Int'l Bowling Industry- August 2013

THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

CONTENTS

VOL 21.8

6 ISSUE AT HAND

33 BEYOND BOWLING

Extra! Extra!

By Scott Frager

8 SHORTS • A Memorial to Oklahoma’s AMF Moore Lanes • IBI’s Ben Breuner shares in Chuck Pezzano Scholarship.

18

Compiled by Patty Heath

• Card Tricks: The new debit card systems and the wonders they can do • Renovation Reality: Phil Huffman’s Century Lanes undertakes an upgrade.

• Interesting Interview: Rick Heim of Cornerstone Consulting

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Chris Holmes holmes@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORS Fred Groh Patty Heath George McAuliffe Mark Miller Robert Sax

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424

18 TALKING SHOP

FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)

At Strikerz Pro Shop, It’s Not About the Money

50 WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME

David Lansford and Arnold Hunt share a philosophy of fairness and service.

What Happens in Vegas…

Bill Wammes and Yolanda “Yogi” Lorenzen get hitched while at Bowl Expo.

By Mark Miller

By Fred Groh 26

22 PHOTO ESSAY Going For The Gold at Bowl Expo A look at the people and events that made Bowl Expo a gold medal winner

62 REMEMBER WHEN Four Roses

By IBI Staff

1960

By Patty Heath

26 COVER STORY Bowlers, Start Your Engines!

GoBowling.com and Richard Petty of NASCARfame combine their horsepower to brand and promote bowling.

By Robert Sax 4

IBI

August 2013

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:

53 Datebook 54 Showcase 55 Classifieds 33

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Extra! Extra!

I’ve always wanted to shout “Extra! Extra! Read ceremonies, I’ve never experienced such an “Extra!” wellall about it!” There’s something so nostalgic about thought-out and well executed bowling event. those words that, to me, conjure up a young lad in 5) All the proceeds were donated to the “Extra!” special a herringbone cap and knickers selling papers while International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. rushes of passer-byers throw dimes his way to get It’s too challenging to attempt to explain the format of this the latest news hot off the presses. event in the space allocated here, It’s really hard to do that in the but the major takeaway is that trade magazine and digital world, the brilliant format makes it but I’m going to give it a try! A few possible for bowlers of all types months ago, I attended the 2nd to bowl side-by-side in a fun and annual, national bowling event friendly environment, while still sponsored by International Bowling maintaining the illusion of Museum Hall of Fame called “Hall competition. of Fame Xtravaganza.” Held in Keith Hamilton, Pat Ciniello, Vegas at the world-class Red Rock John Losito, Joan Romeo, Dennis Hotel and Casino, a $500 entry Mathews and all the other earned a three-night stay, entry for International Bowling Museum two to the sold out Xtravaganza, and Hall of Fame volunteers who and a world of fun. worked so hard to make the This year, I purchased two 2013 Xtravaganza happen, I take entries, one for me and my cohort off my herringbone cap and Chris Holmes, the other was raffled salute you all! off at my center with half the I also shout out “Extra! proceeds going to BVL. That truly Extra!”to the world for the 2014 made everyone a winner! event. I’ve already committed There are several things about to doubling my two spots for this this event that struck me as “Extra! Xtravaganza Hall of Famers. . . Keith Hamilton, always sold out event. That President IBMHF, Pat Ciniello, Chairman IBMHF, Extra!” worthy: means there are precious fewer 1) The entry fee, by itself, was an and John Losito, the BPAA Tournament Director. spots and little time to reserve “Extra!” good value. yours.

2) The format was unlike any tournament that Take the advice of this paperboy: “Extra! Extra! Read all about I’ve seen or heard about, creating one of the most it! The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame is now “Extra!” fun and exciting events I’d ever accepting registrations for the 2014 experienced.

Hall of Fame Xtravaganza! Don’t miss 3) As the bowling format was “Extra!” unusual, out on the event of the year!” the atmosphere was all about fun. Bowlers’ brains were constantly scrambled as hard-core bowlers and novices bowled side-by-side trying to figure ways to outsmart the format, only to come away – SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER scratching their heads while belly laughing.

AND EDITOR 4) From the welcome party, to the event frager@bowlingindustry.com coordination and all the way to the closing

6

IBI

August 2013

SHORTS

Tornado Follow-Up AMF Moore Lanes was totally destroyed in the F5 tornado that ripped through Moore, OK along with a good portion of the town. Twenty-four people lost their lives.

It is always amazing that after something this shattering happens, life still manages to move forward.

However, AMF Moore Lanes was not forgotten. Tiffany Mateas was across the street at the Moore Medical Center when the tornado hit. When she was rescued, all she saw was devastation in all directions and was brought to tears seeing the rubble that once was the center of fun and recreation for many in the community.

Tiffany was not the only one who held the center dear. Clean-up crews saved a lot of the pins and balls. One in particular was a cracked, blue 13pounder with child-sized finger holes and the engraved name “Russ.” It was this type of memorabilium that Chris Barbee of Nowata, known as the Bowling Ball Yard-Art Man, used to create a memorial using balls and pins from the much-loved center.

Each ball is inscribed with a name of a person or child who perished that day. The memory box in the center is protected with Plexiglas. The text, hand-written, giving even more poignancy to the words, reads “This ball and pin were in The Moore Bowling Alley when an EF5 tore through central Oklahoma on May 20th, 2013. This memorial is dedicated to those who lost their lives, and all the citizens of Moore, Oklahoma who suffered great tragedy and loss that day. May God Bless.”

Citizens were not the only ones to try and make a difference after the tornado. AMF Bowling Centers hosted a nationwide event on Sunday, June 9, to raise funds for the American Red Cross to support those who lost homes and businesses. On that day, from noon to 6 p.m., AMF centers donated $5 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund.

“With one of our centers, AMF Moore Lanes, destroyed by the tornado in Oklahoma, we saw firsthand the destruction and devastation these events cause,” said Steve Satterwhite, AMF’s CFO and COO. “We are so fortunate that no customers or employees were in the bowling center when it was struck by the tornado.”

Chris Barbee’s artwork may be viewed at www.bowlingballyardart.com.

8

IBI

August 2013

Pezzano Awards Announced IBMA announced the winners for the Chuck Pezzano Scholarship, a $3,000 prize, shared with the selected writers. IBI was very excited that one of its new writers, Ben Breuner, Kentfield, CA, was among the honorees. Also included in the field were Ben Breuner Melissa Sobolik, Marian, IA, and Matthew Perry, Shelton, CT. According to the judges, this year was very competitive.

Ben Breuner attends Northwestern University and is majoring in journalism. Previous awards are the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Awards, 2011 and Newspaper Guild David S. Barr Award, 2011.

Melissa Sobolik will be graduating from the University of Kansas Summa Cum Laude and has made the Dean’s Honor List from 2009 to 2013. She has also produced an impressive economic impact study brochure for 2012- 2013.

Matthew Perry is a journalist and bowler. He was instrumental in forming the “Family Night Bowling organization” sponsored by Storm Products and has achieved bowling highs of a 300 game and 800 series.

Perry was selected to be among the Bowlers Journal International magazine’s top 40 U.S. prospects in 2010.

He has been a journalist at Bowler’s Ledger since 2011.

IBI congratulates all of these talented young people.

BOWL EXPO OPENING:

KEGEL DEBUTS THE NEW FLEX DUO

Bowl Expo was the stage for Kegel to unveil its new FLEX and FLEX Walker Lane Machines. This pair features a conditioning system that combines Kegel’s Sanction Technology with dual condition cartridges.

The innovative design makes FLEX the first lane machine to give centers the ability to use more than one lane conditioner.

Available updates include Cleaner Mixing System that mixes the cleaner automatically, and a variable speed buffer motor.

SHORTS

Media

WATCH

GUNS ‘N’ ROSES PLAYS BROOKLYN BOWL Brooklyn Bowl is not only an intimate, cushy, 16-lane bowling center but also a hip music venue which hosted a “warm-up” session for Guns ‘N’ Roses prior to its headlining gig at New York’s Governors Ball in June. The 23,000-square-foot location serves up bowling, food and musical entertainment seven nights a week. It has been listed as the Best Music Club by Zagat three years running.

CAUTION! IT’S ADDICTIVE Bowling is one of those games that lends itself to apps and online games. Disney has released “Meet the Robinsons: Bowling with Lefty,” a free online sport game. Meet the Robinsons, if you remember, was an animated feature with 12-year-old Wilbur Robinson in a futuristic world. Well, Lefty is a one-eyed, purple octopus from that world. The object is to become Lefty and bowl your heart out. “Try your tentacle” is the invitation, and I did! Once, twice, hey you need to play a lot of games to get a respectable score. Clever of them!

ERIN BRADY’S TRIFECTA: MISS CONNECTICUT, MISS USA AND BOWLING FAN Erin Brady, 25, from East Hampton, CT, and the current Miss Connecticut, has been crowned Miss USA. Brady works as a financial accountant and earned a degree in finance and a minor in criminal justice. Why the plug? She loves to bowl!

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL LIKES TO BOWL TOO! Big dolls like Miss USA like to bowl and little dolls like the American Girl do, too. This doll ensemble comes complete with bowling shirt and pants, a pair of hairbands for her ‘do and a shiny doll-sized ball and three pins which make it possible for this American Girl to really bowl.

10

IBI

August 2013

New York:

It’s about the $hoes

“Bowling for dollars” could be a fundraiser and often is, but in this case, it deals with slip and fall litigation. Since New York banned indoor smoking in 2003, there has been an increase in lawsuits relating to slip and fall incidents. You know, the old go outside for a smoke without changing out of the slick-bottomed bowling shoes, and when you come back in, whoops! The return inside becomes fraught with danger.

According to an article in the Times Union, “operators of New York’s bowling alleys hope a [state] legislative proposal will spare them grief.” Sponsored by western New York Republican Senator Patrick Gallivan and assembly representative Robin Schimminger, the proposal would require bowling centers to post signs warning customers of the dangers of wearing bowling shoes outside, thus putting the onus on the customer to be careful.

Gallivan’s proposal was held back in the Senate Consumer Affairs Committee due to questions, one of which came from the state Trial Lawyer Association which believes it would grant overly broad protection against lawsuits.

“We cannot support any legislation that undercuts the constitutional right to a trial by jury,” the association’s president, Michael Jaffe, said in a statement.

New York legislators might want to turn to Illinois for advice. Illinois lawmakers made a compromise with trial lawyers in changing a similar bill so that it only covered rental shoes, in addition to adding very detailed wording about how unsafe it can be to get the shoes wet.

A little common sense would go a long way in saving everybody a lot of trouble. Just like ice skates are meant only for ice rinks, bowling shoes are meant only for bowling lanes. Listen up!

SHORTS

GOODWILL CENTRAL

Summer is beginning. Here are two centers playing a major role in working with their communities.

Steve Mackey of Tenpins & More in Rio Rancho, NM, hosted the 5th Annual ARCA Bowlathon, raising over $90,000 through the generosity and support of corporate sponsors, more than 200 bowlers, a silent art auction, and Bob Scanlon with ARCA the benevolence of local bowler Genevie Harris at philanthropist Bob Scanlon. This Tenpins and More. event over its five-year span has raised over $483,000 that helps ARCA look after more than 600 developmentally disabled adults and children in both partial and full-time care.

Zodo’s of Goleta, CA, and Steve Davis, GM, were pleased to announce three wellreceived community charitable events held Goleta Lions Club recently. The Goleta Lions Club and their Bowl-A-Thon generated about $7,600 for the local organization. The Briner Bowl, which raises money for the Chad Briner Foundation, which helps fund UCSB recreational sports activities including bowling, brought in $3,000. The third event was the Santa Barbara Rotary North Club. All of these organizations with the help of Zodo’s are integral to the well-being of the area.

BRUNSWICK ZONE SPONSORS AIR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Air hockey competitors at Zone in Naperville.

More and more, bowling is finding itself paired with other activities which enhance business.

Brunswick Zone in Naperville, IL, co-sponsored the 2013 Illinois State Air Hockey Championships along with Gold Standard Games/Shelti. The center recently added two new Gold Standard “Elite” model tables which were used in the competition.

Participants came from all sections of the U.S. Winning the tournament was current world champion Billy Stubbs of Chicago. Second place went to Brian Accrocco and third place to Pete Lippincott, both from Houston.

“Brunswick Zone has been a premier location over the years to host events like this,” stated Gold Standard Games owner Mark Robbins.

& TURKEY ARE A PRODUCTIVE MATCH In IBI’ s January issue, Alain Winterhalter, Switch CEO, announced the opening of Switch International, headquartered in Turkey. Economic, employment and production were all factors that sealed the decision and the move.

Since that time, the Switch team has been very busy. An 8-lane center, the very first, in Mauritius, was opened. In addition, two new Switch centers have opened in France, 6 lanes and 18 lanes. Switch has given a great deal of focus as well to Russia, and the Middle East where it has a strong presence.

Switch attended the Singapore Sports Awards and its 36-lane Orchid Bowl hosted the 46th International Bowling Open, May 24- June 4. This company is very much on the move.

12

IBI

August 2013

Switch’s Singapore center, Orchid Bowl, was host for the International Bowling Open.

SHORTS

EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS After 14 years, Morgan’s Thunder Bowl in Mokena, IL, will be getting a face lift. The dining portion is now called The Alley Grill and Taphouse and sports a retooled menu under the guidance of new head chef Joe Rizza.

The center’s 24 lanes will be renovated, according to owners Craig and Paul Engbert.

“Our original core was family entertainment and we want to get back to that, an entertainment complex with the bowling, the family restaurant, the banquets, just the whole thing,“ shared Craig.

Besides the lanes, there will be new carpeting, freshly painted walls and remodeled bathrooms. Manager Diane Lauzze, who has worked at Morgan’s for 11 years, said, “It’s more than putting on new lipstick.”

Dale Elliott, owner of Dale’s Weston Lanes, is in the middle of a $200,000 renovation of the newly-named Marathon City Sports Center in Marathon, WI. Elliott has partnered with Custom Meats of Marathon, which owns the property. He noted that community support has been overwhelming. Along with the bowling, the lot includes an outdoor baseball diamond and a volleyball court and will be set up to serve food in a separate lounge area.

Triangle Lanes, a 16-lane center in Mount Dora, FL, has been purchased

by Sal and Chris Cecere. The seller was First National Bank of Mount Dora. The Ceceres, a father and son team who previously owned and operated a pro shop, are first-time proprietors. David Driscoll of Sandy Hansell and Associates, Inc., served as the broker.

New life–bowling life–will be given to a former Sack and Save store in Columbus, MS, which has been empty for a decade. Owner P.K. Ravi plans call for a 27,000-square-foot facility housing a 24-lane center with a bar and grill, a pool room and a party area.

M.A. Copeland, who currently works for Family Bowl Lanes in Meridian, is overseeing the construction project.

“We’ll have a big game room, pool tables, and we have looked at the possibility of adding bumper cars and some laser stuff,” Copeland said.

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a rec center, but that will not take place originally.

It will have to be in steps. I want to give Columbus as decent a bowling center and operation as I can possibly do. That’s my major concern.”

14

IBI

August 2013

TH OF JULY 4 FESTIVITIES HIGHLIGHT “We wanted people in our small town to know that bowlers do more than bowling,” Bev Van Blair, owner of Cardinal Lanes in Newton, IA, told us, and the Fourth of July parade in town was a perfect opportunity.

Themed “Salute to Our American Patriots,” the celebration was partly inspired by this being the final year for local WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets to take a day trip to the nation’s capital to visit memorials in honor of military service in the three wars.

“The BVL program was a natural fit,” Van Blair said. “As we discussed what we could do, the staff [at Cardinal Lanes] decided to let kids try bowling on the [BVL] carpet kit after the parade as everyone congregated on the courthouse square to have lunch, listen to the city band, and participate in activities for the kids.”

Centers have shipped more than 550 of the bowling kits since 2005 to troops stationed in the Middle East and elsewhere. The kit contains a 26-foot lane, rubberized 5-pound ball, plastic pins, and sets up in minutes.

Newton Chamber of Commerce executive director Darrell Sarmento saved the bowling spot on the courthouse sidewalk.

When he sauntered by after the lane had been open for business just 15 minutes, he remarked to Van Blair, “Wow! Can you do this again?”

They will, next year.

Young early-birds line up at the carpet lane in front of the Newton courthouse (behind camera). Sgt. Jason Mikkelson (pinspotting in cammies) was stationed in Afghanistan when the carpet kit was sent to him in January 2011.

Returning to the States on leave the next month, then re-stationed when he came off leave, he missed getting the kit. It was returned to him in care of the Newton post office. Mikkelson, now discharged, lent the kit for the parade.

SHORTS

PEOPLE WATCHING

REMEMBRANCES IBMA announced the passing in June of its Hall of Fame member Joe Gennaro. He was 87.

In 1956, Gennaro founded The Bowling News, initially serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area and later expanding into the rest of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. After 53 years at its helm, he sold the publication in 2009. Stated IBMA, “One of his joys was to witness the growth of the sport, the bowlers themselves and the proprietors.

He promoted it all with his big cowboy hat, his big boots and his big personality.”

Gennaro was placed on the Honor Roll of the Fort Worth Bowling Association. He received Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Recognition Award, Texas Bowling Centers Association CC Beardon Award and Professional Bowlers Association award for excellent coverage. He was also a founding member of the Bowling News Network.

Brunswick’s

“Bowl for Freedom” Another veteran support campaign running through August was launched again this year by Brunswick-owned centers. The “Bowl for Freedom” event allows bowlers to roll a game for just 50 cents with all bowling proceeds donated to Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) which provides recreational and therapeutic programs and services for active duty troops as well as hospitalized veterans.

BVL Board Chair Darlene Baker commented, “Last year, our friends at Brunswick contributed almost $30,000 to BVL through this wonderful program. That funding went a long way to help achieve our mission of brightening veterans’ lives. This year, we’re hoping to top that – we’re encouraging all bowlers to find the ‘Bowl for Freedom’ event in their area and get out and enjoy a great bowling value, all while supporting our nation’s veterans.”

16

IBI

August 2013

The Hulsenberg Family Joins Storm Products Storm Products of Brigham City, UT, manufacturer of highperformance bowling equipment, has announced the additions of Gary Hulsenberg and Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg to its sales and marketing departments. Leanne, a USBC Hall of Famer and 27-time PWBA champion, will be joining the organization as its new Marketing Coordinator, taking on responsibility for Storm’s 85-plus sponsorship organizations, tournaments and events across the U.S. She will also coordinate trade shows, Bowl Expo, sales meetings and Storm University events. “Leanne is going to be a great asset to Storm, helping us coordinate the events that we are involved in,” stated Roger Noordhoek, director of business Gary and Leanne development.

Gary, who is a former bowling manufacturer Hulsenberg with fourdistrict manager, will become inside sales year-old son Barrett coordinator for the Storm sales team. His major responsibilities will be to manage Storm and Roto Grip’s pro shop programs and specials, as well as Storm’s retail web store. Hank Boonershine, vice president of sales and marketing, noted,”The hiring of Gary Hulsenberg brings an added dynamic to the team.”

The Hulsenberg’s shared in a joint statement, “Our move to Utah, and more importantly to Storm, is a perfect fit for us both professionally and personally.”

The Bowling Foundation spotlights John Sommer “Do the right thing, and don’t worry about who gets the credit.” That was John Sommer’s father’s rule of life and one that he, the son, has diligently tried to follow.

Sommer is owner of several bowling centers in Illinois and is a member of the elite BPAA Hall of Fame. He recently has become the recipient of one of bowling’s most prestigious and coveted awards—the Sam Levine Flowers for the Living Award funded by The Bowling Foundation. Despite a full plate running his own business, Sommer still makes John Sommer (center) time to volunteer. He has worked most with BPAA E.D. Steve recently on the Hall of Fame Xtravaganza Johnson and BPAA and the Women’s U.S. Open President Cathy DeSocio Tournament; he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the in-school bowling program and high school bowling; and he gives a good amount of time to BVL. The Bowling Foundation’s press release stated, “No doubt one of John’s proudest achievements was the operation of a women’s professional bowling tour for 22 years from 1981 to 2003. Sommer’s PWBA gave the top women bowlers in the world a chance to make a living as professional bowlers for more than two decades.”

PRO SHOP SERIES

er rk Mill a M y B

F

or many people, operating a bowling pro shop is their full-time job while for others, it's part-time work at best.

And no matter how many hours someone chooses to put in, one generally hopes to make money. But that's not the philosophy of David Lansford and Arnold Hunt, owners of Strikerz Pro Shop in Bloomington, IL. To them, bringing more people into the sport and keeping them there are far more important than profit.

“Our goal is to make someone who gets our balls and shoes happy, and maybe they join a league and maybe get set up for life,” Lansford said. “There's some personal satisfaction I get when people come up to the shop, we tell them about our ball, bag and shoe combinations, and they smile when they see the price. They say, 'Wow, that's everything?'”

“We just want to pay the bills, give people a decent price and decent service and so far it's worked out pretty well,” Hunt said. “We have the philosophy that you shouldn't have to pay $230, especially with what we know we pay for it.”

The duo opened their business last June inside AMF Circle Lanes on Bloomington's east side about seven months after the previous shop closed. Center general manager Vicki DePaul wanted someone to take over so she approached Hunt, a longtime league bowler and Level 1 certified coach who ran her youth program, and the Corn Belt United States Bowling Congress Youth Association manager as well. “She knew I was interested,

1

and she and I had the same philosophy,” Lansford said.

The two met just a few years ago when Lansford was dating one of Hunt's friends. Soon after, they began bowling together and talking about their ideas. Trouble was, neither had drilled even one hole in one bowling ball. “I had sanded some balls and helped people put tape in or change grips,” Hunt said.

“I was always amazed at how the pro shop was setting up my ball,” Lansford said. “I wondered how they did that. I was always interested. I always paid attention. I approached pro shop owners in the area and said I'd like to learn what to do but no one was really eager to help me.”

So Lansford enrolled in the Ebonite drilling class in Hopkinsville, KY, where he quickly learned it would not be easy.

“There was a test every day, a quiz and a take-home essay,” Lansford said. “You had to get 80 percent or higher to pass.

After a week they give you two balls to drill.

“I took a Hammer Arsenal Pro and it did what I wanted it to do. I started to drill some balls for other people who seemed to like what I do. I drilled three balls for one guy and asked him how they felt. He said they all [felt] the same.”

Lansford and Hunt originally opened Strikerz Pro Shop with a partner but when they learned he didn't share their thoughts, they quickly parted ways. “When I drill a ball, it's like drilling my own. I want it to fit perfect. I take the extra time.

I'm very detail-oriented. If it's not right, I will make it right.”

1. Top row, left to right: David Lansford and Matt Gargano.

Bottom row, left to right: Arnold Hunt and Mark Shepherd.

2. One happy customer.

18

IBI

August 2013

2

PRO SHOP SERIES

3. Mark Shepherd in action drilling a ball.

4. Dave Lansford doing what he does best: helping bowlers find the perfect equipment.

3

One reason Lansford's and Hunt's philosophy works is both worked fulltime when they opened. Lansford, who lives in nearby Clinton, was a DeWitt County sheriff for 18 years until he was laid off in December. Hunt, a Saybrook resident, has sold truck parts since 1995. Yet bowling has played a major role for both men since their youth.

“Bowling has been very important to me in central Illinois,” Lansford said. “It was something I could do, because I'm not big enough or fast enough to do other sports.” Lansford, 44, started bowling at age 16 in Bement. He competed in his first adult league in Champaign while attending Parkland College where he earned an associate's degree in applied sciences.

“Growing up, I lived for Saturday afternoons,” Lansford said.

“I enjoyed watching the pro bowlers tour. I'd pick up little things that would help my game, and I especially liked watching guys who had good sportsmanship.”

Hired right out of college as a Champaign County sheriff, he left a few months later to join the Bement police department where he worked for five years before his DeWitt County job.

While mostly working nights, Lansford found time to compete in area leagues and rolled his first 300 game at the former Clinton Bowl in 1999. “It was the first 300 game there in like five years,” said Lansford, who added another 300 in Champaign in 2000.

“It was a big deal.” He joined his first Bloomington-area league in the 2002-2003 season, six years before Hunt arrived.

Hunt, 43, lives about 30 miles east of Bloomington, just seven blocks from where he grew up. His first recollection of the game was at age seven or eight at an eight-lane center in nearby Gibson City.

The bulk of Hunt's adult competition took place in LeRoy, where his best friend owned the lanes until his 2008 death and where Hunt coached and oversaw the youth program since 1994. Soon after he migrated to Circle Lanes, Hunt met Lansford and they quickly started realizing how the sport was changing. “At Circle Lanes, leagues are starting to dwindle and that makes me sad,” Lansford said. “Anything I can do 20

IBI

August 2013

4 to give back to the sport of bowling is important. Doing my little bit with my little pro shop and my philosophy of people being able to buy stuff and not feel like they are going broke and make just enough to keep going, makes me happy.”

There are several ways Lansford and Hunt watch the bottom line. “We haven't gotten to the point of getting a phone,” Lansford said. “We mostly operate by cash and check. We didn't want the expense of the Internet. We're trying to keep our costs low.” Two volunteers, Matt Gargano and Mark Shepherd, also help serve customers. In the first six months in business, Lansford and Hunt sold 100 bowling balls. “We're pretty proud of what we've done,” Lansford said.

Though they just signed a deal to partner with Motif products, Lansford and Hunt don't push any particular brand.

“They are all pretty good balls,” Lansford said. “It all depends on what you want to spend and what you want it to do. I can take about any ball and make it do what you want it to.

“I'm still new to the drilling scene. I know I'm doing a good job because I take the time to get it right. I ask a lot of questions to find out if the ball is doing what you want it to. I get a thrill that people are happy with our prices, then we drill a ball and they turn around with a wide-eyed gaze and say, ‘That's what I wanted' and they want to keep bowling.”

Hunt has been equally pleased. “We've been able to pay the bills and people like what we're doing, so we must be doing something right,” Hunt said. “We're pretty lucky because our general manager, Vicki, likes us because it generates more business for the center. We couldn't ask for a better arrangement.” ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound, TX. Most recently, Mark authored the book "Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime," available from Amazon.com or markmywordstexas@gmail.com.

BOWL EXPO

22

IBI

August 2013

BOWL EXPO

IBI

August 2013

23

COVER STORY

24

IBI

August 2013

COVER STORY

By Robert Sax

ASCAR, Petty, 43. Two names and a number that are instantly recognized by millions of Americans.

That’s why they are one of the most powerful sponsorship and branding stories in the history of modern sports marketing.

That powerful combination is now part of the BPAA’s plan to power up the bowling brand and boost consumer interest in the game. In 2013 and 2014, Strike Ten Entertainment, the BPAA’s sponsor-activation arm, will sponsor a NASCAR race as well as the famous #43 car of Richard Petty Motorsports.

N

Rolling for Dollars In its early years, NASCAR racing was a purely regional phenomenon. The cars and races had local sponsorship and the sport was little-known outside its birthplace, the American South. That changed dramatically in 1972 when Andy Granatelli, the maker of STP oil treatment, agreed to sponsor the car of top NASCAR driver Richard Petty.

Granatelli had fielded race cars at the Indianapolis 500 and had been a long-time sponsor of the most famous race in America. But Indycar sponsorhip had become expensive, and Granatelli was looking for more bang for his buck. Running in NASCAR was less expensive than Indy, but costs were rising nevertheless and teams were looking for more sponsorship dollars than local advertisers could afford.

Although a legendary spat over what color the car would be painted almost killed the deal, STP invested $250,000 in Petty’s team and heavily advertised the relationship. The result was a 40–years–plus marketing marriage that set NASCAR on the path to national prominence.

“As NASCAR rose, it grew out of [the STP] deal,” recalled Petty in an exclusive interview with IBI .

“Once other companies saw what STP was doing,

26

IBI

August 2013

COVER STORY

they jumped on board and it went from a Southern sport to a national sport.”

How Nascar revs up brands Sponsorship works by taking the familiarity and appeal of one brand and transferring it to another. In this case, the bowling industry is linking with the nationally-known brand of NASCAR and using that affiliation to create status.

“NASCAR has a community of followers that passionately believe,” says Sasha Strauss, managing director of branding agency Innovation Protocol and a USC and UCLA professor. “Bowling believes that those [NASCAR] audience members would also be interested in bowling if they just knew more about it. The essential message is if you like NASCAR, you will like bowling.”

Petty sees a strong connection between bowling fans and racing fans. “Bowling fans I see as Middle Americans,” says Petty.

“And that's where the majority of our race fans come from.”

Several bowling-related brands currently sponsor NASCAR races and drivers. PepsiCo Beverages sponsors Jeff Gordon, one of the top Sprint Cup drivers, as well as Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., his teammates with Hendrick Motorsports.

5-Hour Energy drink sponsors driver Clint Bowyer in the Sprint Cup, and the 5-Hour Energy 200 race in another NASCAR series, the Nationwide.

The primary goal of Strike Ten’s NASCAR program is to promote GoBowling.com, the online destination for bowling fans and enthusiasts seeking news and information about America's number–one participatory sport. With more than 71 million people taking to the lanes every year, GoBowling.com is a one-stop location where people of all ages can go to discover new bowling centers, tips and tricks to use on the lanes, event news and

Team STE (L to R): Leroy Willis, Toby Brown, Rebecca Blackerby and Tony Schronce with Richard Petty.

great deals at more than 2,100 bowling centers across the country.

In 2013 and 2014, GoBowling.com will be the sponsor of the “GoBowling.com 400” race at famous Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race, to be run on August 4, 2013, is one of 38 races in the Sprint Cup season, NASCAR’s premier racing series. First run in 1974, the Pennsylvania race has been sponsored by such leading brands as Coca-Cola, Miller and Sunoco.

GoBowling.com will also be the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Ford Fusion car belonging to the Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) team. Up-and-coming driver Aric Almirola will drive the car at the race. The RPM sponsorship includes the same race in 2014.

"There are very few athletes in the world who have the iconic

IBI

August 2013

27

COVER STORY stature of ‘The King’ Richard Petty,” says Frank DeSocio, president of Strike Ten Entertainment. “He, like bowling, is known in every corner of the world. Richard and Aric will be great ambassadors for the sport and all our bowling centers across the country."

History of the deal Strike Ten Entertainment’s mission is to increase national awareness of bowling, develop new bowlers and get existing bowlers to bowl more often. Strike Ten executes that mission through promotions, publicity and industry-wide marketing initiatives.

Over the years, promotions consultant John Harbuck had put together several successful NASCAR promotions for bowling, including one involving star driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his long-time sponsor, Budweiser.

In late 2012, Harbuck had become an executive at Strike Ten and was still bullish on NASCAR for reaching old and new bowlers alike. He and DeSocio made a savvy deal, quickly putting together race and driver sponsorship for the 2013 NASCAR season that began last February. They introduced the Richard Petty Motorsports GoBowling.com car at International Bowl Expo in June, and the car will make its debut in the GoBowling.com 400 race at Pocono Raceway this month.

According to several sources, the cost of a “primary sponsorship” similar to Strike Ten’s with Petty Motorsports can run as high as $500,000 per race. Putting a sponsor’s name on a race, as in the GoBowling.com 400, can run as high as $2 million. Strike Ten wouldn’t disclose the numbers for its deals, but Harbuck says

28

IBI

August 2013

Strike Ten Entertainment President Frank DeSocio (L) with VP of Activation & Fulfillment John Harbuck (R) were instrumental in bringing the GoBowling.com 400 to reality with Petty Motorsports.

that it’s a great value for a high–calibre sponsorship.

The benefits of NASCAR sponsorships are many. At the basic level, Strike Ten gets a race car prominently featuring the GoBowling.com logo on its hood and rear quarter panels. In an average race, thousands of spectators will see

COVER STORY that rolling billboard go around the track 160 times or more if the driver finishes the race. If the driver is one of the race leaders, a typical TV audience of more than 4 million viewers will see those logos for a good part of the three or four hours that the race lasts.

As a race sponsor, GoBowling.com will get additional track and TV exposure including on-air mentions in pre-race promos as well as pre-race, race and post-race coverage. Add in news photos in print and online, plus promotional appearances by the driver, and the result is heavy brand placement that can be as effective as advertising and more cost-effective.

But there’s more than one way to measure the return on investment in a NASCAR sponsorship. In 2013, Pepsi produced a video that featured driver Jeff Gordon, in disguise, taking a unsuspecting used car salesman for a wild test drive of a 2009 Camaro. The video features the soft drink company’s Pepsi Max brand, which is aimed at men 25-49 years old, a big part of the NASCAR audience and likely to watch online video as well. Pepsi posted it on YouTube where it went viral, garnering more than 37 million views and substantial media coverage as well.

“It's been recognized as one of the most successful viral videos of all time and has created a lot of positive buzz for the [Pepsi Max] brand and for Pepsi,” says Jennifer Dubin, a sports marketing analyst for PepsiCo Beverages. “The appeal of Jeff

30

IBI

August 2013

Stop Your Thirst campaign Justin Small of Rock Hill, South Carolina is the winner of the “Stop Your Thirst and Start the Race” contest. He and a guest will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bowling.com 400 race and he will drop the green flag as the honorary race starter.

The contest gave game cards to bowlers who purchased Pepsi fountain drinks at participating centers. In a lucky turn, Justin got his winning game card at Victory Lanes, a NASCAR-themed BEC in Mooresville, North Carolina, home to many NASCAR teams.

Justin has a 229 average and bowls in a league at Strikers Family Sports Center in Rock Hill, whose proprietor, Howard Davis, is a BPAA board member.

[Gordon] and the sport helps play into that success. We wanted to appeal to the NASCAR fans, but also to those Pepsi Max consumers who are a little bolder and edgier and may not be NASCAR fans but appreciate excellent digital content.” The video has been so successful that PepsiCo is now running a 30–second version as a TV commercial.

COVER STORY

To build credibility, it’s important for the consumer to see reciprocity in the affiliation of two brands, says Strauss. “The real impact of a sponsorship is when it appears to the consumer to be a mutual effort, meaning that it's not just bowling showing up at NASCAR but NASCAR showing up at bowling.” He recommends that BEC owners use such tactics as holding race watch parties and other NASCAR-themed events to emphasize the connection and build interest.

That’s a strategy that has worked well for Farmers Insurance, which has sponsored driver Kasey Kahne since 2012. “At the local level, the best way is take this national platform [NASCAR] and hold events in the local area that will be fun and engaging,” says Leslie Withoft, director of sponsorships and event marketing for Farmers. “Make sure that everything you do ties into what your objectives are.”

After just one racing season, the Farmers brand is already ranked among the 12 brands most recalled by NASCAR fans in market testing. “For our first year, that’s a huge success,” says Withoft.

Richard Petty also advises the bowling industry to leverage the magic of the NASCAR brand. “If all they do is buy a sponsorhip and put it on the side of the car, that doesn't get them anything. They gotta use that as their base. Then they have to go out and tell everybody.”

Strike Ten has already begun an integrated sponsorship campaign that will extend across multiple platforms including traditional marketing, digital and social media and events. First up was “Stop Your Thirst and Start the Race,” a national contest involving Pepsi-Cola and the GoBowling.com 400. (See sidebar.) It will be followed by the “Loud and Proud Fan Photo Contest” to be promoted on Facebook and GoBowling.com.

Harbuck is also developing promotions for BEC proprietors to execute at the local level. Among them is a NASCAR-themed bowling league to be offered in five states at 60 centers within driving distance of Pocono Raceway.

Bowlers who join the league will receive special ticket packages to the race.

In 2014 there will be race viewing parties offering promotional “swag” and more.

BEC operators can find out more by contacting Strike Ten.

Ready to roll the NASCAR way Excitement is already building among BEC proprietors for the NASCAR 32

IBI

August 2013

campaign. At the 2013 International Bowl Expo, several hundred of them stood eagerly in line to meet Richard Petty and get autographs and photos. They also gazed approvingly at a real #43 race car with the bold GoBowling.com logo emblazoned on it.

Gene Lindow, owner of Glo-Bowl Fun Center in Marengo, Illinois wore a NASCAR logo shirt for his photo op with Petty. He was enthused about the sponsorship and said he was already planning NASCAR-themed events for his center. “‘The King’ is multi-generational and everybody knows the number 43. He's an amazing person to represent [our] sport,” said Lindow. “I know my photo with him is going to go up all over our center.”

Sandy Grumblatt, a co-owner of Dunedin Bowl in Florida, brought her husband’s two model Petty race cars for “The King” to sign.

She felt that NASCAR’s popularity would resonate with their local customer base.

“There are a lot of race fans out there. I'm hoping it will bring some more customers into the bowling centers,” said Grumblatt.

“Anytime you can get a big sponsor like Pepsi or GoBowling.com, it’s great for the business.”

From Victory LAne to bowling lane These days Richard Petty bowls just a few times a year, but he and other drivers were avid bowlers back in the day. “At the Daytona 500 every year we had a big bowling tournament.

Most of the drivers would turn out,” he recalled. “Then racing grew so big that the drivers had other obligations,” and the tournament fell by the wayside, a relic of a simpler, folksier time in a booming sport.

If the GoBowling.com campaign runs as well as a dialed-in stock car, it may bring the fun of bowling back to the drivers as well. After racing bumper to bumper at 180 mph for several hours, dinner and drinks and a few games of bowling are still a great way to unwind. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

INTRO

According to George “

ime flies!” is a phrase that’s been around for a long time. It’s a perfect description of how fast life happens. In our case, so fast that we missed the first birthday of Beyond Bowling, our spring edition. So with this, our summer issue, we are well into our second year. We’ve had many positive reactions and want to thank our readers, advertisers, and those who have shared their stories and advice with Beyond Bowling readers.

The marriage of family entertainment attractions and bowling continues to grow and evolve. With each month that passes more centers make the jump, whether it’s a newly designed “from the ground up” BEC or a modernization of an existing center. My company just signed its 50th bowling center client. We’ve helped to add redemption game rooms and other FEC attractions to their centers, all in the last four years.

That’s a trend, folks, and it’s a model that works. Debit card technology has played a significant role in the BEC success; Robert Sax’s feature piece in this edition explores those systems in depth. And we can literally see the trend in Fred Groh’s four-part series which illustrates one center’s complete makeover. And industry operations expert Rick Heim has been operating and consulting BECs for years and he shares his valuable insight and ideas in an exclusive interview. Enjoy!

T

George McAuliffe President, Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors

34

IBI

August 2013

Chris’s Corner

I

have learned a lot of things over the past few years as I’ve become more a part of the bowling world. One thing that sticks out is that bowling people are proud people. Proprietors pour their blood, sweat and tears into businesses that mean so much to them and to their communities. And while all centers believe their operation is the best in every way, we all know that some aspect of every business could use some improvement. At that point, they may have to do what many people have difficulty doing: ask for help.

As simple as the process can be, asking for help is tough for many people. However, the fact is there are so many resources available to bowling proprietors. It is really a matter of finding what will work for you whether it is utilizing the BPAA’s online education, seeking professional help from a consultant or simply talking to a peer who faces the same challenges and understand how they dealt with the issue. No one knows everything about everything and being willing to receive help can go a long way.

In this Beyond Bowling, we begin a four-part series following proprietor Phil Huffman of Century Lanes in Holland, MI, on his path to renovating his center. Phil knew the value of doing research and knowing who to ask for help in guiding him through this major project. I hope Phil’s journey will inspire you to seek out those resources that can take your center to the next level.

Chris Holmes Associate Publisher, International Bowling Industry

By Robert Sax

FEATURE

Card tricks can be magic for the bottom line A debit card system can generate more arcade game revenue while boosting food, bowling and other sales. n the early 20th century, “penny arcade” games revolutionized the world of family entertainment. The introduction of the electric pinball machine and then the video game kept interest and prices growing for decades.

By the 1980s, games cost one or more quarters to play.

Operators found handling large numbers of coins a logistical headache, so they switched to reusable metal tokens. This eliminated part of the cash-handling problem, but it wasn’t a perfect solution.

I

FROM (TWO) BITS TO BYTES

The 1990s saw the emergence of “stored value” cards, also known as “debit cards.” These plastic cards allowed customers to “store,” or record, monetary value in the form of data on the card’s magnet stripe or embedded chip. This technology may have been the greatest advance in the arcade business since the debut of the coinoperated machine.

The evolution of video games into computer and homeconsole games led to the decline of the stand alone amusement arcade, but games found a new home at bowling and family entertainment centers. Operators were already adopting information technology for everything from bowling scoring to food and beverage sales, so it was just a matter of time before cashless digital systems entered the arcade.

First introduced about ten years ago, debit card systems are rapidly growing in popularity.

According to PlayMeter magazine’s 2012 Industry Report, 33% of game operators are now using a cashless system, up from 13% in 2008.

“A debit card system allows a facility to operate in a way that's not 36

IBI

August 2013

available with traditional means like tokens and tickets,” says Merrik Keller, North American sales manager for system vendor Embed. “It really transforms the way they can operate the location. It makes it easier for the guest to make their way through the location.”

ONE CARD TO PLAY THEM ALL

“Debit card systems are starting to be used not just for the arcades but for the entire facility,” says Jason Mitchell, North American sales manager for system vendor Intercard Inc. “It’s a one-card solution that runs your entire building and can be your gift card as well.”

The foundation of the debit card system is a plastic card similar to a credit card. Customers purchase the card from a selfservice kiosk or from a center employee at a POS station.

They then load the card with as much value as they want, paying for it with cash or a credit card.

To play a game, the guest simply swipes the card through a card reader attached to the machine. The reader automatically deducts the cost from the card’s stored balance, and authorizes play. The cards can also store “e-tickets,” which replace the traditional paper tickets used in redemption games.

Guests can reload a play card with additional value at any time. The card readers integrate with a variety of center management software, including Qubica/AMF, Brunswick and Micros. This allows guests to use one card to pay for games, bowling, laser tag, food and beverages and other services in the same location, which can supercharge sales.

Customers buy differently, and will buy more, with a card system that works throughout a location, notes David Goldman, president of Ideal Software Systems. “If I can come in and buy a card and it's good everywhere, I'm more likely to put more money on that card,” says Goldman.

“That’s a higher spend up front.” Incentive offers, such as adding additional value for a minimum purchase, can turn what might have been a $20 visit into a $50 visit.

CASHING IN BY GOING CASHLESS

The most obvious benefit of a debit card system is simplified cash management. By eliminating the need for coins or tokens and accepting credit card payment, operators have less cash to handle. Fraud and theft are reduced, as the cards have no intrinsic value until a sale is rung.

Employees do not have to make change or collect coins or tokens from games or restock token machines, saving hours of work and freeing them for other duties.

The combination of debit card systems and accepting credit card payment means operators can tap the increasing number of customers, especially teenagers, who have gone cashless. “The currency of the realm is now plastic,” says Chuck Peitz of TriCorp Amusements, an independent supplier and servicer of coin-operated games. “If you ask my daughters how much cash they have in their pockets, they say, ‘None.’ Youth doesn’t carry cash.”

NEW WAYS TO GENERATE MORE PLAY

With hit games such as “Big Bass Wheel” costing as much as two dollars per play, a card system is a powerful way to overcome customer resistance.

Customers tend to play more when using debit cards, because swiping a card doesn’t feel as much like spending money as putting coins or tokens into a machine. That’s one reason why the average price per play in a debit card center is approaching a dollar, while in token centers, the average is 35 cents per play.

Card systems give operators more flexibility in the pricing of games. It is no longer necessary to limit price increases to multiples of 25 cents, and individual games can quickly be reset for different prices and even different days and time periods. “When kids are in school, 70% of [an arcade’s] business is done from Friday 6 p.m. through Sunday 6 p.m.,” says Peitz.

“This cries out for demand pricing."

Card systems also offer new marketing opportunities. Many customers keep cards as souvenirs or because they hold unused value.

By branding cards with your logo and design, you remind customers of the fun they had at your center and encourage return visits. Cards can also be purchased as gifts, bringing new customers into your center.

If you get the customer to register the card, you can collect an email address and build a valuable marketing database. With a savvy marketing campaign, you can notify them of benefits, discounts and offers that will increase visits and play. In an economy where it’s crucial to target repeat buyers, the ability to easily identify those customers is invaluable.

“There have been studies that show that you’re lucky to get a guest in your facility twice a year,” says Mitchell. “With memberships, benefits and marketing offers, you can bump that up to four or five times.”

38

IBI

August 2013

Centers can also boost group sales with a debit card system. As an example, an active FEC might host 30-50 children’s parties a week, at an average party size of 12 kids. In the past, it was challenging to up-sell the party host on arcade play because distributing coins or tokens was cumbersome for the center and the host. With a card system it takes just a few keystrokes and card swipes to cater to a birthday party, and it’s easy to add value for more play and revenue. Debit cards are also more attractive for adult group sales, such as corporate meetings.

PAPERLESS REDEMPTION

Redemption games are still a big revenue generator, but stocking tickets, clearing jams and moving traffic through the redemption center wastes time and money. Debit card systems track redemption points electronically and eliminate the need for paper tickets.

Customers simply take their card to the redemption center, where a staff member swipes the card to tally the redemption value.

When the customer redeems points, a bar code on the prize is used to automatically adjust the balance.

“You don't have people coming in with a bucket full of tickets spilling all over the place,” says Jon Erdman, director of technical operations and amusements for multiple center operator Bowl New England. “You don't need to get a count of the tickets.

It makes the redemption process about as painless as it can get.”

In larger redemption centers, employees can use handheld wireless devices to handle transactions away from the counter, allowing faster service. With appropriate software, operators can also track inventory of redemption prizes, resulting in better inventory control and reducing loss and shrinkage.

With all games tied into a central computer system, it’s easier to monitor performance and service needs. You can also track plays and income from individual games, for more sophisticated business analysis.

GETTING CARDED

Debit card systems are available from several vendors, including Core Cashless, Embed, Ideal Software, Intercard and Sacoa.

Operators can get a complete turn-key system, or just the software needed to run existing hardware. Vendors will advise you on what you need, or you can retain an independent consultant.

For those who are IT-averse, some vendors can host some or all of the entire system on secure off-site servers. This is particularly helpful for operators with multiple locations, simplifying equipment set-up, operation and security.

An alternative to investing in a system is to work with a strategic partner such as Family Entertainment Group, Namco Arcade or TriCorp Amusements.

These suppliers will install and maintain the entire system at their cost, and share in revenue with the operator.

The cost for a debit card system varies widely, depending on how many games are connected to it, how many features it has, and what other parts of an operation, such as food and beverage, will tie into it. For a typical FEC with 30-50 games, the cost of a good system runs between $22,000 and $45,000 but can go higher.

What kind of return on investment is possible? Vendors and operators say that it’s not unusual to see a 10-20% increase in game revenue in just a few months. On average, operators can expect to recoup the cost of their systems within 18-24 months after installation.

INTEGRATING A DEBIT CARD SYSTEM

Converting your games to a debit card system is much easier than it was when the systems were introduced in the 1990s. Most games can easily be adapted to use a card reader and a good house technician or service vendor can do it. New games can be ordered with card readers already installed.

The readers are wireless and use a WiFi connection, so there is no need for special cabling to connect to your network. That means adding new games in the future is easy and the versatility of WiFi means it’s possible to connect outdoor attractions like batting cages, too.

The major debit card vendors offer proprietary software that can help you manage such key operations as event planning and registration, redemption centers and membership and loyalty programs. Their systems are also compatible with the most popular FEC and BEC software, including Brunswick Vector Plus, Micros, Micro$ale POS, Qubica AMF, and Steltronic, so you won’t have to get rid of the systems you already know.

40

IBI

August 2013

CONNECTING YOUR CUSTOMERS

The most important part of installing a debit card system may be educating your customers. Investing time in showing your customers the benefits and features of using debit cards will help you make a smooth transition.

Use marketing techniques to start spreading the word before you install the system. Let customers know when the system will be introduced, and tell them why they will be excited about it. Also prepare them for the fact that the games may be shut down for a few days while the system is installed.

Make sure your employees are well-trained in the use of the debit card system. During the initial introduction, plan to have several staff members stand by to show customers how to use the system.

After the introduction, make sure that your staff remains vigilant for customers who haven’t yet used the system and be sure to offer to help them out. “You’re always going to have new people coming in your building, so you're always going to have that story to tell," says Pam DeMarce, owner of WowZone! FEC in Mankato, MN. “We train our staff to be observant of people looking like they need help."

THE FUTURE IS HERE

There are already many good reasons to adopt a debit card system. Once you are tied into a digital system and the Internet, there are many more places you can go. Two cashless innovations already being tested are payment with mobile devices and contactless wristbands.

As digital game and management technologies evolve, users of debit card systems will be able to take advantage of them as well. “There's no question now about whether it's time to do it,” says Intercard’s Mitchell. “The time is now.”

If you want to stay ahead of the game, consider playing the debit card. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

SPECIAL REPORT

By Fred Groh

Renovation Reality In a four-part series, Beyond Bowling will follow a proprietor through his real-time experience of upgrading his center from a traditional bowling center to an FEC.

Part 1: The Game Plan hil Huffman was in Indianapolis at a Creative Works laser tag conference, 200 miles from home, when his wife telephoned to say that their bowling center was on fire. She had heard from the counter man when he arrived for work and she was calling to relay the news.

Huffman phoned a friend who runs a weightlifting club across the street from the center. Six or seven fire trucks were at the scene even as they spoke.

According to the story investigators put together later, an electrical short in the kitchen ignited some grease. The kitchen was a total loss, the concourse and HVAC system damaged severely by smoke and water. Huffman’s project to turn his center into an FEC, 95% completed, came to a standstill.

Phil Huffman, Huffman was a relative newcomer to bowling. He had been proprietor of Century Lanes. director of on-air promotion for ABC Family Channel in L.A., while

P

The restaurant/bar, before the fire.

42

IBI August 2013

The remains of the old kitchen after the fire.

The kitchen fire became the catalyst for change to the plans for Phil’s upgrade.

his wife, Beth, worked for a PR agency in the city.

Seeing layoffs in his industry and feeling an itch to get into business for himself, he went prospecting for something with no accounts receivable, recession-proof, repeat customers, and seasonal with slower summers allowing for family vacations. Bowling fit the specs best.

He and Beth bought Century Lanes in Holland, MI in 2005.

He quickly got active in the BPAA-affiliated state proprietors’ association (Bowling Centers Association of Michigan) and set out on a series of upgrades to the center. In 2006, he added a golf simulator. The next year he transformed the snack bar into a restaurant, and the year after that, converted part of the restaurant floor space to a poker room.

In 2009 came ceiling-mounted big-screens over the lanes. In 2012, he removed one of his 30 lanes, put a wall in its place, and installed a six-lane boutique module on the other side. And this year saw the addition of QubicaAMF’s brand new BES X Ultimate scoring system with SuperTouch LCD bowler consoles. Along the way he brought his total of arcade games to a dozen or so, including one for adults with its own housing on the concourse.

In the course of all this upgrading, around 2010 Huffman says, he began thinking FEC. He was hearing that building a family entertainment center around bowling was a good way to build income. For some proprietors it was creating through-the-roof Saturday night business.

He was also having second thoughts about the desirability of slow summers. “Payroll keeps coming in, mortgage keeps coming in.” A full-time manager, an idea that tags along with the notion of owning an FEC, could keep things running and make it easier for Huffman and his family to get away on vacation.

He began visiting FECs around him in the western part of the state. One of them was about four hours north. He knew the owner, Mike Mohrhardt.

“I met Phil when he first got into the business, at

Boyne Highlands during the bowling proprietors’ summer conference. That had to be seven years ago maybe. I liked talking to him. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and he was new but taking on, I could tell, as much information as he could get. He’d been in the [TV] business out in California and I have a son out there [in the film business], so we had some things in common,” Mohrhardt says.

If he was down Huffman’s way he’d drop in, and they’d see each other at conventions. Mohrhardt’s center is in Traverse City, a tourist destination, and Huffman would come up occasionally on a family holiday.

Mohrhardt’s FEC, Lucky Jack’s, started life as a 40-lane traditional center. He turned eight lanes into a boutique and took the game count in the arcade up to 60. Downstairs, under an 11foot ceiling, he installed laser tag, a laser maze and five bumper cars. All the attractions were in by the end of 2010, highlighting 53,000 square feet of entertainment, including the lower “garden floor” with half its 8,000 square feet outside the building.

Mohrhardt hadn’t rushed into an FEC. He and his brother, David, had spent a year and a half looking at FECs around the country. Huffman’s approach was similarly careful.

“He gave me a call,” Mohrhardt reports. “Told me what he was thinking of doing and wanted to know how we were doing, what was doing well, if there was anything that wasn’t,

IBI August 2013

43

how were the birthday parties going? Phil asked most all of the same questions I was asking people back when we started the project.

“He’s probably been up three or four times,” Mohrhardt told us, “doing a little measurement here and there, talking about many different things: the food aspect, the gaming aspect, time bowling, parties.”

Mohrhardt didn’t recommend specific attractions but the two men did talk numbers from Mohrhardt’s experience and metrics he had gathered from other FEC owners. They gave Huffman some averages to start from.

In Saginaw, roughly halfway between Holland and Traverse City, Huffman talked to Gary Richards of Stardust Family Entertainment Center about promoting a boutique. “Only about a third of the people bowl; the other two-thirds are there just for the fun of it,” Richards told him.

They talked games: “Who should the game room be positioned for? Should the games be adult-oriented and also allow the family to play, or should they be more kids-oriented?”

They discussed how Richards had moved some of his leagues to other houses to free up the weekends for parties and events.

“You can’t run light shows and music on a Friday or Saturday if you have leagues in there. You take a hit for a year or two while you’re making your transition,” Richards advised him.

They talked about a pitfall.

Says Richards, “What we have [learned] in our own operation is tailoring our new business model and attractions on what the market says we should do. Do we have more families or an older, college-age-and-up type of demographic? Whatever those numbers end up telling you, if you lean toward that your The VIP lanes, before the fire.

The snack bar remodel, before the fire.

opportunities are going to be greater.

“To put [in] a family-based entertainment designed for children in a more mature market is counter-productive.

Which is something we didn’t pay much attention to until we really started studying it that way and got some professional help.”

Maybe professional help would stand Huffman in good stead, too.

Mohrhardt had given him some names. One of them was Peter Starkel of Fun Advisors (parent company: Communication Services of America, LLC), coincidentally in Traverse City. Fun Advisors creates marketing systems and tools, and if necessary will run marketing systems, for businesses in the family The lanes being remodeled.

44

IBI

August 2013

entertainment industry.

Sizing up Huffman’s situation, Starkel noted, “Holland is somewhat of a tourism destination for Chicago,” 100 miles away along the curve of Lake Michigan. The research showed that people come during the summer weekends. There were competitors for the tourism end of the business, but no one was going after the local market.

Huffman was leaning towards an FEC, but after analyzing the research and looking at the actual real estate, the center didn’t support that model. They agreed Peter Starkel of Fun Advisors. to settle on a theme that was a little different from an FEC. Huffman would have to become a destination, Starkel concluded. The answer in Huffman’s case: an adult center that is family-friendly.

The FEC would have four zones. A family-oriented area would contain a redemption arcade and a snack bar. The bowling lanes would be for league players during the week and turn into on-lane birthday parties for families on the weekend. The third zone would be the boutique module, already in place, accommodating corporate customers. And fourth, the “unique

46

IBI

August 2013

proposition”: a pub (in the old poker room space) whose character would change with the day-part.

Huffman was into talks with Starkel about

Doug Nienhuis. He has been an employee of Century Lanes since 1984. While Nienhuis really doesn’t have a proper title. he works at the front counter, in the back office, wrenches on machines and occasionally cooks and tends bar. Plus he shovels snow and cleans bathrooms! He is a valuable employee and a good friend.

bowling, redemption and two-story laser tag acting as three anchors. Now there will be new furniture on the concourse and a general redecoration as well. The bar and its patrons will be moved, and activity on the concourse will flow into the old bar space.

One thing won’t change.

“It’s a place for everyone. We’re going to run the gamut from 7-year-olds to...55-year-olds. We haven’t wavered.”

In the next Beyond Bowling in November IBI, we talk to Huffman and the experts he recruited about how the money and the architectural design came together for the new FEC. ❖ Century Lanes reopened this month.

building the brand of the FEC-to-be when the kitchen fire broke out at Huffman’s center in February this year. “I didn’t appreciate the extent of the damage,” he says now. The fire forced some changes to the overall plan, including the kitchen upgrade. Huffman subscribes to the notion that “as long as you’re doing this, you might as well do that,” so he decided to ratchet up the concept overall. The planned attractions will remain the same, with

Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.

IBI

August 2013

47

By George McAuliffe

INTERESTING INTERVIEW

A Few Minutes with Rick Heim As president of Cornerstone Consulting, Rick Heim has years of management and operational experience to share.

1.

Tell us about your company. What does Cornerstone do?

Cornerstone helps developers and entrepreneurs with bowling entertainment center projects from conception through opening and beyond. Our experience helps the owner and architect design a floorplan that will operate efficiently. We develop the business pro forma, design organizational charts, compensation programs, and assist with the hiring and training of managers.

2.

How did you get into the business?

My entire business career has been in restaurants and bowling centers. I was a multiunit executive managing 55 centers for Brunswick, then VP of operations for Main Event. That experience has prepared me for my current role advising clients.

3.

How do you define a BEC? I define it as a center that has more than 50% of its revenue from non-bowling sources and has at least three family entertainment attractions. These could include bowling, billiards, laser tag, rides, mini golf, and/or a redemption arcade.

Revolutions Barstow Barstow, CA (24 lanes) We congratulate Paula Vidad and Alex and Bonnie Hernandez on their purchase of this fine center and thank Dwight Johnson for trusting Ken Mischel to handle the sale. We wish them all the best in the future.

Bowling’s Only Full-Service Brokers, Appraisers & Financial Advisors 28200 Southfield Rd., Southfield, MI 48076

(800) 222 • 9131

48

IBI

August 2013

Rick Heim

4. We’ll talk about FEC attractions in a moment. Other than those, what entertainment options do you like?

Live entertainment is one, at least in a center that has a high population of socially active 21- to 35-year-olds.

The cinema-bowling-redemption arcade combo is gaining popularity today among developers, with four to five current projects nationally.

5. What are the important steps in the development process?

First, a feasibility study to know what that market can support.

Second, find the right designer with a proven background. Third–and this may read like a commercial– retain a consultant with a track record in operations. Architecture

is the art; an operations consultant provides the science.

6. Speaking of science, how do you decide how to allocate space to each entertainment option?

I look at the feasibility study on what is in the market, and the potential of the market based on factors like population and disposable income. For BECs the key driver is the attraction of bowling, the activity that makes you walk through the door. When I’m picking the optimal number of lanes I’m trying to get to a 90-minute wait at peak period, by population-to-lane ratio. Then I look at what other attractions will best complement bowling and allocate space accordingly. No two markets are the same.

7. What are your favorite FEC additions in order of success?

Redemption arcade, laser tag, “micro attractions” like Laser Frenzy, Laser Maze, or Atomic Rush. Other possibilities are MaxFlight, HD theatre, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes courses, bumper cars, or go-karts. I’m also a fan of incorporating billiards into bar areas.

The birthday party model should be considered up front. The choice affects party room needs. With certain attractions like laser tag, you need rooms or at least tables. Most centers should have four to six event rooms that can be converted for party, meeting or event use.

10. Any other wisdom you care to share for our readers adding other attractions to their business?

The easiest part of operating a successful BEC is designing and building it.

The more complicated aspects of operations surround staff selection, support and guest relationship management. That includes placing the candidates in real life service situations.

I would encourage operators to focus more attention on the casual (walk-in) guest. This segment of our business is often taken for granted. Developing loyalty in this segment can reap enormous benefits for the operator. ❖

George McAuliffe is a 30-year family entertainment center operator and president of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors by Redemption Plus. Pinnacle is an industry consulting firm (www.grouppinnacle.com). George has operated entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet including redemption and merchandise games since 1983 and has assisted numerous Bowling Entertainment Center owners to develop their FEC side. He is a regular speaker at industry conventions worldwide, and writes for RePlay and International Bowling Industry magazines. He can be reached at 913-563-4370 or email gmcauliffe@redemptionplus.com.

8. Is food and beverage a significant part of the mix, or just an amenity to existing traffic?

Today it is an incredibly important part of the mix. It is not enough to have just okay food and beverage, you must be able to deliver outstanding products and service. It’s important to take into account the venues that the F&B will be delivered to, keeping in mind the environment–whether that’s a sit-down restaurant, delivery to bowling lanes, banquet rooms, etc.

9. Anything else they should consider?

Yes, the need for event and meeting space. Most meetings are in the 20- to 60-person range, so design to accommodate 60 should be considered with access to A/V and WiFi. IBI

August 2013

49

WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME

By Fred Groh

E

lvis was right on time to conduct the ceremony.

So were the bride and groom—Yolanda Lorenzen (Yogi) and Bill Wammes.

The place was fitting, too. Where else could you get married by Elvis except Las Vegas?

“I fell in love with her the first time I saw her in the bowling alley with her [now] ex-husband,” Bill says. That was 1989, the same year he bought Al-Mar Lanes, a 16-laner in Bowling Green, OH. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight because Bill had known Yogi before as a 19-year-old bowler with a 297-game in a men’s league. An impressive score in the ’80s. His first really good look at her was just as potent.

He hired her to market his center.

“She’d been a bowler and she had a degree in business, and had the ‘marketing personality.’

I don’t think you can train that; you either have it or you don’t,” and Yogi did.

“We had tried and tried to get into the school system and do after-school bowling. I could never get in the door. She said, ‘I’m going to get after-school bowling,’ I said, ‘Good luck with that one!’” Al-Mar started doing after-school bowling a week later.

She didn’t let up for the next three years— talking up bowling and the center to local businesses, youth groups, doing fundraisers, all in all “a lot of outside sales.”

Meanwhile, her kids had cottoned on to Bill’s feelings.

“My kids for years had been telling me, ‘Mom, Bill’s in love 50

IBI

August 2013

The walk to the altar, on the arm of Elvis.

WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME with you’,” Yogi says today. “I was, like, ‘He is not in love with me. You kids knock it off and keep it to yourselves,’ because Bill was married at the time. I guess I had an idea that he had an infatuation with me but I never took it seriously when people would kid me about it.”

Yogi might have slipped away from Bill when she decided to go to work for a bank down the street from Al-Mar. But since Bill happened to bank there, he saw her often. Starting as a teller she rose to branch manager before returning to Al-Mar a year or so ago, having put 15 years into the banking business.

They started dating about four years ago. First date: the Detroit Lions (Bill’s team) versus the Cleveland Browns (Yogi’s), the second Sunday in November 2009.

Back in marketing at Al-Mar, Yogi’s job is “changed a little because of technology,” Bill relates. “She still does the outside sales, and [now] website and email marketing and text marketing. We have a big PBA regional tournament—the biggest senior regional in the country—and she does a lot of promotion for that and procures sponsorships. We have to come up with about $15,000. Still works with the after-school kids and coaches the juniors on Saturday mornings.”

When they’re not involved with bowling, they’re mostly...bowling. Four nights a week together, three of those nights on the same team and the other night in the same league playing against each other. They bowl tournaments together. Bill recently played in his 32nd (now-) USBC tourney, where he and Yogi had slots on the same team.

Sign of the times on Wednesday, June 26.

IBI

August 2013

51

WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME They golf a bit (“definitely a hobby because neither one of us are very good golfers,” Bill confesses) and travel (Cancun, Lake Tahoe, Marco Island in Florida, and... “all the bowling conventions”).

“Seems like every time we go someplace together, there’s an Elvis there,” Bill observes. Both of them are “huge” (his word) Elvis fans. They have two life-size Elvis standups at home. “We always joked about going to Vegas and having Elvis marry us and by coincidence, here we [were] for Bowl Expo anyway.”

Bill and his former wife had just divorced, the final decree issued about a week before the show, so Yogi and Bill “just went ahead and did it.”

He did not drop down on one knee. Not so surprising after knowing each other for so many years. “It was just an understanding,” Yogi relates. “He never really did say, ‘Will you marry me?’”

But he made up for that by booking Elvis for the wedding. Arriving in town for Expo on Sunday, he went online to find the most popular Elvis wedding and scheduled it for Wednesday evening. That worked best for proprietor friends attending Expo from Ohio. The limo seated 14 and 15 squeezed in, including the bride and groom. The car proceeded to a wedding chapel in Las Vegas called A Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

“Unofficially [Elvis] does the ceremony and marries you. [It] was a riot. ‘You promise to Love Me Tender and not step on my blue suede shoes?’ But as soon as it’s over, they drag you into a closet and a real minister does the real wedding,” Bill explains.

The relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Wammes is a lot more serious than that, as befits their time of life. Edging toward retirement, Bill is cutting back on work a little, “down to half-days now—12 hours,” and people usually get more serious as

52

IBI

August 2013

they grow in wisdom.

He says: “She’s my best friend. No matter what I’m thinking, we just have a connection. I don’t know how to explain it. I think we were just meant to be together.”

She says: “He is one of the most compassionate, kind people I know. You see it with his high school bowling team—he does a lot for them; with his customers every day—he goes out of his way to do whatever he can for them; his employees—when they need anything.

It’s not just our relationship. I see how he is with everybody around him. And he’s always been that way.” ❖

Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.

DATEBOOK

AUGUST 6-7 Creative Works, Inc. LaserTAG360 Indianapolis, IN www.LaserTag360.com Kimberly Schilling kimberly@thewoweffect.com 317-834-4770

17 WTBA’s The Strike Gold Celebrity Challenge Sunset Station, Henderson, NV Kevin Dornberger president@worldtenpinbowling.com

23-27 Brunswick Pinsetter School Pinsetter factory Szekesfehervar, Hungary Siggi Hill Siggi.Hill@brunbowl.com

7-9 East Coast Bowling Centers Convention Revel Resort, Atlantic City www.eastcoastbowl.com IBI

13-15 Mid-South Bowling Conference Seminars & Trade Show Sam’s Town, Tunica, MS Dwayne Hippensteel hippensteelcd@aol.com

29 – October 9 School of Entertainment Center Management BPAA Intl. Bowling Campus Arlington, TX 800-343-1329

14-18 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com

OCTOBER 12-13 Indiana BCA Annual Meeting French Lick Springs Resort Brett Woodside 800-343-1329 x 8438 brett@bpaa.com

SEPTEMBER 20 – 22 Wyoming Bowling Jamboree Tradeshow Holiday Inn, Cheyenne, WY Charlene Abbott kcabbott@bresnan.net

1 Washington State BPA Season Kick-Off Meeting Greg Olsen 800-736-BOWL 6-9 School for Bowling Center Management Bowling University at East Coast Bowling Centers Convention Atlantic City 800-343-1329

IBI

21-25 Brunswick Training classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com

NOVEMBER 3–5 West Coast Bowling Convention Silver Legacy Resort & Casino, Reno Sandi Thompson 925-485-1855 IBI

Official magazine of the convention

IBI

August 2013

53

SHOWCASE SPACE-SAVING SOFA

DUCK FUN

FREE FORUM

UNIQUE TREATS

HIGH-DEF FUN

PORTION CONTROL

DESIGN EXPERTS

PAYROLL PLUS

Use this double sofa to save space and achieve a high–end look. Whether you are remodeling an older center, converting a center into an FEC or building a new FEC, Venue Furniture has the products and industry expertise to tailor a furniture package for your facility and budget.

Download our full catalog at www.BowlingFurniture.com or contact us at 855-55VENUE, sales@VenueFurniture.us.

QubicaAMF has upgraded the Customer Forum to better serve you by having it part of the QubicaAMF Customer Portal.

You'll find the following boards where you can post a comment, ask a question and get answers: Center Equipment, Lane Maintenance and Pro Shops. If you are already registered with the Customer Portal go to www.customerportal.qubicaamf.com. Your Customer Portal username and password grant you access to all the Forum content and features. If you haven't already, register today!

Whether it’s music videos, a big football or basketball game, or the scoring action of your bowlers’ own games, Brunswick’s Vector Plus scoring now displays it all on your big-screen monitors in stunning HD resolution. Virtually the entire Vector scoring library is now rendered in 1080p HD including every score sheet design and video exciter. Go to brunswickbowling.com/products/vectorplus/vector-hd for more information or contact your Brunswick sales rep.

Architectural Concepts is a professional, full-service architectural and interior design firm that has gained international recognition as design experts in the bowling industry. Their most valuable contribution is their ability to incorporate profitable utilization of space and create designs catering to a client’s needs and unique requirements. Along with complete architectural design services, Architectural Concepts offers consulting services that include structural, mechanical, electrical engineering and food/beverage design. For more information, visit www.archconcepts.com.

54

IBI

August 2013

BMI Merchandise teams up with reality TV’s hottest show, and the result is an array of Duck Dynasty combo packs – priced right and in-stock. From Duck Commander t-shirts, to LED flashlights and duck-blind lanterns, collectible cups, koozies and more, BMI’s Duck Dynasty combos are better-than-retail grade and are ideal for redemption counters/rooms, self-serve redemption kiosks and direct-pay games. Visit www.bonitamarie-intl.com or call 732-363-0212 for more details.

The Original Pizza Logs™ are crafted with the finest quality ingredients served with a side of marinara or Buffalo sauce for dipping. Quick to prepare, only 3½ minutes from freezer to plate. Perfect for children’s parties, they also go great with a beer at the bar! Ask your distributor to stock Pizza Logs for you. For more information, check out www.pizzalogs.com or send an e-mail to info@pizzalogs.com.

We can be reached by phone at 716-297-4888.

Extreme Hospitality is proud to introduce a way to portion shots without spilling a drop. The Wipour Wireless free pour system pours exact portions from any angle with up to 4 programmable sizes. There is a bottle change detection, recording every time the spout is removed from the bottleneck. There are thousands of servings between battery recharge. Truly a low-cost solution for the entire liquor, wine & beverage assortment. Go to www.xhbms.com for more info.

ADP provides flexible payroll services that improve payroll management for employers of small, medium, or large businesses. ADP payroll solutions streamline your payroll process, improve productivity and simplify administration. They manage the time-consuming tasks of online payroll processing and employee payroll tax filing so you can focus on running your business. ADP's payroll solutions ensure that your online payroll needs are met on time, every time. To find out more about this service, go to www.adp.com.

C L A S S I F I E D S

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.

Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

IBI

August 2013

55

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

C L A S S I F I E D S

CENTER EQUIPMENT PACKAGE – 16 lanes.

Includes: A-2s (Japan); 8 ball lifts; Astro furniture; Star shields masking units; AMF bumpers & gutters; Century 300 Silver Streak & Excel 1995 oil machine; rental shoes & color matched balls; Bowl-tronics foul lights.

EVERYTHING short of lanes & scoring! Ball drilling machine & all accessories. $30,000 FOB Arkansas. Jeff Montgomery (479) 234-2958.

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

SEL L

BUY

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

56

IBI

August 2013

AMF SCORING SYSTEM: Complete with 32” LCD monitors & front office package for 12lane house. 2 years old. Asking $25,000; original $87,000 value. Boxed & ready to ship.

For more info, call Ken (618) 771-2775 or email kwiggs7@gmail.com.

See redline-products.com for replacement foul lights. Home of bowlingtrader.com.

FOR SALE: (2) ZOT (completely) Reconditioned Gloss Bosses - $2750/ea. 32+ lanes AMF SPL + install. Call for quote. 24 lanes Super Helix Steltronic w/ flat screens.

24 lanes Excel Scoring w/ flat screens. Parts out the wazoo! Complete installs/packages available. Contact Knotrite LLC @ (970) 946-9933; knotritellc@gmail.com.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

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

C L A S S I F I E D S

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

IBI

August 2013

57

EQUIPMENT WANTED

C L A S S I F I E D S

LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.

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 (434) 465-0099.

CENTER FOR SALE KANSAS—SALE OR LEASE: 24 lanes, 5 acres. Owner flexible on terms. Newly remodeled 2011. Serious inquiries only.

Email: upyouralley3257@yahoo.com.

MINNESOTA: 12-lane center in college town. STRONG revenues. Includes ouside volleyball, bar and 1.15 acres. Contract for deed option. Call (507) 951-7130; email: buckybeeman@me.com.

ALABAMA: 30-lane, well-established, profitable center with kitchen, lounge & pro shop. Real estate included. Located in thriving Huntsville. Russ Russell Commercial Real Estate (256) 536-7777.

58

IBI

August 2013

CENTER FOR SALE

C L A S S I F I E D S

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.

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.

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

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849

291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com

IBI

August 2013

59

CENTERS FOR SALE

C L A S S I F I E D S

"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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SW NEW MEXICO: 16-lane Brunswick center on 2 acres, family owned for 20 years.

Only game in town! Synthetic lanes, Vector Plus scoring, sound system, restaurant & bar, pro shop & pool room. Hosts well-established tournaments, house leagues, school groups & birthday parties. $1.9 million. (575) 5745267 or tycole@comcast.net.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter.

202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com

LOCKER KEYS FAST! •Keys & Combo Locks for all Types of Lockers.

•One week turnaround on most orders.

•New locks All types

All keys done by code #.

No keys necessary.

•Used locks 1/2 price of new

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

60

IBI

August 2013

CENTER FOR SALE

CENTERS FOR SALE FLORIDA: 36 lanes, fully remodeled.

Tremendous activity. Liquor license, Food, great following with Leagues & Parties.

Excellent condition. Great location on main artery. A+ feature is land with exceptional value. Growing business with Cash Flow.

Seller retiring, willing to give financing. For complete package, kindly contact: Nick Kayafas, Florida Growth Realty, Inc. (800) 749-9399 or nick@floridagrowthrealty.com.

MICHIGAN-SOUTH CENTRAL: Large center with late model equipment. Strong league base plus high-volume franchise. RE included. Sandy Hansell (800) 222-9131.

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.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: 8-lane family owned center w/ snack bar & large game room. 10-year-old AMF equipment. Only center in the county. Email: bowlingcntr@aol.com.

Serious inquiries only please.

HELP WANTED SALES REP: Commission. Bowling This Month is seeking an experienced outside sales representative for its print/digital magazine.

Prospect, making sales calls. Email Alayne @ alayne@bowlingthismonth.com.

POSITION WANTED Accomplished District Manager with unique Operational, Team Building/Leadership and Marketing skills seeking comparable position.

Very organized, self-motivated, multi-task master with a “can do” attitude. Open to relocation. Johnmillen@optonline.net or (201) 657-4684.

SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

CUSTOM INSTALL SPECIALISTS. No job too odd. Parts out the wazoo! Complete installs/packages available. Contact Knotrite LLC @ (970) 946-9933; knotritellc@gmail.com; www.tenpinartisans.com.

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/

SELL YOUR CENTER

(818) 789-2695

LEASE/OPTION TO BUY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (Susanville): 10-lane center with restaurant—14,000 s/f bldg. on 2.35 acre parcel. Flexible terms.

Contact Lori Johnson, Lester Company, (831) 722-2741 or lori@lestercompany.

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!

MECHANIC WANTED Brunswick A-2 mechanic wanted in Northern Virginia. Salary based on experience.

Send resume to: Brunswicka2mechanic@gmail.com.

FULL TIME MECHANIC FOR AMF 82-70 PINSPOTTERS. CALL JIM @ (402) 630-7398.

IBI

August 2013

61

C L A S S I F I E D S

REMEMBER WHEN

B 1960

efore little dogs in purses, there were bulldogs in carry-alls and whiskey after bowling. In 1960, casual bowling still sported jackets, tucked-in shirts, a bartender in a waist coat and definitely no baseball caps.

Wine would not be the drink of choice until after 1968 when table wine made advances in popularity. Whiskey reigned supreme and Four Roses knew how to promote its product right alongside another favorite brand of enjoyment—bowling.

1960, the beginning of the heyday of bowling, sported 10,417 certified centers, and BPAA membership was nipping at 100,000. â?–

62

IBI

August 2013