THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
CONTENTS
VOL 21.1
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
8 ISSUE AT HAND
34 MARKETING
Ultimate April Fools
Summertime Boom At Kids Bowl Free, the busiest time of the year is summer with 6 million youngsters signed up to bowl.
By Scott Frager
10 SHORTS • Ebonite's UStrike® pins meet the mark • Switch moves to Turkey • AMF files for Chapter 11 • Bowling, movies and stage, oh yes! • Schemm Bowling will take over Langlo inventory
By Fred Groh 18
37 FEATURE
Compiled by Patty Heath
A New Woman in An Old World How Meena Rahmani is breaking down old cultural barriers in Afghanistan with bowling. By Ben Breuner
Celebrating 20
January 2013
With a sparkle in his eye and kind heart, our founder Allen Crown charmed the industry.
By Patty Heath
heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS Ben Breuner Fred Groh Patty Heath Paul Lane Mark Miller
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com
www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
12655 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (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, 12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2013, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
44 Datebook 34
IBI
Remembering Allen Crown
Our first cover!
By Fred Groh
6
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
52 REMEMBER WHEN
We’ve been here for 20 years reporting on the industry. Taking a look back, we see how far we have come and where we are headed for our future.
keer@bowlingindustry.com
At the ITRC-based program, coaches assess college prospects looking for a scholarship.
By Paul Lane
24 COVER STORY
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Gregory Keer
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks
42 MEMORY LANE 24
holmes@bowlingindustry.com
The One-Stop-Shop for Bowling
By Mark Miller
18 PROFILE
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Chris Holmes
45 Showcase 46 Classifieds
THE ISSUE AT HAND
Ultimate April Fools Twenty years go by in a blink of an eye! My journey in bowling began April 1st, 1994, my hire date at Bowling Industry magazine (no international moniker at that time). I was terribly nervous about starting a new job on April Fools’ Day. I remember thinking that I could possibly ask for my old job back in case this was a cruel joke played on me by Allen Crown, the magazine’s founder. Well, after a few months, it became clear that this job was no joke but an amazing career move that transformed my life. My love and passion for publishing grew symbiotically with the business of bowling. I have developed great friendships with the men and women who have created, produced and sold products that keep the industry alive and exciting. Over the past two decades, I’ve been able to travel the world calling on customers, presenting to audiences ideas on the state of the industry and sharing my thoughts on the future of bowling. My journey has also allowed me to proudly represent the Bowling Centers of Southern CA as state executive director. For six years, I’ve enjoyed serving the men and women who own and manage bowling centers. Most recently, I’ve accepted the new
challenge of running a beautiful 32-lane center called Pinz Entertainment Center, right in the heart of Los Angeles. This responsibility, by far, is the most challenging and rewarding of my career. Finally, I’m able to put my book knowledge of bowling into practical application, and it feels great! As I look back at the past 20 years, I can say without reservation that I am very proud to be in the business of bowling. I am forever grateful to those of you who take the time to read the pages of IBI and to those who show their trust and confidence as they allocate precious advertising dollars to market and promote their products with us. I humbly bow to those who give their all every day to make B2B Media hum: Patty Heath, Chris Holmes, Jackie Fisher, all of our talented writers, designers and vendors who bring stories to life under immense time and budget pressures. Thanks to my beautiful wife and children. For all those dinners and events I’ve missed, for being away so many nights on the road, and for coming home with barely enough energy for those ever important goodnight kisses before I tuck you in and head back to work, I am grateful that you are so understanding. Yes, this has been an amazing 20 years and the best April Fools’ joke ever played. Thank you, Allen. Thank you, International Bowling Industry. – SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com IBI Online would like to introduce the 2000th member of our online community. The 20th Anniversary of IBI magazine colliding with the 2000th member of IBI Online!! A cosmic moment? Scott Geurlink of Gilbert, AZ, is in the throes of building a bowling center in the beautiful city of San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in Central Mexico and home to about 120,000 people including 10,000 ex-patriots and retirees from around the world. Scott felt this little town was a perfect spot for a bowling center, and IBI Online was the perfect place to begin to network and get help with his project! We do too. We wish the Geurlinks a very Happy New Year, congratulations to Scott for being the 2000th member and smooth sailing on the new center. Scott, keep us informed, and we’ll all come visit! 8
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SHORTS
GOODWILL CENTRAL While some segments of society use the holiday time at the end of the year to turn their eyes to charity and support work, the bowling industry is involved all year long! Just check out a few of the events going on in centers across the nation. AMF Bowling Centers—including its nine upscale 300 brand locations—hosted a nationwide fundraising event that raised $63,440 for the American Red Cross to help victims of Superstorm Sandy. On November 18 from noon to 6:00 p.m., every AMF and 300 bowling center offered a two-hour $10 per person bowling session. $5 from each session was donated to the American Red Cross in support of the relief efforts for those affected by Sandy. Closer to home, Hi-Tor Lanes in Stony Point, NY, was the venue for the Hurricane Bowling Fundraiser hosted by the North Rockland Business Alliance and the town of Stony Point. The town’s waterfront communities were badly affected by Sandy. There are nearly 100 people still living in a shelter. Mahoning Valley Lanes in Youngstown, OH, opened its door to the Potential Development Program, an organization that serves preschool and school-age children with autism spectrum disorder. Proceeds will be used to purchase new computers for the agency’s School of Autism. Bowling for breast cancer research was the goal for forty-five bowlers at Taku Lanes in Juneau, AK. It is an annual event which began six years ago with the help of Leslie Dumont and Ginger and Gordon Griffin.
Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond in Santa Barbara, CA, hosted an outdoor turkey bowling contest to benefit the Santa Barbara Food Bank. Contestants slid frozen turkeys down an outdoor lane with all proceeds going to the food bank. Bowling centers are a great place to have events honoring and supporting U.S. veterans. Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, IL, hosted a Bowl for the Troops moonlight bowling fundraiser. The proceeds benefited “Provide the Ride,” a Rockford Women’s Bowling Association (RWBA) and BVL program that provides transportation for veterans to the Madison VA Hospital. Thunder Rolls Bowling Center, Craig, CO, surpassed previous years in raising funds for Bowl for Veterans and involving the community. Beryl Dschaak who is the owner of Thunder Rolls said of this year, “We had more of the community come out and show their support and appreciation.” BVL, Bowlers to Veterans Link, presented a grant of $6,000 to the Veterans Home of Ventura, CA, which houses 60 residents. These funds will go to create among other things arbors to cover some garden areas and a walkway to allow access for residents with limited mobility. Brenda Manke, administrator of the Ventura home said, “It [funds] allows the opportunity to make the home a home.” Please decide to share your center’s activities. Send information on your charity events to heath@bowlingindustry.com.
Ebonite’s Pins Are A-OK for USBC The exciting news at Ebonite International is “Our pins have been approved!” With a century-long heritage of pin manufacturing, the UStrike ® brand has been given the thumbs up by USBC. Randy Schickert, Ebonite International Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our entire Ebonite International team has been 100 percent invested in improving the pin production process to create a pin that is aesthetically pleasing, built to last and at a good price.” Being made in the U.S.A. with wood coming solely from North American forests also creates jobs which today is a very good thing. “By bringing manufacturing jobs to the U.S. from Mexico, 10
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we are able to create a better product with stricter controls and processes in a more efficient manner,” said Pete Moyer, DirectorEbonite Bowling Center Direct. Bowling Center Direct offers consumable service products specifically for bowling centers, including house balls, rental shoes and now pins. After a meticulous testing process, Ebonite is proud of its stamp of approval and is making pins like crazy to satisfy orders in house already and with expectations of those forthcoming.
SHORTS
BOWLING OTTA Media BE IN PICTURES! WATCH Who said bowling wasn’t theatrical? Bowling, theatre and film are made for each other. The August IBI issue contained an article on a play performed on the lanes. Then, October showed the joint efforts of Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, CA, and an independent film crew shooting “We’ve Got Balls.” This last month no matter where one went on the web, a film project or play was being developed around the theme of bowling. One could almost say, “Films and theatre and bowling, oh my!” The most high profile was a project with Jack Black of “School of Rock” fame who will play a professional bowler thought to be inspired by a reallife PBA champion. No names were given. This will reteam him with director Richard Linklater with whom he has worked on three different projects. Jack Black Lighter fare will come from Maven Pictures’ “Rollin’ Thunder,” a comedy set in the world of the Atlanta hip-hop scene. The screenplay has been penned by Kenny Smith, Jr., co-executive producer, writer and director of the BET series “The Game.” The soundtrack will be handled by Universal Republic Records. “Thunder” centers (no pun intended) on a former bowling Kenny Smith, Jr. champ turned ex-con who sees a city-wide bowling tournament as a means to get back in the game, prove his innocence to the tycoon who owns Atlanta’s biggest bowling alley, and mend bridges with his estranged, teen-aged daughter. Moving to a more campy world, “Atom the Amazing Zombie Killer” written by Richard Taylor and Zack Beins debuted in August at the Denver Indie Festival. What’s it about? Zombies, bowling, and blood, gore and guts. What else! Not to be upstaged, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, kicks off its 2012-2013 theatre season with “More Fun than Bowling.” Written by Steve Dietz, the play features a “backwater bowling alley owner,” as described by the Campus News, “who has lost two wives to freak bowling accidents and sees them gardening at their graves.” It examines the supportive love of a father and daughter who set out on a “life path riddled with gutter balls.
NO STRIKE FOR BYNUM Oops that was not supposed to happen! Andrew Bynum, recently of the Philadelphia 76ers and previously a Los Angeles Laker, admitted to injuring his left knee while bowling. The problem is that he was out for rehabilitation on his right knee. Bynum said he didn’t recall a specific incident while bowling, only that he noticed swelling later.
LOVE ON THE LANES? What does New York Jets Tim Tebow do on a date? Why he goes bowling of course! Tebow and actress Camilla Belle were seen having fun at Latitude 30 in Jacksonville, FL. Besides bowling, holding hands was the activity of the evening.
NEW MOBILE GAME Activision Mobile Publishing has introduced a new mobile game, free to play on the Apple App Store. “The Bowling Dead” is an eccentric game that combines the fine art of bowling with the destruction of an evil zombie invasion force. The campaign has 40 levels and lots of fun.
WHITEWATER ACQUIRES APPTIVATIONS LLC WhiteWater, a waterpark and attractions designer and manufacturer since 1980, has acquired Apptivations LLC, creators of live action storytelling to fun and/or educational interactive games. In partnership with Denise Chapman Weston and Rick Briggs, WhiteWater will put the best that mobile and contemporary technology has to offer in the hands of park guests. 12
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Downloadable apps will offer games that come to life in REAL time and will entertain park guests while creating additional ways to reward and generate additional revenue streams with devices that are already in use by consumers. For more info: www.whitewaterwest.com.
SHORTS
NOSTALGIA PREVAILS
ISBPA AWARDS
GIVEN
Lights come back on at Crestwood Bowl
The Crestwood Bowl, a 24-lane center with snack bar and lounge, and its iconic sign have been a mainstay on old Route 66 in Crestwood, MO, since the late 1950s. The sign was designated a county landmark, however, its lights fizzled out a few years ago. The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program came to the rescue and awarded the center a $9,500 grant to restore the sign. A public relighting ceremony was held at sunset on October 20 and the center offered 66-cent games and shoe rentals to round out the occasion. Almost better than a Christmas tree lighting ceremony!
SCHEMM BOWLING, INC. BUYS LANGLO BOWLING INVENTORY In November, Schemm Bowling, Inc. of Deerfield, WI, purchased the bowling supplies and pinsetter parts inventory from Langlo Bowling and Billiards, Inc., of Elk Grove Village, IL. Started in 1977 by Tom Schemm, SBI has grown to a full line distributor and service company for the bowling industry. Don and Eric Lundgren of Langlo will be working with SBI during the transition of the inventory. Langlo will continue to offer lane resurfacing, repairs and installation work along with the manufacturing of Perma Fascia plastic products and billiard cues and table service.
At the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association, ISBPA, Annual General Meeting, winners of its annual awards were announced. Alan Nordman, president elect, and Jeff Johnson, vice president elect, shared the 2012 Patrick F Bosco Award of Merit. Another share was Jim Thatcher, manager at Fox Bowl in Wheaton, and Nancy Overby, youth bowling coach and coordinator at Camelot Bowl in Collinsville, who received the ISBPA Award of Recognition. Frank Miceli was selected to receive ISBPA’s President’s Award. The Louis Petersen Award was given to Jim Stubler, coowner of Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru, in recognition of his years of service to the association and the industry/sport of bowling in both Illinois and the U.S. It was pointed out that nine of the ISBPA member centers in 2012 celebrated their 50th anniversaries of membership. Of the nine, Arena Lanes, Oak Lawn; Mardi Gras Lanes, DeKalb; Nu Bowl, Mt. Vernon; Park Lanes, Loves Park; and Willowbrook Lanes, Willowbrook, were present at the meeting.
EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS The Former Regal movie theater in Bethlehem, PA, will be reopening as a 20-24 lane upscale bowling center complete with cocktail lounge. The name of the 32,000-square-foot entertainment center has yet to be announced. The building is being leased by Revolutions Entertainment out of Murrells Inlet, S.C., according to Joseph Posh owner of the building. The website claims the venue will not only offer bowling but private suites, each fitted with bowling lanes, plush leather couch seating and projection screens.
Another transformation will take place in Omaha, NE, where Linens ‘N Things near the Oak View Mall will become an entertainment center called The V. Entrepreneur Mike Zabawa first pitched the idea in 2010. The V has leased the 46,000-square-foot home goods store and will include bowling, laser tag, a sports bar, café, a VIP lounge, party rooms and a DJ booth.
The merging of two great things--pizza and bowling--is happening in Ellicottville, NY. Located in the former Nannen Baseball Bat Factory vacated in 2007, Tim and Bonnie’s Pizza and EVL Bowling have joined forces. The pizzeria which started in Springville includes 12 lanes of bowling, and it was thought the same type of venue would do well in Ellicottville, a ski area. The space, housing the pizzeria and bowling center, will occupy about 11,000 of the 29,000 square feet of the old factory and will need 25-30 new employees. The center will have eight lanes and a video arcade while the restaurant will have seating capacity for 75-100 patrons.
Old, classic hotels are not exempt from stepping up and including bowling in their offerings. “Play” is the newest dining and entertainment center being installed at The Broadmoor in the resort town of Colorado Springs, CO. The six-lane Brunswick installation is scheduled to open the first week of April. It will also include an 80-seat restaurant, lounge, a private dining area and space for computer games.
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SHORTS
MOVES ITS OPERATION TO TURKEY Alain Winterhalter, Switch CEO, shared the news with IBI’s publisher that Switch is opening a new company, Switch International, in Turkey. Switch International will be the new manufacturing, logistics, service and sales hub with R&D remaining in Italy. Istanbul will be the home for the company’s headquarters while the operations side will be based in Izmir. Turkey is one of the world’s top three growth economies with an average GDP growth rate of 5.9% in the last nine years and is forecasted at 6.7% from 2011 to 2017. Winterhalter also pointed out that 50% of the population is under the age of 29, well-educated and multicultural. These findings along with an investment-friendly climate from the government have made this an exciting decision for Switch. Mr. Ahmet Solmaz, COO and Turkish representative for Switch International, will help with the move. The plan is to gradually shut down the manufacturing and logistics operations in Italy. While the move begins at the end of the 2012, it will be a step by step process and not affect deliveries or quality. “Our R&D team are also working very hard,” Winterhalter said, “to bring new, interesting and exciting products for the future.”
AMF FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 FOCUSING ON RESTRUCTURING
Bowling center operator AMF Bowling Worldwide announced filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy so it can implement a pre-arranged restructuring agreement. A leader in the industry since the 1940s, the company has 279 bowling locations, including 262 traditional centers and nine upscale 300-brand bowling centers in the United States and eight locations in Mexico. QubicaAMF, in which AMF holds a fifty percent (50%) investment, is not included in the filing and continues to operate outside the U.S. bankruptcy process without interruption. Steve Satterwhite, AMF’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, stated “business as usual” with centers remaining open during the process. “AMF is open for business and our bowling centers are serving customers as usual, with our centers’ staff focused on providing the best possible bowling experience.” AMF spokesperson Merrell Wreden said, “We have no plans for any layoffs as a result of the restructuring. Like any retail chain, we will continue to look at our individual operating units and their performance.” 16
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PEOPLE WATCHING Alan Nordman was elected president of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association for the next two years at the Annual Fall Meeting held in November. Nordman, 49, is proprietor of two Illinois bowling centers, Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon and Town & Country Lanes in Mt. Morris. He is also secretary of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America. Nordman has served as ISBPA vice present for the Alan Nordman past two years and succeeds Lyle Zikes of Beverly Lanes in Arlington Heights. Vice President will be Jeff Johnson, 4 Seasons Bowing Center; secretary, Keith Tadevich, Oak Forest Bowl; and treasurer, Bob Stubler, Fox Bowl.
REMEMBRANCES Lind’s World Impex and the bowling industry in general lost one of the good guys. David Wiggins, Vice President and General Manager of Lind’s World Impex, lost his six-year battle with cancer in October 2012. Along with his duties in managing the sales staff, Wiggins was also responsible for product design and purchasing. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Marian Labhart, his step-daughter, Terry Galpin, and his mother, Betty Wiggins, brother Kevin and sister Gigi Higgins.
SELL YOUR CENTER OR EQUIPMENT FAST!
(818) 789-2695
PROFILE
A New
Woman In
An Old World
Against all odds, Meena Rahmani opened Strikers, an American style bowling center, in Kabul. By Ben Breuner midst bombs and burqas, one woman is working to change the attitude of a war-torn culture. Twenty-seven-year-old Meena Rahmani is the owner and developer of the recently-opened Strikers, the first and only bowling center in Afghanistan. Rahmani opened Strikers on Sept. 15, 2011 in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The center has just recently begun to see real commercial success, after ongoing skepticism about a woman operating a westernized entertainment center. "I knew how the years of war in Afghanistan had
A Proprietor Meena Rahmani poses on the lanes.
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PROFILE
The crowd enjoying the lanes during “Men Only” hours.
A view of the center.
changed the mentality,” she said. “I knew that people would be so changed, they would never like a woman working in their environment, and especially a woman to be a boss. And because I was aware, I made myself very strong.” In Afghanistan, women are struggling to gain the same rights as men. It is very uncommon for a woman to be found in the workplace, let alone heading a business. Rahmani said that she immediately experienced the frustrations of gender inequality when she began construction on her center. “In the beginning, being a woman, the labor men wouldn't talk to me,” Rahmani said. “They had never been in an environment with a woman heading them.” It was challenging for her to convey her ideas and preferences for the bowling center when the men building it would not speak to her. “But with the passage of time, being in the environment and making the men understand that a woman can also head a place, they became quite good to me,” she said. The status of women in Afghanistan has been dismal for years, according to a 2008 report by the Canadian parliament. As of this year, the literacy rate for women is less than 13%, compared to the more than 43% of men who can read. In March, Afghan President Hamid Karzai posted a statement from a government-appointed
Rahmani’ s restaurant serves American style food, from pizzas to hamburgers to shakes. 20
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Muslim council stating, “Men are fundamental and women are secondary.” The statement marked a setback for the already struggling women’s rights movement there. “Whenever I have women customers, they always come to my office and they thank me for whatever I have done for them,” Rahmani said. “They say, 'We have never had a place where we can feel equal with men, to feel equal and participate in a sport.' We have lots of centers, but very specifically for men, and nothing for women. So they are really appreciating my work." Rahmani was born in Afghanistan but moved to Pakistan when she was seven. After getting her business degree at the English-speaking Preston University in Pakistan, Rahmani spent four years living in Canada. She said her years there changed her perception of women’s rights. “I knew that I am a human being and I should have all the same rights that men should have,” Rahmani said. “It made me very strong to come and fight, and make people accept the fact that a woman can work and she can head a place!" Rahmani is now in charge of a 25-person staff who is, not surprisingly, all male. “They are all quite respectful to me; they all accept the fact that a woman can work. And because they accept the fact, they are very good to me and I am very good to them,” she said. One of Rahmani’s employees, 25-year-old Wais Wahab, also frequents Stikers two or three times a week as a customer. “It's really a good game, a game that everyone can play, every age,” Wahab said. “Everyone who enters the place, they don't even imagine that they are located in Afghanistan. They think they are somewhere else. In Afghanistan for there to be such a place is unbelievable.” Wahab has been working as the financial officer at Strikers now for the last six months and enjoys working for Rahmani. “She is really a good leader, we never have any anger,” he said. “For me it doesn't matter if it’s a lady or a man. I am from an educated family: my mother is a teacher. We are not like tribal
PROFILE people who are so far away from education. For me it doesn’t matter if it's a lady or a man.” While business at Strikers started out slow, it has been picking up gradually as word of the strange new western game has spread. At its opening, the center brought in about 3040 customers a day. Now that number has A private booth in the restaurant. jumped to 60-70 a day, with over a hundred on the weekends. Rahmani reports, "In the beginning, people were just coming to see 'what is bowling?' but now it has become their habit. Now they are coming everyday and saying 'we can't be without bowling.' They just love it.” Over 80% of Strikers’ customers are local Afghans, with the remaining 20 percent being international visitors and expatriates. And, as of late, the name Strikers has traveled far beyond Kabul. “Now we have customers coming from different provinces, an 11-hour drive just to play bowling and see how it is!" The bowling center features 12 lanes, each adorned with a 46” LCD monitor that displays bowlers’ scores. Rahmani uses Brunswick Model-95 parts which she imported from China. The center is furnished with dim blue lighting and a modern style. Within the same building, Rahmani built a restaurant that can accommodate 150 people. Strikers also features a café bar that can seat 50, and a hookah lounge for people to smoke flavored tobacco—a common activity in the Middle East. It costs $25 for a group of six to bowl for an hour from 115, and $30 from 5-11. Rahmani has been working to cut costs lower to make her center more affordable to the average person in Kabul. While the price tag may seem reasonable, it is a luxury for the Afghanis, whose 2011 per-capita GDP was
The restaurant entrance glimmers in the soft lights.
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PROFILE enter my gate. In Afghanistan these things are really of matter.” Rahmani said she tries to operate within the boundaries of religious and cultural customs, which she says is the safest way to keep the conservative groups at bay. “Security is a major concern,” she said. “It happens in the supermarket, it happens in the street, it happens everywhere. But because I operate within the circle of what The front desk area provides hospitality to the is allowed in my country, I don’t clients, from assigning lanes to shoe rental. see much threat. And the rest you never know.” Rahmani’s need for security may even exceed other entertainment centers in Kabul due to the westernized nature of Strikers. Rahmani said she actively incorporates elements of American culture in the center to “We live in an unstabilized country,” Rahmani incorporates a hooka lounge into the bowling center. promote the acculturation of she said. “People now love bowling, they Smoking a hooka is a favorite past-time in Afghanistan. Afghanis to the outside world. want to come. But what happens for "It's not specifically about example if something happens in the city, bringing western culture to the country, it's about introducing a bomb-blast or something. Then people become scared and new standards to the country,” Rahmani said. Rather than they don't go to public places as much. Then in a week, serving traditional Afghani food in her restaurant, Rahmani business picks up again.” serves burgers, pizza, pasta and milkshakes. She also plays Because acts of terrorism are so commonplace, Rahmani English music like Katy Perry and Ke$ha. “You know we has several security measures in place. While in westernized never had things like M&M milkshakes or Kit-Kat. All these countries it is common to see a coat-check upon entering a things. They are very new. And they're very challenging to building, Rahmani has instead implemented a “gun-check” at introduce in the country, but still it can be easily accepted and the entrance to Strikers. It is very common for pedestrians to appreciated by people." carry guns around the streets of Kabul, but Rahmani makes According to Barry Rubin, a professor and editor of the each person surrender their weapon before entering the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal, building. The bowling center also has a bulletproof gate and Afghanistan has been very slow to become open-minded three armed guards positioned within the building. Yet about foreign cultures, but he believes that bowling could have Rahmani’s best line of defense is not her guards, it’s her rules. the potential to be successful there. “A bowling alley could “I don't allow alcohol, which is very common in bowling fit well with traditional Afghan culture since bowling can be centers in the west. I don't allow cigarettes. It's a sports place, done in traditional clothes, and the alley could have men-andso it should be healthy. Even drunk people are not allowed to women-only times,” the 62-year-old professor said. “It doesn’t The average customer at Strikers ranges from traditional to Western-influenced. require activities that contradict the culture, so it is possible.” Notice that some of the guests wear the traditional Afghani clothing, while Yet for Rahmani, her bowling center is all about making others have a decidedly Western style. the Afghan citizens happy after two decades of war. “They have had nothing to think about beyond their daily struggles—this hour or two that people spend here, it gives them a break from all the war that is going on a daily basis,” Rahmani said. “My customers say every time they enter Strikers, ‘We feel like we are not in Afghanistan.’” ❖ merely $1000. To compare, the U.S. per-capita GDP is 48 times that amount. Rahmani has had to keep her prices high in order make some return on the $1 million that she invested in Strikers. She says she has no idea how long it will take before she breaks even on her investment.
Ben Breuner is currently an undergraduate student at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY
By Fred Groh
A
s we start our third decade bringing you the best in bowling news, information, and business insight, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past 20 years. Please join us as we take a look through the good and great years of bowling business and innovation. All of us at IBI know that the best is yet to come.
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Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
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MARKETING
Andy O' Mara, Darin Spindler, Bruce Davis & Fred Kaplowitz on set at Fox & Friends where bowling and Kids Bowl Free received 14 minutes on prime time morning TV.
Kids Bowl Free counts 6 million youngsters as it heads into summer number six. 34
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By Fred Groh
I
n a way, there’s nothing new about Kids Bowl Free, the most successful promotion ever. That’s one of its strengths, Bruce Davis will tell you. In another way, it’s ground-breaking. That, too, is one of its strengths, says Davis, a 40-year bowling marketing veteran who also knows center management first-hand. Davis is president of Bowling Business Builders International, which owns and runs The Kids Bowl Free Promotion and Marketing Movement. The KBF program, which signed up more than 6 million youngsters nationwide in its first five years, distills proven best practices in summer bowling programs for kids 6-15 around the industry. And it breaks new ground with sales of modestly-priced Family Passes that bring back the kids and bring in their parents. Half the money earned goes in cash to proprietors. Out of the other half, Kids Bowl Free serves up a variety of supporting programs. Principal among them are no-cost materials for in-season promotions, turning KBF
MARKETING into a year-round marketing program. Included is four-color artwork for posters, flyers, postcards, and coupons, all customizable. Proprietors are currently receiving a baker’s dozen of different promotions for a range of age groups and interests. They also get a confidential database of leads and Kids Bowl Free registrants at their centers. “It’s a very good database for the bowling center; nobody else would be interested in it, believe me,” says Davis. “In a mass [promotion], the big companies get all these people anyway far cheaper than you could imagine. But we respect people’s concern about data. We do not,” he states emphatically, “sell, trade or rent this data for anything.” The database is updated continuously. “We have a choice,” he offers, explaining the inspiration behind Kids Bowl Free. “We can spend a lot of money advertising—radio, TV, newspapers—trying to coax the masses in. Not many operators would tell you that has worked well for them or that it is financially efficient. “Or by offering a chance for a free trial, you are creating a marketing approach that gets people to try your product. If they are then interested, you have the information to contact them very efficiently to invite them back.” The “free trial” in Kids Bowl Free is an offer of two free games every day all summer long. The idea has met a skeptical reception from some. But one-game-free offers have been around forever, Davis explains. He knows from running a center in Toledo. “That’s how we started 30 years ago. In the Internet age, you need a remarkable offer to get somebody’s attention. ‘Two free games’ is remarkable.” Parents don’t complain about paying for shoes when their kids get two games free, he reports from twice-yearly surveys of KBF parents, and the children are in the center longer, making for more time in which they can be eating and drinking. “Would you drive your kid across town for one free game? Or would you be more likely to grab a couple of neighbors and drive across town for two free games? It’s just a better offer, so more people respond.” Proprietors play four parts in the program. For one, they order 4x6 laminated
Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends proudly shows off his bowling ball.
Darin Spindler & Andy O' Mara along with school age children, school & community leaders on the Kids Bowl Free Nationwide Bus Tour in the spring of 2011.
The “Bowling to Teachers” program awards $250 grants to elementary and middle school teachers for classroom supplies. IBI
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MARKETING information cards from KBF, personalized with the center name, and distribute the cards to schools, churches, businesses and events. Kids Bowl Free supplies a suggested timeline to maximize the value of the distribution. Second, they post their terms and conditions to a web page customized for the center within the KBF website. When prospects respond online to promotional material, they go directly to the page. Third, it falls to proprietors to deal with one problem endemic to a free-game program that creates a lot of traffic. “George or Mary has been working the counter for years and in the summer, they do their nails, they update their Christmas list, or whatever, and all of a sudden here comes a bunch of kids. They don’t see them as future paycheck enhancers. They see them as pains in the neck. So proprietors have to impress on their staff folks how important it is to treat KBF customers well. “And needless to add, they have to keep it up. We see great center operators with powerful numbers and results three, four and five years into the program. But they work the program April through August and beyond.” Enhancements and added projects in support of Kids Bowl Free don’t stop
coming, it seems, thanks to Family Pass earnings. “Bowling to Teachers” was a $100,000 program last year that awarded $250 grants to elementary and middle school teachers for classroom supplies. Proprietors could approach schools as representatives of the grant program. As planned, and as hundreds of unsolicited thank-you letters from educators attested, many centers found it easier to put bowling’s story into the schools. Davis brings back the program this year. In the wider outside world, a KBF-themed bus toured the nation in spring 2011. Chicago’s mayor, proclaiming Kids Bowl Free Day, was among impressed civic officials in 44 cities. Last year, anchors on a Fox and Friends show had fun bowling on outdoor lanes in downtown Manhattan and talking about KBF to their 3 million viewers. At press time, Davis was “working on a surprise” for this year. Davis says he never envisioned KBF just as a summer program. “I told our team, ‘If all we’re going to do is put together a summer program and not evolve it to in-season help, it’s going to be a very short-run program.’ The problem [has always been] that if you built a program that would be efficient enough to work nationwide in local communities, the frontend cost was more than most bowling proprietors want to risk, and you needed to get good numbers in order to be efficient for everybody.” Numbers that KBF has, at an average cost to proprietors (for the info cards) of $650. In 2012, KBF kids numbered 1,865,114, averaging 1,759 children per center, up 14% over the year before. Family Pass sales increased 12%. 1,023 centers participated, 9% higher. And around the industry, 738,657 families interested in bowling were added to center databases. ❖
Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
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THE
ONE-STOP SHOP FOR
SCHOLARSHIPS
THE NEW BOWLING COMBINE AT THE ITRC IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS, GIVES COLLEGE COACHES A WELL-ROUNDED LOOK AT THEIR PROSPECTS WHILE PROVIDING A STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS. By Mark Miller
T
hinking about major collegiate athletics likely brings to mind big crowds, large coaching staffs, huge bands and enough time and money to recruit the next stars. For minor sports like bowling, there's nothing like that. Instead of crowds of 80,000 for football or 17,000 for basketball, maybe 500 people cram into a student center or neighborhood establishment. Rather than a head coach and up to 15 assistants, there's one lead person and perhaps one extra. In place of loud music, there’s
Bowling scholarship prospects work on the psychological section of the evaluation.
FEATURE the whooping and hollering of family and friends and possibly some noisemakers. And what about athletic recruiting? That's a luxury for small schools and still challenging for the big ones. There's just not enough coaches, time or money to do it well even for those affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The former Young American Bowling Alliance had a creative solution to these problems. It began providing one place to scout future collegiate bowlers when it created the Junior Gold National Championships in 1998. Through 2010, it was about the only way a college coach could visit one location and see so many athletes. Trouble was, as the Junior Gold continued growing, it became harder for coaches to find or easily watch the players. Something more intimate was needed. Thanks to the United States Bowling Congress, such a place now exists. Patterned after similar events for collegians in football and basketball, the Bowling Combine for College Prospects held its second go-around in August at the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) in Arlington, Texas. That's where more than 20 coaches watched a sold-out field of 60 males and 48 females from 29 states and Costa Rica, many of whom hadn't attended the Junior Gold Championships. “It's a great opportunity to see kids you don't know about and a good opportunity for them,” said Vincennes University coach Gary Sparks. “We, as an industry, don't provide a lot of opportunities for them to get exposure, so it's a win-win for all.” “It's a pretty good cross-section of kids you may not see otherwise,” said Wichita State University assistant coach Mark Lewis. “They may not have other chances.” “At Junior Gold, a lot of the kids know where they are going to college,” said Team USA assistant head coach Kim TerrellKearney, a former head coach at Delaware State University. “A kid here usually hasn't made a decision on college.” “This is a nice thing,” said Arkansas State University coach Justin Kostick. “It's something run like other sports. This is one of the only places that IBI
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FEATURE
A prospect reflects with coaches on the recruitment experience.
gives you all the information about a student.” Most Combine competitors are high school juniors or seniors. They participated in various on-lane drills, worked in the ITRC's gym area and took computer tests to access what's known as the IT factor. “It's a balance of the athletes' knowledge and on-lane versatility,” said ITRC and Team USA head coach Rod Ross. “What's different here is we come up with a system to compare year to year. We want to get away from just being average based and more into skill measurment. The whole point of the Combine is to obtain measureables from year to year.” Athletes paid $100 with nearly 300 applying for the 108 spots. It cost $50 for a college's first coach and $25 for assistants. Most schools sent one representative and some came for the first time. “We weren't here last year so we wanted to evaluate what's going on,” said Lewis, a former Team USA member. “It helps but it's not a big sample size. It's tough to tell where everyone is at. You know physically what you see which doesn't take two days. You learn more talking to them.” On-lane skill drills included speed control, release, pattern play and spare making. The ITRC's Computer Aided Tracking System (C.A.T.S.) was crucial in measuring speed, launch angles and break points after players threw 10 fast and 10 slow shots. “The technology things they do to evaluate your skills are far beyond anything I've seen in Denver,” said Jacob Lazear, a senior at Cherry Creek High School in a suburb of Denver. “The things they can measure here are incredible. Bowling at the ITRC where Team USA trains has been a dream since they opened (in 2010). Not everyone gets to do that.” During the spare-making sessions, competitors took turns trying to convert the 7-pin, 10-pin, buckets, washouts and 338
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10 baby splits. With just one player on each of the 14 lanes, it was easy to get plenty of work in during the 15-minute rotations. “The coaches can evaluate for the strengths and weaknesses of players, how they will fit into their programs and what they need to work on,” Ross said. In the gym, USBC Sports Performance Specialist Nick Bohanan put players through a number of tests over two days. These included 12 minutes on a treadmill, functional movement screening and exercises graded for the quality of movement, balance, grip strength, vertical jump and broad jump. In the classroom, students took one test to measure basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills, another for bowling knowledge and a third as a personality profile. “The psychological part, as far as I know, nobody else does that,” Sparks said. “It puts us on a par with other sports which helps elevate us a little bit.” The Combine was not just about what can be easily measured. “Attitude and the mindset to want to get better, that's big,” Lewis said. “That's what we're trying to measure. What's in there that drives you to greatness. That's a tough intangible to find.” While the Combine was crucial for coaches, it was perhaps more important for those competing. “It was a really good experience,” said Kendyll Dellinger, a junior at Porter Ridge High School near Charlotte, North Carolina. “The different things they had us doing was fantastic. The technology they have here is amazing.” “I love it. It was a nice experience,” said Ashley Porter, a senior at Baltimore's Hereford High School. “Right now I'm just trying to get my name out there and see what colleges are out there. I'd rather be a small fish in a big pond more than a big fish in a small pond.” “It helps me with what I need to work on in my game to bring it to the fullest,” said Marcus Stanley, in his second year at Pima Community College in Tucson,
The prospects are put through rigorous physical testing as part of the recruitment process.
FEATURE
A coach sitting down with a prospect and her family, discussing the process.
Arizona, after bowling for Tucson High School where he now is an assistant coach. “As I learn how to be a better bowler, I'm helping kids who don't know anything about bowling as a sport.” And the kids had a lot to say about the ITRC program. “It's a lot of fun,” said Kelsi Anderson, a junior at San Antonio's Communication Arts High School. “I found out a lot of what I need to work on, mainly spares.” “It's tiring but definitely a learning experience,” said Paige Kranshaar, a senior at Boone Grove High School in Crown Point, Indiana. “I need to improve being more consistent, especially on hitting my target.” Kranshaar's most interesting part definitely was the gym. “I wasn't thinking bowling is that physically demanding, but it is,” she said. “Shooting shot after shot for 15 minutes takes a toll. I'm still sore.”
While bowling doesn't offer the amount of scholarships as other sports, there's still decent money at stake. Vincennes, a junior college in Indiana which only fields a men’s team, offers $65,000 in total scholarships. Alabama State University gives the equivalent of five full $21,000 scholarships and Arkansas State has five valued at $22,500. That's well over $100,000 each, and even though they can be split as many ways as they like, coaches still must be picky whom they choose. “I only recruit kids with at least a 3.0 grade point average and a 20 on the ACT,” said Alabama State Coach Andrew Chatmon. “We require 3.5 GPA and 24 ACT,” Kostick said. Coaches could only meet players and their parents after Combine activities were complete at tables set up in a meeting room of the main building on the International Bowling Campus. Because of NCAA rules, junior girls could talk only to non-NCAA schools while seniors could talk to any school. Without NCAA restrictions, boys could meet with any coach on the last day. Meeting face to face gave both the student and coaches the chance to assess each other, perhaps the truest advantage of the event. “Meeting them in person is as important as how they bowl,” Chatmon said. “When you sit down and talk to them, you find out how they interact with their parents. Do they show respect? Do they look you in the eye? When they get away from their parents, that's when you really find out what they are like.” With the Bowling Combine in place and growing, the sport is headed in the direction of any major collegiate sport. Maybe the next best NCAA athelete will be a bowler! ❖ 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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Memories of Allen Crown
MEMORY LANE
As we mark our 20th Anniversary, we want to take a moment
to remember our visionary and founder Allen Crown.
I
By Paul Lane
first met the late Allen Crown in 1992, several months before he launched International Bowling Industry Magazine. By nature I am a positive thinking person, and certainly rarely a skeptic, but when Allen told me he was launching a new national and international bowling publication, I felt compelled to jump in and explain to him just how many start-up publications had failed within the first one or two years. Allen had heard this many times before and was not in the least bit concerned. After he patiently explained to me his concept for the magazine, and how he had successfully launched and published similar publications in other industries, I realized he could well Scott Frager, with founder Allen Crown and his wife Tomiko, at Bowl Expo Hawaii 1994. be on the right track with a winning idea: “Allen,” I said, “your idea just might work.” public relations, promotion, collateral print, etc.) About a year later I met with Allen at a trade show for the and employee hiring skills and training, especially Military, staged in a downtown Denver, Colorado, hotel that in the area of customer service and sales, and was just walking distance from my home. By this time the ended the wash list with a comment to the effect: magazine was well established and received by the industry “if you succeed in all of these areas there would at large. My interpretation was that the initial concept for the be no need for a Bowling Proprietors Association.” magazine was that it served as a seminar in print. After filing the story, I thought about that and During that meeting in Denver, Allen asked me if I would wondered if the comment was controversial, and be interested in becoming one of the writers. I told him my called Allen. “Not a bit,” he said. “It’s a fact and writing experience had been limited to writing marketing it’s not a criticism of the BPAA. And, even if it’s plans for AMF and putting together promotion programs interpreted as being controversial, so be it.” The and proprietor, instructor and pro-shop workshops for story ran “as is”, and there were no complaints. center employees. That’s the kind of support a writer appreciates. It “That’s exactly why I’m asking,” Allen responded, “When gives you confidence. can you start?” Allen’s mild-mannered and endearing personality This was all new to me, but the short story, and more than made him, and International Bowling Industry a hundred and fifty published stories later, the good folks Magazine, many friends all over the world. Allen, at International Bowling Industry are still letting me do it. we all miss you, but every month when I receive But I could not have done it without Allen, who was not only my copy of the magazine, I feel like you are still confident that I could deliver what the publication was with us. ❖ looking for but taught me how to do it. What is interesting is that other contributors to the magazine, and also a couple of editors, said the same Paul Lane is former Director of Marketing and thing: that they could not have done it without Allen. He Marketing Services for AMF Bowling, Inc. He has been the director of 18 AMF World Cups, an had a special talent that’s for sure. officer in national and international trade I recall I once wrote a “how-to” story about the associations, and a pro bowler during a career importance of the marketing mix (between advertising, that spans more than 60 countries and 50 years.
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DATEBOOK
JANUARY 2013
MARCH
MAY
14-18 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
11-15 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
6-10 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
21-25 Brunswick Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
18-22 Brunswick Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
13-17 Brunswick Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.ocm
27–30 BPAA 2013 Bowling Summit Mid-Winter Conference for Proprietors, Managers & Industry Leaders, Hyatt Regency at Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX www.bpaa.com/Summit
18-19 Foundations Entertainment University Educational program designed for FEC owners and managers To be held in conjunction with Amusement Expo Las Vegas Info: foundationsuniversity.com
JUNE 10-14 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
20-22 Amusement Expo Trade Show Sponsored by AAMOA & AMOA Las Vegas Convention Center Exhibit info: Brian Glasgow 708-226-1300 x 17 brian@wtglasgow.com General info: Jacki Canter 708-226-1300 x 22 jcanter@wtglasgow.com
APRIL 21–23 71ST Annual BBIA Convention Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi, MS Info: 800-343-1329
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17-21 Brunswcik Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
23-28 Bowl Expo – “Go for the Gold” Las Vegas Convention Center Info: Drew Guntert 800-343-1329 x 8449 drew@bpaa.com
JULY 15-19 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunsbowl.com
SHOWCASE ROCKIN’ PARTY
HELPFUL NEWSLETTERS
ONLINE PLANNER
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Tom Sims, owner of Fox Bowl in Wheaton, IL recently purchased a Profit Platform®. The visual of a stage on the lanes with live performers + staffers + customers having a great time and an awesome sound and light show with bowling is something Wheaton will be talking about for some time. The Profit Platform® is manufactured in the U.S.A. by GKM Int'l using recycled LDPE composites. For more information visit the company's website www.profitplatform.biz or call 310.791.7092 or email gordon@gkmintl.com.
The iPlanner by Intercard takes online scheduling to a new level. The iPlanner system allows facility guests to not only make event reservations, but to book specific facility resources to customize their event. The major benefit of the system is that it recognizes scheduling conflicts for those resources and provides alternatives. The iPlanner system is accessible to guests 24/7, while the iPlanner interface is customizable to any FEC. Visit www.intercard.com for more information.
Sign up now to receive the Bowling Center and/or Mechanics newsletters from Brunswick. An electronic email version of the Brunswick Bowling Center and Mechanics’ Newsletters are available and published four times a year. Visit brunswickbowling.com/register or scan the QR Code to sign-up so you don’t miss an issue. Each issue is packed with relevant information you need to help you run your business along with fun trivia and industry events.
StockTheBar.com – The Bar Store With So Much More! Shop for thousands of bar accessories and equipment at deeply discounted prices. You’ll find a huge selection of bottle openers, pour spouts, garnish trays, bar stools, management books, training DVD’s, neon signs, floor mats and just about anything you could possibly want for your bar. Make sure to check out our website StockTheBar.com. We’re the guys for your bar supplies!
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The kit by QubicaAMF is intended as a temporary repair for most fractures in the 2683 Yoke. Installation can be done inside the machine with a minimum of downtime. After installing a new yoke, the kit may be retained for future use. If you have any problems or questions, please call 866-460-QAMF(7263).
Bowling Buddies Shoe Covers are fully functional, disposable shoe covers that are designed for a single session of bowling and are intended to replace the traditional rental shoe. Each pair is individually wrapped and available in 3 sizes fitting 95% of all shoes. This packaging is specially designed to ensure the customer will be required to purchase a new pair each time they bowl. Visit www.bowlingbuddiesshoecovers.com or call 855-COVERS-0 for more information.
New high efficiency retrofit kits–fits most lights, easy to install! Take advantage of energy rebates, incentives and tax credits while they are still available. Please call Industrial Lighting and Sound at (800) 875-9006 or visit www.industriallightingandsound.com.
The TurboTap is a patented retrofit draft beerdispensing device made from high-grade stainless steel that slips over the end of a standard U.S. beer faucet. The standard TurboTap comes in three sizes to fit various draft beer tower configurations and glass configurations. This results in a fill rate that can consistently beat 4 seconds per pint, minimizing waste and pouring a consistently goodlooking, good-tasting, beer. Visit www.turbotapusa.com for more information. IBI
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CLASSIFIEDS
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN EQUIPMENT FOR SALE REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS
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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www.tuckerbowling.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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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FOR SALE: 11 ea. 28” Fenice monitor boards for Qubica automatic scoring. In working order when removed. $250.00 ea. Call Hillcrest Lanes (419) 675-6214. FOR SALE: 20 ea. Wells-Gardner 28” monitor boards for Qubica automatic scoring. $200/ea. – in working order when removed. Call Autumn Lanes (828) 286-9149. MUST SELL! 10 synthetic lanes/approaches, Qubica scoring, Brunswick A-2 jet back pinsetters, ball returns, Kegel Kustodian, spare parts, house balls, kitchen equipment & MORE! Call Kathy (805) 794-6639.
ITEMS WANTED “WANTED TO BUY” Older Bowling Shirts. Paying $5 - $25 for button front shirts with embroidery or ink lettering on the back. HicardVintage@gmail.com (866) 312-6166.
CENTER FOR SALE 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.
SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
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291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com
For FLORIDA CENTERS Call DAVID DRISCOLL & ASSOCIATES 1-800-444-BOWL 3800 Lake Center Loop, Suite B1, Mount Dora, FL 32757-2208 AN AFFILIATE OF SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES 48
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CLASSIFIEDS
"Bowling Center Construction Specialists" New Center Construction Family Entertainment Centers Residential Bowling Lanes Modernization Mini Bowling Lanes Automatic Scoring CONTACT
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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/
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CLASSIFIEDS 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. 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. 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. WASHINGTON COAST: 8-lane AMF center with automatic scoring & snack bar. Owner contract to buy business for $150,000 and/or lease to buy. Good league base. colrond@centurylink.net.
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.
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE 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. GEORGIA, Vadalia: 16-lane center. Low down payment; assume a SBA 4.75% interest loan. Will carry 2nd note on half of down payment. For additional info fax qualified inquiries to (912) 537-4973 or email lmfastfoods@yahoo.com.
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. 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 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. 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. MICHIGAN-SOUTH CENTRAL: Large center with late model equipment. Strong league base plus high-volume franchise. RE included. Sandy Hansell (800) 222-9131. OREGON: 16 lanes near Portland with good revenue and cash flow. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630.
POSITION WANTED Seeking General Manager position— West Coast, Nevada, New Mexico and/or Southern region. 40 years in the industry—owner, GM & District Manager. Familiar with F&B, marketing, special events and youth programs. Has served on the Indiana BPA Board of Directors for 4 years. Resume and references available. Rudy Hinojosa (317) 590-5499 or email: rhbowl@yahoo.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 Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com. 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 $378. Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call (888) 243-0685.
AccuScore XL & AccuScore BOSS component exchange. (712) 253-8730. AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchange your tired or damaged chassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted and ready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround. Lifetime guarantee. References available. CHASSIS DOCTORS (330) 314-8951.
WISCONSIN, Gilman: Profitable 6-lane center with bar & grill, pizza kitchen, banquet hall. Owner financing or lease/purchase possible. PRICE REDUCED BY $50K (715) 447-8770 or gilmanbowl@centurytel.net.
POSITION WANTED SALES POSITION WANTED: 25 years experience; specializing in open bowling. References available. May work on commission. Kevin Malick (863) 602-4850. IBI
January 2013
51
REMEMBER WHEN
1993 I PREMIERE ISSUE OF
BOWLING INDUSTRY 52
IBI
January 2013
t has been twenty years since Bowling Industry, aka International Bowling Industry and IBI, launched its first publication. Decade birthdays are a little scary as they require reflection. IBI was the first to direct its attention exclusively to
business, the hows and whys and ins and outs. Through the years, it came to realize that all of the events, the business theories and the marketing styles come down to people: behind every good business is a hard working team. IBI’s goal has been to meld the business and the people. That goal still remains. �