avid Giants fan and gourmet chef. She was President of the Bowling Writers Association of America, 2009-2011. Wyckoff has worked and volunteered in the bowling industry since 1972 with jobs including Center Manager, USBC (WIBC) Association President and Writer and Promoter for all things Bowling. She was a PWBA Regional Player with several state and local titles to her credit.
SHOWCASE INTERACTIVE LANES
ALCOHOL SAVINGS
VIDEO SYSTEM
FOG EFFECTS
MASKING UNIT
INCENTIVE VACATIONS
SEAT REPLACEMENTS
PERMA FASCIA PRODUCTS
Seeing is believing! Add more excitement with our new interactive show on your lanes or pool tables by bringing the game to life! Images of flames, fishes, stars or more follow your ball down the lanes entertaining your customers. Flames flitter after your pool ball. Check out our website for video of this amazing interaction of an old time game being revitalized with today’s technology and contact Twelve Strike the leader in innovation for today’s technology. www.twelvestrike.com or calling 562.984.6240.
QubicaAMF introduces a NEW version of its Multi Media System (MMS). Powered by HD technology, the new system offers exceptional visual quality, automatic content switching, video advertising with sound, picture in picture and scrolling price menus. The system is fully upgradable available for BES and Bowland Scoring Systems and Conqueror Universal installations. For more information contact your local QubicaAMF Sales representative or visit www.qubicaamf.com.
Colorfully and unmistakably decorate your center with Brunswick's newly redesigned masking units, sure to capture bowlers' attention and heighten the all-around sensory experience. Massively vibrant, high-quality printed panels cover adjacent pinsetters with continuous graphics that dramatically energize your center. Brunswick’s masking units have intense glow effect with long-lasting accurate color. Choose from hundreds of Brunswick designs or custom design your own. For more information, visit www.brunswickbowling.com/products/masking-units.
GKM Int'l Inc. manufacturer of the Smart Seat has reported a surge in sales of the Smart Seats for AMF Concept 90 settees. Unsightly cracks and holes can develop and present a sharp hazard to customers however Smart Seats cover these areas mitigating liability and restoring the seat to look like new... fast and easy. For more information call 310-791-7092 or visit www.gkmintl.com or email Karen@gkmintl.com. 32
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Alcohol Controls has earned an unblemished reputation for providing the bar industry with quality, cost-effective, LOSS PREVENTION PRODUCTS for over 20 years. These affordable investments help management reduce beverage costs and increase revenues. Without effective controls, waste & theft inevitably spiral out of control. Protect your liquid assets with Alcohol Controls. Call 800-285-BEER (2337) or visit www.alcoholcontrols.com.
Just in time for the busy Glow Bowling season, Industrial Lighting and Sound offers a wide variety of fog machines and fog juice to complement your lane light show. Featured here is the Fog Storm 1200 HD. It features Electronic Thermo Sensing (ETS): electronic heater stays hot at all times with no warm-up time between fog blasts. Its large cooper tube prevents clogging. Visit www.industriallightingandsound.com check out all available products.
Vacation Adventures International has been providing incentive vacations for more than 25 years. Trips include a Bahamas Cruise Excursion (cruise & land package) and Air/Resort packages to Aruba, Cancun, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas and more from just $99! Vacation Adventures can help you increase your bottom line! Call today and SAVE an additional 20% (888) 448-3980 or email vacationadventures@comcast.net. www.vacationadventures.biz.
Our Perma Fascia Products serve both practical and cosmetic purposes. From custom ball racks to updated approach areas, Langlo will fulfill your center’s needs. We also offer a glow-in-the-dark option. In addition to our fascia, we manufacture USBC approved HDPE replacement parts, flat gutters, pin deck edge boards, kick plates, and much more. For additional information, please call Don Lundgren at 800-553-6606.
CENTER STAGE
The Perfect Match
LINTON CALVERT SUCCESSFULLY MATCHES A CANDLEPIN AND A TENPIN CENTER, ALL UNDER ONE HISTORIC ROOF IN INDIANAPOLIS.
Fern and Linton Calvert.
By Fred Groh
T
he story must have begun with an inspiration on somebody’s part. How else can you explain duckpins in 1928 in Indianapolis, 500 miles from the Atlantic seaboard where the game was born and grew up? Bowlers could choose to roll duckpins or tenpins on the center’s eight lanes, the pathways in the two games being the same size and pinboys being more versatile than pinsetting machines. Everything was on the top floor of a four-story building a mile and a half from downtown, 34
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planned for entertainment, shopping and professional services. When Linton Calvert bought the Fountain Square Theatre Building in 1993, the lanes had been closed for 36 years, the second and third floors had been vacant for 31, and the only tenant was a ground-floor thrift shop. The buy was something of an inspiration on his part. In 1981 the owner of eight hair salons and five beauty schools in the city, Calvert was making enough money to indulge himself and buy the last 12lane tenpin center in Indianapolis, he says. “My own little bowling alley, kind of my own little toy.” It wasn’t a terribly big deal when the center “basically never made money. It was just kind of a fun thing. So I said, I’m going to have fun, do a game of fun, and duckpins was just that.” He converted the place to duckpins in 1986. As a young man, Calvert had worked in a tenpin center in the city and as a Navy man he had been a very good tenpin player. “I went out to bowl one day while I was stationed at Norfolk [Virginia] and they told me I couldn’t use my ball there. They had this little bitty ball.” He tried the game anyway, shot three games of 100+ (“a heck of a score in duckpins,” he later learned), and liked it. Duckpins drew him to the Fountain Square Theatre Building in an historical section of Indianapolis. Duckpins, and thinking that he and his wife could fix up the building and live in it, Calvert says. The rest of the refurbishment followed, one inspiration after another: on the ground floor, two restaurants, a bar and a banquet hall he runs, and several small businesses to whom he rents space; on the second floor, his offices and home; a 12-unit boutique hotel he built on the third floor; another restaurant on the roof; and an additional seven lanes of duckpin in the basement. “As we completed one thing, we said let’s do something else. There was no plan initially other than the bowling alley and our home.” In his new purchase, Calvert acquired a property that had “a lot of character left.” Maybe an eye for structure that led him to study architecture for two years at Purdue was another source of inspiration; perhaps working as a builder with his grandfather, a building contractor, yet another. But Calvert decided to refurbish his building to keep its vintage personality. “I thought I could buy character—maybe not as old, but that complemented the character that remained.” On the fourth floor, he retained wood bowler seating, wood scoring tables, and masking made of bent plywood, all manufactured by Brunswick in the late ’20s or early ’30s. He named the venue Action Bowling. When the basement flooded in 1997, another thought: he decided to remove the rotted dance floor and replace it with more duckpins. Seven lanes this time because the gas and water meters blocked the space that an eighth lane would have needed. At the same time, the bowling centers in the city that had been built in the ’50s and ’60s, bowling that Calvert had grown up with, were closing. So another idea. “I went to those bowling alleys and bought parts and pieces from five that closed.” Result: ’50s-authentic bowling, à la Brunswick, in the basement of his building to complement the ’20s-’30s theme on the fourth floor. He calls it Atomic Bowling. Calvert tried running leagues as he had at his tenpin center, but concluded that duckpins isn’t as agreeable to them. “This is a more challenging game.
CENTER STAGE
ON THE 4TH FLOOR IS ACTION BOWL
The paddle-like device leaning against the wall is a Brunswick-Balke-Collander scoreboard, used before the introduction of scoring tables. It stood between the lanes or against the wall during play and dates from before 1920.
1
2
3
1. The scoring table is a lecturn-like oject in from of the three-unit Brunswick seating. 2. The top of the ball return unit used to have ashtrays and a chalk reservoir to assist the bowler's grip. 3. The original 1928 masking unit is bent plywood on a wood-backed frame and curves outward about 16 inches. IBI
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CENTER STAGE
IN THE BASEMENT IS ATOMIC BOWL
Five tenpin centers in the city, opened in the 1950s and ’60s, were sources for basement equipment. Brunswick was the manufacturer.
1
2
1. Masking uniy consistsof a plastic face on a wood frame. 2. The seating is maple, matching Action Bowl on the 4th Floor, but Brunswick had slimmed the slats since the 1920s. The score table originally held two ashtrays, but they were removed because the house is non-smoking. Between them was a dish for water where bowlers moistened their hands to grip the ball in the 1950s and '60s. In the background area, diners are seated and served. The food is brought from the restaurants in the building.
Photos courtesy of Linton Calvert. It’s fun but it’s not like bowling and shooting 200. You have to be pretty seriously into it. Leagues never materialized very well.” Today’s bowling business at Fountain Square is almost all corporate and party. It was running “lickity-split every single day” until the downturn of ’08, which has slowed the business somewhat. Calvert’s duckpin machines, by the way, are from Mendes, Inc. of Canada. String machines manufactured since the 1990s, they yield less pin action than did the old Sherman non-string pinsetters, which are no longer made. By way of illustration, Calvert offers, his highest duckpin game is 191, shot in 36
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a tournament in the early ’90s; his highest score on a Sherman, at his own center, is 156; his best on a Mendes is 136. ❖
Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. USED BRUNSWICK PARTS, A2 parts and assemblies. Large Inventory. www.usedpinsetterparts.com. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
CENTERS FOR SALE
Pinsetter Parts New from ALL major manufacturers. HUGE IN STOCK inventory. USED Brunswick Scoring parts, AS90 cameras, processors, lane cables, monitors, and PC boards. Order online @ 888SBIBOWL.com or (888) 724-2695. The Mechanics Choice! FOR SALE: 24 HPL synthetic lanes, foul line forward; 16 lanes BOSS scoring w/ BOSS desk only. (712) 253-8730. FRAMEWORX SCORING: Sold by the lane or spare parts. 68 lanes complete system including 4 registers & back office. Contact Bill Rossman @ Parkway Bowl (619) 448-4111 or bill-r@nk-inc.com.
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Phone (608) 764-1464. 17 inch Magic Score tabletop monitors. (419) 668-9933.
CENTERS FOR SALE 16-lane center in Southern Colorado mountains. Great condition. 18,000 s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge. Paved parking 100 + vehicles. Established leagues & tournaments. $950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155. CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, auto scoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Great food sales. Yearly tournament. Attached, large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace. $550K. (715) 223-8230. NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s, Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game & pool rooms. See pics and info @ www.visitcolby.com or contact Charles (785) 443-3477.
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UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/ commercial building built in 1992. Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring, kitchen and room to expand! Reduced to sell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611. SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained 8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant. Includes business and real estate. Nice, smaller community. Owner retiring. $212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828. NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluth w/ large bar, dining room, banquet area. Two large State employment facilities nearby. High six figure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com. SOUTHERN INDIANA (close to Indianapolis): 18-lane Brunswick center with lounge, liquor license & movie theater on 4+ acres. Turnkey business. Owner retiring. Great investment! (765) 349-1312. NORTHWEST LOUISIANA: 12-LANE Brunswick center. REDUCED TO SELL NOW! Includes auto scoring, glow bowling, pizza, large dining area & video poker. Good income. Long Lease. Great opportunity. Call Mike (318) 578-0772.
CLASSIFIEDS MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Immediate Installation. $5,900.00 & up. 2021 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
"Bowling Center Construction Specialists" New Center Construction Family Entertainment Centers Residential Bowling Lanes Modernization Mini Bowling Lanes Automatic Scoring CONTACT
BRIAN ESTES
(866) 961-7633 Office: (734) 469-4293
Toll Free:
Email: build@capitalbowlingservice.com
www.CapitalBowlingService.com
SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849
291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE
For FLORIDA CENTERS Call DAVID DRISCOLL & ASSOCIATES 1-800-444-BOWL P.O. Box 189 Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737 AN AFFILIATE OF SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES
MARSHALL ELECTRONICS • Foul Units • Electronic Scoring Repair • Chassis Boards • AMF Accuscore Plus • Curtain Wall Chassis - $285 • Brunswick Scoring We repair all types of monitor boards. Call for a complete price list. 593 Loxley Drive, Toms River, NJ 08753
732-240-6554 • 800-782-9494
CENTERS FOR SALE
NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Island region. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmic bowling, auto scoring. Established leagues + many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill @ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.
IDAHO, Rigby: 8-lane center with Brunswick A-2s; refinished wooden lanes; assets $85,000; lease $1,200/month. BRING ALL OFFERS! (208) 535-9905, www.arthurberry.com.
GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, real estate included. Great location in one of fastest growing counties in metro Atlanta. 5 years new with all the amenities. Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full service restaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables, karaoke machine & DJ system. Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 3515152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net.
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One of the top five places to move! Remodeled 32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1m gets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828) 253-0362. CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center and restaurant in central Idaho mountains. Small town. Only center within 60-mile radius. Brunswick A-2 machines; Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring. (208) 879-4448. EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-lane Brunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thru liquor store in small college town. Also, 3 apartment buildings with 40 units, good rental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701) 430-1490.
www.merepair.webs.com
SOUTHERN NEVADA: Excellent opportunity for qualified person! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, Twelve Strike scoring. $60,000 for business and equipment only. Long term lease available. Building being remodeled. Call Steve (702) 293-6072; cell (702) 414-5321; email: ljjaa1414@yahoo.com. CENTRAL ILLINOIS: Major MSA – 12lane center, 13K s/f, brick front, new roof, 4.2 developable acres, includes restaurant & lounge. Asking $575,000 w/ RE. Call Tom Thompson (309) 264-8011 or email: tt@phxaffiliates.com.
NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200 square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound & lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, full service snack bar & pro shop. Call (775) 934-1539. GEORGIA: 32-lane center – strong leagues & good demographics in suburban Atlanta. Leased building with opportunity to expand. Jetbacks, synthetics, Accuscore all in good condition. Call Ken Paton (503) 645-5630. WISCONSIN: Three centers from 16 – 48 lanes. Must sell. Great opportunities. Broker: (262) 901-1333.
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SOUTHERN IDAHO: Profitable, WellMaintained, Family Oriented Bowling Center. 12 wooden lanes w/ AMF 82-70s, Qubica scoring, Cosmic Bowl & automatic bumpers. Food/beverage (58% of revenues); open bowling (37%). Asking $360,000 includes RE. Call Dave, Arthur Berry & Co., (208) 639-6167. SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: LARGE center. Priced at severe discount due to unique situation. Excellent physical condition. Solid revenue. Perfect turn key opportunity. Contact (248) 252-1427 or bowlingcentersales@gmail.com. MINNESOTA: 8-lane Brunswick center w/ liquor license. Good condition. Great opportunity. $99,000. Call Ray, Xtreme Trophy Properties, (218) 790-1468.
CLASSIFIEDS
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE MICHIGAN, Lake Odessa: 12-lane center with updated AMF scoring, 82-70 pinsetters and full-menu restaurant & bar. Indoor/patio seating across from public beach. R&E. Owner retiring. Call Patti @ Freshwater Properties (616) 260-6500 or patti@grar.com.
MANAGER WANTED Don't miss your chance to grow with an Industry Leader! Looking for Experienced, Service-Oriented General Managers for our U.S. bowling retail center locations. Please check us out at www.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.c om for more details on our current openings. Act Now! Apply Today!
SERVICES AVAILABLE See a list that will help centers fill lanes w/ 1200+ New Bowlers, Birthday Parties & Corporate Outings that generate $15,800 – a 600% ROI from 4 payments starting at $278. Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call (888) 243-0685. Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.
PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair! A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List
Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576
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AMF 65-25 CHASSIS: Conversion, Repair, Replace & Exchange. Includes rewiring, requested repairs, conversion to MK 30 board system and converting chassis to new PR system where applicable. Cash customers—buy 3, get one FREE. TOTAL SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! References available. CHASSIS DOCTORS (330) 314-8951.
SELL YOUR CENTER
(818) 789-2695
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY OPERATING PARTNER WANTED! PA OR NJ. Experienced, skilled and energetic person looking for a challenge. Full-service, Entertainment Facilities. Must have great customer service skills, smile and ability to grow business. Own a piece of the Rock! Send resume to: PartnerWantedNow@gmail.com.
POSITION WANTED Seeking managerial position: EXPERIENCED manager/district manager of single & multiple unit centers; specializing in turn around centers; great customer service skills, inventory and payroll controls and P & L controls. References and resume available upon request. Email: schronce.tony@yahoo.com or leave message @ (817) 232-2219. Former center owner with 15 years all around experience as GM, league promoter, A-level Brunswick mechanic, scoring system installer and lane technician. Well suited for many positions. Call Mitch at (808) 443-3868.
CLASSIFIEDS
LOCKER KEYS FAST! •Keys & Combo Locks for all Types of Lockers. •One week turnaround on most orders. •New locks All types •Used locks 1/2 price of new
All keys done by code #. No keys necessary.
E-mail: huff@inreach.com FAX YOUR ORDER TO US AT:
530-432-2933
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEY INT’L 530-432-1027 Orange County Security Consultants
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DATEBOOK
MAY 31 – 6/3 2012 Hall of Fame Extravaganza (BPAA & USBC) Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa Las Vegas, NV David Garber, 702-495-4249; david.garber@stationscasinos.com
CLASSIFIEDS AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@earthlink.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
JUNE 3-5 Kansas State BPA Annual Meeting Chateau on the Lake, Brandon, MO Mary Thurber, 913-638-1817 24-29 BOWL EXPO 2012 Silver Legacy, Eldorado & Circus Circus, Reno, NV Trade Show: Reno Sparks Convention Ctr. 800-343-1329 www.bowlexpo.com 25 8th Annual Bowl Expo Karaoke Contest Presented by The Lighting Store Eldorado Showroom, Reno, NV CJ Fox, 888-746-54383 email:cj@soundandlightkaraoke.com
JULY 20-22 Independent Bowling Organization Show Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth, MI Scott Bennett, 248-408-0200 Scott@bowl-mail.com 30 – 8/1 BCA of Michigan “STRIKING SIXTIES,” Convention and Trade Show Soaring Eagle Casino/Resort, Mt Pleasant, MI Ken Prokopec, 630-235-7794
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AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
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Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767
Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com
www.tuckerbowling.com
We could not have gotten our loan without him. Max Cook and Fred Kaplowitz North Bowl Spokane, WA The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments
Ken Paton (503) 645-5630 www.kenpaton.com kpaton@kenpaton.com
REMEMBER WHEN
1950
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S
ixty-two years almost to the month and from the copy below addressing the cover, it appears that not much has changed ‌ between the sexes that is. Lanes have improved quite a bit and our pin monkey is long gone, but the jockeying for supremacy reigns supreme. Unfortunately, we cannot see the smile on her face; it would tell a lot. �