international bowling industry magazine dec 11

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6ISSUE AT HAND

A Fun Twist of FateBy Scott Frager

8SHORTS

Retro is So Now!Ghoulish DelightsGoodwill Central

Fun is HealthyIndia’s BluO

People WatchingRememberancesr

14EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

Interview with Jeff Martin

By Scott Frager

17OPERATIONS

Prevent LeagueFund Theft

By Mark Miller

22COVER STORYRobin Williams

Shares Her MarketingStrategies

By Robin Breuner

33

CONTENTS

26REMEMBER WHENHoliday Special

29PHOTO MONTAGEWest Coast and East CoastShows

33FEATUREGreat River BowlFrom Modest to MightyBy Mark Miller

37 Showcase

38 Datebook

38 Classifieds

VOL 19.12THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI December 2011

22

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PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

[email protected]: scottfrager

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISINGChris Holmes

[email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSRobin Breuner

Mark Miller

EDITORIAL DIRECTORJackie Fisher

[email protected]

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTIONDesignworks

www.dzynwrx.com(818) 735-9424

FOUNDERAllen Crown (1933-2002)

13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

(818) 789-2695(BOWL)Fax (818) 789-2812

[email protected]

www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy ofInternational Bowling Industry is sent free toevery bowling center, independently ownedpro shop and collegiate bowling center inthe U.S., and every military bowling centerand pro shop worldwide. Publisher reservesthe right to provide free subscriptions tothose individuals who meet publicationqualifications. Additional subscriptions maybe purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50per year. Subscriptions for Canada andMexico are $65 per year, all other foreignsubscriptions are $80 per year. All foreignsubscriptions should be paid in U.S. fundsusing International Money Orders.POSTMASTER: Please send new as well asold address to International Bowling Industry,13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501, ShermanOaks, CA 91423 USA. If possible, pleasefurnish address mailing label.Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2010, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

Cover photo by Jim Groves

6 IBI December 2011

THE ISSUE AT HAND

In 1991, I was working at apublishing company that publishedthree regional parenting magazines inSouthern CA. The two owners werebrothers, who pretty much launchedthe parenting magazine business. Onebrother, Carey, handled the businessside of the magazine.Jack handled all editorial.

I used to really enjoylistening to Jack tellstories about parentingand trends, even thoughI was a young 24 and hadno immediate plans tohave kids. He spoke withsuch passion and knowledge, that itwas mesmerizing.

One of the trends he shared wascalled cocooning. We all know nowthat cocooning is the act of individualswho decide to socialize less and stayat home, sheltered from the big, coldand strange world. At the time itsounded nice.

Fast forward 20 years and gameshave changed significantly. Stayingat home to play realistic games trulyis an option for most kids these dayswho enjoy 60” plasma TV’s, high-speed Internet connections and blazing

fast computer processors.But the one thing that has been missing for 20 years is showing

encouraging signs of a comeback: Socialization.Better yet, in a fun twist of fate, it turns out that the very impetus of

the cocooning craze, technology, can actually be used to bring peopletogether again.

Perhaps you’ve seen some mobile phone Applications (Apps) calledfoursquare, CheckPoints, Yowza? These,and many more like them, are on the way.

What makes these Apps so unique isthat the consumers are rewarded with points,privileges and merchandise for “checkingin” to local retailers. The more they frequentselect businesses, the more benefits theyearn. They are all very interesting and theyall prove that technology can be used to

change behavior and influence buying decisions.Just ask Jeff Martin, the tech industry guru and former Apple Computer

exec who has made a career out of changing consumers’ habits via mobiledevices. I had a chance to personally interview Jeff at his offices in SanMateo, CA and the interview is summarized in this month’s issue.

Jeff will be a featured keynote speaker at next month’s BPAA’s 2012Bowling Summit. If you are curious, even the slightest, about how ourindustry might be able bust out of the cocoon,like the beautiful butterfly we are . . . Read thisinterview and see you at the Summit.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND [email protected]

A Fun Twist of Fate

In two and a half years of involvement, innovation and support, IBI has grown instature, membership and content.

Now, more than ever, proprietors look to their counterparts through the website forinput and direction. The bowling industry supports its own and this can be seen every dayonline.

Charles Woodward knows that the place to go to get honest feedback is a click awayon IBI. Show him how it works by answering his call for information, “Birthday PartyHost/Hostess” posted November 5.

It’s the Holidays, a time for giving; and giving information is what the website is all about!

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

GHOULISH DELIGHTSFall lends itself to harvest festivals and most importantly

reveling at Halloween.Ten Pin Alley in Hilliard, OH, a boutique-style, 16-lane

Brunswick center complete with two bars, outdoor patio andthree sand volleyball courts plusrestaurant, was not to be outdone.

Marketing Director AndyBeougher was hell-bent on feedinghis ghoulish side. “As a fan of the hitAMC series The Walking Dead, Ireached out to our local comic store,Packrat Comics, to plan and host anevent geared to fans of the show.What developed was a full night ofzombie-related activities and funcomplete with special guests, openbowling, pizza buffet and, of course,the showing of the 2nd SeasonPremiere of the show on all televisionsin the house.”

Besides a raft of zombies and

frightful characters, guests included Tom Sullivan, a specialeffects master for the cult-hit “Evil Dead” films along with localcomic creators Sean Forney and Josh Medors and the band,“The Outs.” 50 plus fiends attended.

8 IBI December 2011

SHORTS

Tom Sullivan signs autographs for fans.

Happy ghouls bowling. Photos by Josh Irish from www.Geekpodcast.com

IBI reaches out to the bowling community to honor and rememberindividuals who have spent their lives in the bowling industry.

Arthur Langlo, 91, owner of Lane Glo BowlingCenters in New Port Richey and Port Richey, FL,passed away September 12, 2011. He was a veteranof WW II, Army Artillery, with three campaign ribbonsin the Pacific.

��

Bob Dykes, Sr. of Brandon, FL, passed awayafter suffering a heart attack. Dykes was owner ofOakfield Lanes but also was involved in manycommunity associations and in spearheading theNorth Brandon Little League fields.

��

Robert “Pepper” Martin, 89, of San Antonio, TX, passed awayOctober 28, 2011. Martin served in the South Pacific during WW II; hewas a Minor League baseball player and manager but made his careerin bowling and was instrumental in starting Columbia Bowling Industries.

R E M E M B R A N C E S

Call(818) 789-2695

Fax(818) 789-2812

E-mailyour ad to:

[email protected]

3EASYWAYS

to place your Classified Adin International Bowling

Industry Magazine

10 IBI December 2011

SHORTS

Covering regional, national, and organizational goals,centers throughout the U.S. again put their best lanes forwardto help.

Eight ladies involved in the Susan G. Komen 3–Day for theCure walk raised $14,334 of the necessary $18,400 total fortheir collective participation. They hosted a fundraiser atOakfield Lanes, Brandon, FL, titled “For Our Girls”. Theaim is to eradicate breast cancer before their kids grow up.

Other breast cancer fundraisers were: The Haunted HootersBowling Bash held at Pine Lanes in South Glens Falls, NY, andthe 7th Annual “Bowling for Boobies” held at Jillian’s inUniversal City, CA. The Jillian’s event sponsored by theBusted Foundation raises money for women who are financiallyimpacted by living with breast cancer. Over $100,000 inproceeds were raised in the 2011 tournament.

On a national level, the Muscular Dystrophy Association(MDA) got a boost for the third year in a row from the NationalAssociation of Letter Carriers (NALC). Thousands of membersbowled in local bowling centers across the nation on Sunday,November 6 for a one-day national bowling event to raise morethan $500,000.

Warming House Youth Center of Wilmette, IL, held anafternoon of bowling at Wilmette Bowling Center toencourage contributions to help its 40 years of service tocommunity teens.

The Ross and Buley centers in Indiana have been a havenfor teens for over 30 years. With cutbacks, the Muncie FireDepartment hosted the first “Giving Back to the Community”fundraiser at Munsee Lanes in Muncie, IN, in hopes of keepingthe centers open and their programs intact.

Little Falls Bowling Center of Little Falls, MN, opened itsdoors to a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of MorrisonCounty. Tickets for the event included two hours of bowling,shoes and a chance to win prizes.

Take a moment to let us know what your center is doing. Email: [email protected]

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In the February 2011 issue IBI reported on India’s growing bowling industryand the joint project of PVR, India’s movie theater chain, and Thailand’stheater chain, Major Cineplex Group. PVR BluO is a 51:49 joint venturebetween the two companies.

At that time, one 24-lane center in Gurgaon had been opened. Recentlya second center has been completed in Delhi, housing 26 lanes plus lounges,a tattoo studio and a private karaoke lounge.

As announced in The Economic Times in October, PVR BluO, is nowlooking to expand its operations across cities like Bangalore, Pune, Chennaiand Mumbai over the next three years.

Chief Operating Officer Gautam Duttasaid that within two years they should have250 lanes operational, compared to thecurrent 50. He also stated that work hasalready begun on four centers.

PVR’s Ajay Bijli stated, “With BluO, weredefined bowling as a popular lifestyle andentertainment sport in the country. It hasproven to be a good business propositionfor us.”

Did you know that just two games of bowlingcan take you one step closer to staying inshape…maybe even two steps!

Two games exercises 184 muscles, burnsbetween 320 to 580 calories and is the equivalentof walking about a half mile. Bowling workstendons, joints and ligaments in your arms andlegs plus it improves posture, balance andflexibility.

Marketing a business is a challenge, and Donand Kelly Benson, owners/operators of ALLPLaYFamily Entertainment Center, an 8-lane candlepincenter, in Waldoboro, ME, know that bringing inbowlers is not a one size fits all strategy. With alltheir senior citizen patrons and many with specialneeds, the health benefits of bowling, aspresented by Kids Bowl Free, was just the hookthey needed to promote bowling and their center.

One can’t always just have fun. Getting healthywhile having fun might just be the best prize of all.

FUN IS GOOD BUTHEALTHY IS BETTER

Senior citizen bowling. Photo by ALLPLaY Family Entertainment Center

INDIA’S BluO ANNOUNCES A THREE-YEAR PLAN

11IBI December 2011

SHORTS

Two centers whose doors were closed havereopened. Paramount Lanes in Elmira Heights, NY,has new owners and a fresh look. It is the fifth centerin New York and Pennsylvania owned by Paul Waliczekand Steve Miller of Midway Management Inc.

In Zanesville, OH, Sunrise Strikes is up and runningwith a new bar, resurfaced lanes, new monitors anda new AMF scoring system.

Mike and Kandee Ennis purchased Buster’s NorthDouglas Lanes in Drain, OR. Now Gutter Ballz, thecouple have painted the outside, put up a new signand upgraded the equipment. Christmas time will seea new, automated scoring system with graphics. Itis a real family operation; Mike runs the six-lanebowling side and Kandee works in the kitchen andsmall café.

2012 is the year for grand openings. Main EventEntertainment will open its tenth location in SanAntonio, TX, in early spring. Founded in 1998, MainEvent operates high-volume family entertainmentcenters throughout Texas. The San Antonio facilitywill feature state-of-the-art bowling, billiards, laser tag,a ropes course, and more than 100 virtual andinteractive games, as well as dining options and fullservice bars.

Robert Thompson, president and CEO of Denver-based Seasoned Development LLC, recently signeda 25-year lease for a 23,700 s/f former discountstore which he plans to convert to Punch Bowl.Tentative opening is mid 2012 and will feature eightbowling lanes, four pool tables, four private karaokerooms, three bars and multiple felt tables for Marbles?Marbles! A modern diner component will also beattached.

Treasure Valley, ID, has been without a bowlingcenter for 25 years, but that is now rectified withPinz Bowling Center Wahooz Family Fun Zone. The27,000 s/f facility is owned by Tom Nicholson andfamily and Patrick Morandi and promises 25permanent jobs. Brunswick Bowling installed thelanes and state-of-the-art equipment.

EXPANSION, OPENINGS& NEW BEGINNINGS

SELL YOUR CENTEROR EQUIPMENT FAST!(818) 789-BOWL

( 2 6 9 5 )w w w. B o w l i n g I n d u s t r y. c o m

Metro Bowl in Crystal Lake, IL, dates back to the 1920s. It started as CrystalPocket and Bowling Alley which housed 4 lanes and (of course) billiards. In 1954,

it became Metro Bowl, namedafter owners Mary and BillMetropulos, and offered ten lanesin a new location. Still in the family,Jim Contos, Bill’s grandson, keepsMetro Bowl retro and the real deal!An Americana neon sign marksthe spot and the vintage AMFpinspotters work away alongsidethe classic hardwood lanes. Noretro renovation here!

On October 22, the McHenryCounty Historical SocietyCommittee presented MetroBowl with a plaque selecting theestablishment as “historicallysignificant.”

For those who truly want toreminisce, lanes eight, nine andten are three of the four 1920slanes which were carefullyremoved and included in thecurrent building.

��

Regency Lanes located in Bakersfield, CA, cannot boast a 1920s or 1950slineage, but according to Vern Spangler, Controller, the center boasts 40traditional wooden lanes from 1982. With the center hosting the California StateSenior Bowling Tournament in October, it was time to spiff up those antiques.The lane refinishing was done by Lininger Building Construction of Paso Robles.Again, new is good, but old can be better!

RETRO IS SO NOW!

Metro Bowl celebrates historical designation. The centerwith pictures from “Then.”

Metro Bowl “Now” with period cars in front.

Photos by: Walter E. Bilinski, Studio B Photography


SHORTS

Fred Schreyer, ChiefExecutive Officer andCommissioner of theProfessional BowlersAssociation, announced hisretirement after 11 years

of service to theorganization. He willcontinue to serve as a

senior advisor.“Fred has managed the PBA through a

really challenging period. We’re grateful for hisleadership and that he’s agreed to continueworking with us to grow the PBA,” said MikeSlade of the PBA ownership group.

Replacing Schreyer willbe Geoff Reiss who hasheld several positions atESPN where he managedthe launch of ESPN.com,NFL.com, NBA.com andNASCAR Online. “ThePBA has a terrificopportunity to establishan important presence in the sportsmarketplace and I’m looking forward toworking with our team, members andindustry partners to fully realize ourpotential,” said Reiss.

At the same time, it wasreported that Tom Clarkwas promoted to theposition of Commissioner,effective November 1. Hisbackground includes VicePresident of Marketingand Communications forthe USBC and sports

editor for USA Today.“It’s an honor to be given this opportunity

to help build an organization that has meantso much to my life,” Clark said. “I love thesport of bowling and the PBA and I’menergized by that same passion for the gamethat our players and fans have shown for over50 years.”

Fred Schreyer

PEOPLEWATCHING

Geoff Reiss

Tom Clark

ESPN the Magazine’s annual “Body Issue” which celebrates athleticphysiques, male and female, from a variety of sports invited bowling’s2010 U.S. Open Champion, Kelly Kulick, to participate. Not one to shyaway from a challenge, Kulick accepted.

The result? A black-and-white, creative pose. Tom Clark, PBA’s current commissioner, was quoted, “Kelly is a great

ambassador for the bowling and the PBA. … the ESPN pictorial is anotherhigh impact way of gaining recognition and attention.”

Kulick’s take on her new exposure? “Ultimately it was my decisionand I’m very flattered. There were a lot of different athletes involved.We’re all different. It’s all about the physiques for each kind ofathlete; it’s not about being a size 2 person.”

The issue went on sale on newsstands October 7.

KULICK, ESPN & “EXPOSURE”

NAIR celebrated 40 years at its Anniversary Meeting andCelebration held at the Marriott in Lincolnshire, IL. A combinedwork and pleasure event, the first evening honored former NAIRPresident Bill Warner who passed away earlier this spring. A video of40 years of NAIR was shown and given to each company in attendance.

Discussion to keep NAIR as a trade organization was the major topicwith the result being a commitment to build on the old while focusingon a revitalized, membership driven organization linked to current issues.

Election of Officers and Directors was as follows: Gregg Pasdiora,President; Barb Peltz, Vice President; Mark Neumann, Treasurer; EdJandreau, Secretary; with Steve Caffrey, John Hardman, Scott Freemanand Ken Surprenant as Directors. These members will service untilthe next regular meeting is held.

Gregg Pasdiora, president of NAIR and vice president of US Poly Chemical International,(left) with George Bradner, one of the founders of NAIR and now its consultant, and KenSurprenant of Southwest Bowling and Billiard and a Charter Member.

A NEW NAIR EMERGES


t’s been close to a dozen years since Dr. RobertPutnam published the now famous book titledBowling Alone. This groundbreaking book brought

to life how the very fabric of our connections withfamily, friends and community has changed. In thebook, Dr. Putnam even mentioned some ways onhow we can reconnect.

But, as avant-garde as Dr. Putnam was, even hewasn’t able to predict how much damage technologywould do to bowling in the decade to follow andhow far technology would evolved.

More importantly, back then no one could evenpredict that the same technology that has ripped usapart would, one day, be used to bring bowlers backto bowling.

Jeff Martin, CEO of Tribal Technologies, Inc. hasbeen helping people and companies communicatetheir ideas through the use of technology and hisprofessional portfolio includes a decade-long stint atApple Computer’s Global Entertainment and MediaDivision reporting directly to the venerable SteveJobs. Martin will be a featured keynote speaker at nextmonth’s BPAA 2012 Bowl Summit in Napa, CA.

When the opportunity for a face-to-face interviewcame up, this publisher hopped a plane to SanFrancisco and met with Jeff Martin for lunch and tolearn more about his vision regarding the convergenceof mobile technology and bowling.

THE “LINGUA FRANCA” OF SPORTS

“Bowling is the ‘lingua franca’ of the sportingworld,” says Martin. The game and sport is played inmore than 113 countries around the world and thesport is played virtually the same everywhere onegoes. He colloquially speaks to what we in the industryknow to be true, “One can travel anywhere, at anytime, and feel right at home at a bowling center.”

Recognizing that here is a huge gap, andsubsequent opportunity, between the amount offrequent and league bowlers worldwide and thenumber of casual open play bowlers makes Martin’seyes open wide and brings a Cheshire cat-like smileto his face. He automatically and instinctively sees thepotential between his high-tech world and therelatively low-tech world of bowling.

Like so many industries, we’ve lost countlessbowlers due to the explosive growth of the Internet,home-based video games, and social networking. Tomany, the social aspect of bowling had becomeirrelevant. According to Martin, the bowling industryis uniquely and perfectly suited to use mobiletechnology as part of the overall strategy to bring

I

BRINGINGTECHNOLOGYTO THEPHYSICALWORLD

By Scott Frager

Jeff Martin, former AppleComputer executive, discussesusing technology to bringbowlers back to our centers.

BPAA SUMMIT PREVIEW


BPAA SUMMIT PREVIEW

bowlers back to the centers.Why? First, the bowling business hasn’t really been burned by

technology before. In the early and wild days of the Internet, manybusinesses quickly flocked to this new media only to bedisappointed just as fast after measurable results failed to develop.

Second, we now have proven business models wheretechnology has been used to change consumer habits andbehavior. Think crowded Apple Stores with smart, young andknowledgeable staff mingling, teaching and facilitating saleafter sale with consumers.

Marketers used to believe that technology might one dayreplace the concert, movie and sporting event. The newphilosophy, shared by many experts including Martin, is thattechnology is best used as a complement to the physicalactivity. It will never replace it. Therefore, it can be used as a toolto bring people back “home.” That’s welcomed news for thebowling business.

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY TO THEPHYSICAL WORLD

Mobile media is the “most intimate medium in the world,”according to Martin. As consumers, we take our phones with useverywhere. They are always by our side. We check our phonesin the morning when we wake up, before we go to sleep at nightand use our phones throughout the day.

Location-based applications can reveal the powerful buyingDNA of our customers.

What professional marketers have discovered with mobilemedia is that consumers are much more likely to try (sample) aproduct if an offer is made via mobile device. Mobile commerceis better suited for impulse buys. Imagine being able to offer animmediate special bowling offer to all cell phone users who arewithin a 5 mile radius of your center.

The universal key is that “consumers must be respected,“according to Martin. Since mobile media is so intimate, consumerswant to know that their information will be held in confidenceand that their trust will never be abused.

Martin says that, “consumers will almost never opt-out ofmobile media, as long as you give them what they want.” That’sgood advice for all marketing. If your customers trust youenough to opt-in to listen to your marketing messages, don’t sendthem offers and specials that devalue that trust. In other words,give them something that they can truly appreciate.

GAME THEORY AND THE BOWLING BUSINESS

Taking a cue from the feature film, A Beautiful Mind, Martinis confident that the bowling industry can put game theory towork on its behalf. According to Martin, “given enough time,a business can actually predict what a customer will do if thecustomer shares what he/she values.” Think of Cold War andlabor union negotiation tactics. Game theory also applies in

marketing. “You can tell a lot about a person by the music he has on his

phone,” opines Martin. If you allow your mobile provider to knowthat you enjoy a particular band, it can (and does) partner up withlocal venues to sell you tickets to an upcoming concert when thatband comes to town. It can also reward you with merchandiseand other special gifts for providing that information. It’s anincredible perceived value to the consumer. As long as theproviders don’t offer soft rock fans tickets to the opera, they willearn and keep the customers’ trust.

In short, first we need to pay our fans for their attention, withrewards and offers. Then, we need to continue to reward themin exchange for influencing their friends. Finally, we need to makecertain the rewards are of high perceived value.

This is not new to anyone who owns and operates aredemption center or has ever put a buck in a slot machine. Theconcept is proven for kids and adults alike. Why? Because weare all humans and all humans share the same DNA.

Rewards and payback are the major differences between avideo game like “Wii Bowling” and a sophisticated brandrelationship management application like foursquare orCheckPoints.

Over time and with sophisticated brand relationshipmanagement software, the kind that Martin’s company TribalTechnologies engineers and sells, it is possible to predict whatyour customers’ response will be toward mobile offers and caneven change behaviors. That’s music to marketers’ ears.

Martin suggests that bowling is well positioned to be the firstglobal recreational and professional sport to take advantageof mobile media. He goes on to say that the best way tocommunicate to fans of professional sports is through therecreational side.

Most professional sports do a great job with sellingsponsorships and promotions to national brands, but thereality is that these brands are not able to accurately measurethe results of their strategies. Half-time shows look great on TV,but do they really sell more Doritos?

BRINGING THEM HOME

So, how can bowling centers use mobile technology tobring bowlers back to the center? “Let’s recognize that bowlingis a great experience in the physical world,” Martinhypothesizes. “We can enhance that experience by buildinga challenge system that allows people to bowl together in globalleagues as well as their existing local leagues. Then, make it funand reward bowlers for bowling often. Finally, let’s allow bowlersto redeem prizes in a way that helps the local bowling center,other local merchants and national brands.”

Martin knows that such technology is already available. Hebelieves that bowling consumers and national brands areprimed and ready to adopt such technology. He will be afeatured keynote speaker at next month’s BPAA Bowl Summit

OPERATIONS

hey are your friends, neighbors and co-workers. You’vewatched their children grow up and have attended religiousservices with them. Because of such long-time relationships,

you inherently trust them with your life, much less your money.You never thought these people could be crooks and neverdreamed their crime would involve your bowling league prizemoney. But the truth is that each year a number of bowlingleague treasurers run off with their league’s prize funds. Thetelltale sign is when it’s time for the end-of-season meeting orbanquet, and they are nowhere to be found. Once they arelocated, it’s usually too late. The money has been spent. Oncecaught, they often tell various stories before admitting the truth.

“There are a few who prey on the friendship and lack ofknowledge of the bowler,” said United States Bowling CongressBond Claims Analyst Dennis Caudle Jr. “They get the bowlers to

trust them and whatnot. These people usually findthemselves in dire straits because of the economy. Theymay have an alcohol or drug problem or gambling debtswhich is the No. 1 cause. They may be unemployed.The bills are due and they figure they’ll pay the moneyback with their income tax refund.”

Look up stolen bowling league money on Internet searchengines and the stories from recent years scream out:

� Luther Collins, treasurer of USBC’s oldestcontinuous league, the Drug Trade League atBrunswick Perry Hall Lanes near Baltimore, ischarged with stealing $47,000.

� Dana Gripple, treasurer of the Outcast Leagueat Brunswick Zone in Lower Southampton

TBy Mark Miller

OPERATIONS

Township, PA, is accused of stealing $12,000.� David Long, treasurer of a league at Warwick

Lanes near New Castle, DE, is charged withstealing $11,500.

� John Bishop, treasurer of the Quakerstown (PA) Community Church League, is accused ofstealing $11,000.

Direct payback rarely happens because the money’s beenspent meaning there’s no immediate payout of prize funds. Butif the league certified with USBC and followed properprocedures, bowlers can receive most, if not all, of their money.

For certified bond claims, USBC covers prize funds up to$10,000. Leagues offering higher prizes must indicate thatwhen filling out their certification forms at the start of theseason. Anything over $10,000 would be covered by USBC’sinsurance carrier, Travelers Insurance. Leagues also can chooseto file criminal charges or a civil suit to attempt to retrieve theirmoney. Caudle said about 85-90 percent of leagues presscriminal charges.

Not all losses of league prize money are from desperatetreasurers. There are legitimate instances of burglary orrobbery. In Palm Springs, CA, a woman treasurer of the PalmSprings Tuesday Mixed League was assaulted in the parkinglot and nearly $10,000 snatched from her arms. In Brooklyn,NY, gunmen took $80,000 in league receipts in a daytimerobbery in the basement at Maple Lanes. In these instances,a police report must be filed and verified, and then USBC willpay out one week’s receipts up to a strict $10,000 maximum.

Fortunately, instances of leagues losing their prize moneyby any means when insured are rare. In the 2010-11 seasonthat ended July 31, only seven bond claims were filed fortreasurers running off with the money and another 11 burglaryclaims were made. That’s out of about 72,000 USBC-certifiedleagues. The reported bond claims totaled $111,225 withanother $105,934 pending, $5,290.82 paid by USBC and$11,616.14 paid by Travelers Insurance. Burglary claims

added up to $8,142 with $10,000 pending and $6,765 paidby USBC. Also, the USBC paid members of the Drug TradeLeague $10,000 plus Travelers kicked in another $10,900. TheOutcast League received $5,800. Both will have to go to theaccused directly for the rest.

There are several steps leagues can take andbowling centers can promote to avoid prizefund loss by treasurer, robbery or burglary:

� Certify the league with USBC� Establish a checking account in the league’s

name, not the treasurer’s or president’s name � Obtain an EIN number from the Internal

Revenue Service.� Have two league officers who are not immediate

family members co-sign for the account. � Make sure the league president verifies account

balances monthly� Pay prize funds in checks

USBC Bond Claims Analyst, Dennis Caudle, Jr.

19IBI December 2011

OPERATIONS

To help make this process easier, USBC began a programin 2010-11 where bank statements are sent directly to leaguepresidents. Previously, they usually went to the treasurer.Another policy started in 2010-11 was a 5 percent interestcharge to the thief on outstanding money. That’s to detercrooked treasurers from considering their league funds freemoney. “It’s the cheapest loan you can get,” Caudle said.“Honestly, if the league doesn’t go after you to makepayments, you took out a loan with no interest.”

When leagues handle their own finances, bowling centerscan get caught in the middle. Some leagues have wronglyaccused center staff of stealing the money. Other times,bowlers simply choose not to return thus costing centersvaluable customers.

In those cases, Caudle recommends centers do their bestto appease such bowlers by ensuring they will help leaguesclean up their messes. Centers also can choose to bankleague funds themselves. Centers choosing in-house bankingare urged to keep such funds separate from general centeraccounts. That way if the business folds, the bowlers stillhave their league funds protected.

Caudle said it is okay to combine funds from multipleleagues in one league account as long as each league isprovided separate account paperwork. And even thoughthe center is doing the banking, league presidents still need

Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound,Texas. He is the national and Dallas-Fort Worth bowlingwriter for Examiner.com and a columnist for the BowlingNews Network.

to check accounts at least monthly. This protects the centersas much as the leagues. If center staff is caught stealingleague money, the bowling center would file a claim foremployee theft with its insurance company. Centers alsoshould consider hiring security staff when they know leaguetreasurers will have large amounts of cash on them. This willhelp prevent smart burglars from watching where treasurerssit to count their money.

Caudle and the USBC’s Rules staff are available to helpcenters and their leagues take the necessary steps to avoidhaving to confront someone they thought they could trust.“I know of some center managers who help their leagues withthe bonding process,” Caudle said. “Some centers haveforked out money for payments we didn’t make as publicrelations to help bowlers. It’s good customer service.”

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you areinterested in finding out how to insure your league funds,please contact the USBC. ❖


COVER STORY

21IBI December 2011

COVER STORY

o stay on top in today’s fast-paced, high-wired world,an understanding of digital marketing is indispensible.In the bowling world, it’s a revolutionary concept.

No one understands this better than Robin Williams, notthe actor but the self-proclaimed “Marketing Maven” ofHoliday Lanes in Bossier City, Louisiana.

“The best way to describe our marketing strategy is thatwe’re really innovative and we’re hyperactive,” saidWilliams. “We use a lot of hyper marketing.”

“We don’t have a long term plan, but we do have a big,broad picture of what we want to do and where we wantto go,” she said. “We meet quarterly to see what we’regoing to do for the upcoming quarter.”

Williams was never formally trained in marketing. Shestarted out as a graphic artist but got her marketingexperience on the job by learning and implementingadvertising and social media, and by just being a go-getter who’s unafraid to try anything. She has developedmany creative ideas and events for Holiday Lanes, whichhas put the 44-lane center that has been family-owned andoperated since 1960, at the forefront of 21st centuryinnovation. “An artist called me the other day, and he isa big fan of the TV show, True Blood. They want to do abig party for the season finale of the show,” Williamssaid. “They got together with the local blood center, andwe’re going to do a ‘True Blood Drive’. It’s going to be aseason finale speculation party where people come, havefun, bowl, dress up as their favorite character and speculateabout what’s going to happen with the season finale.” Shesaid that it’s become a great partnership with the bloodcenter and the artists who came up with the idea. “It’s allabout having the ability to say ‘yes’ to things and thentrying them. It’s about fun, creative energy,” she said.

Williams said that in her opinion, the most importantthing is not necessarily whether the concept works, it’swhether the word gets out into

TBy Robin Breuner

COVER STORY

the community.“If they hear about an event, then they hear our name and that’s part

of the plan,” she said. Another major part of her strategy is to takeadvantage of social media as much as possible. Facebook is her mediumof choice, but she says that Twitter is an excellent way to get peopletalking about things that aren’t necessarily related to bowling.

Her best example of this is how she markets one of their new, weeklyevents called Tunes and Ten Pins. The event is a collaboration betweenthe bowling center and the local music community. Holiday Lanesinvites local bands, some of them as young as 13 years old, to play on

Friday nights in a venue that is smoke-free and family-friendly. For added novelty, the stage is set up in themiddle of the lanes and the musicians perform whilepeople are bowling on either side of them. The bandsare not limited to younger people. Each week they tryto promote a new band that appeals to a differentdemographic. They recently showcased a band calledBayou Boogie, which is an older band with a bluesy,Cajun repertoire. The next week was a funky, 70scrowd and the week after was a college band. “I’mtrying to have a big variety and make it diverse so thatevery week is different. I’m trying to be intentionalwithout it being obvious,” said Williams. “What it’sdoing is creating a buzz in our community about aplace where you can go that’s smoke-free that alsopromotes local music,” she said. “We’ve gotten a lotof people who haven’t bowled in years who havecome to hear a band, and then they decide to bowl.We’ve seen so many new people.”

Williams said that Twitter has been a great way topromote this by utilizing the fact that their marketingis not all bowling-related. If someone types in ‘LiveMusic’ and they are within an hour of the area, they willsee ‘Live Music at Holiday Lanes’. They can click thelink and suddenly they have expanded their targeted


marketing from bowling to music fans. “We’vegotten so many calls from local musicians who’veheard about this on Facebook or Twitter,” she said.

“One of the things that’s really interesting to meis that whenever I hear about a band, I ask them tosend me a promotional photo so that I can createa poster for them. What I do is print one that theycan hang and one that they can use to promotethemselves on Facebook and Twitter and ReverbNation,” she said. “On our Facebook page, we havea link to Reverb Nation that you can click and seeall of the upcoming gigs. That is in itself a wholeother social media outlet that is music-based.”

Once Williams creates these custom electronicposters, the bands post them on their Facebookpages. Instantly, Holiday Lanes’ Tunes and Ten Pins event goesviral on those pages, and the center suddenly has a whole newfollowing of fans that may not have known about it otherwise.She said that the minute that the band posts the informationon their Facebook wall, she starts seeing new people checkingout the Holiday Lanes’ page and ‘Liking’ it. Williams said thatby creating these posters, she’s gotten 100 new followers inthe past two months.

“Every time I do an event, I always do the same thing that Ido with Tunes and Ten Pins. I create the image that I want to

23IBI December 2011

COVER STORY

project,” she said. “For instance, Bowl for the Cure is coming up,and I got in touch with the local Susan G. Komen foundation andprovided them with all the digital information and asked them topartner with us. The minute that I gave it to them, they put it ontheir Facebook page, and it created a buzz within their following.”

She said that the more a marketing person can do topromote their center or an event at the center by giving apartner or a community organization the tools that they needto make it viral, the more success they will have. By giving thema jpeg image of a flyer in a small size that’s optimized for their

web site, they will post on their Facebook page andpeople will instantly start ‘Liking’ it and creating a buzzwithin both communities.

Another example of this is a program that Williamsstarted called Friday Night Lights. It’s an unlimited bowlingand glow show special for high school kids on Fridaynights after the local football games. She created a flyerand put it on the Holiday Lanes’ Facebook page and thenlooked up every high school in the area and posted it ontheir ‘Walls’. When she checked her Facebook page in themorning, she was surprised to see that one of the highschools had already forwarded her message to all of it’sfans. It came full-circle when she realized that one ofthe high schools had forwarded the message back to her

about her own event!An on-line reservation system is another

avenue for free marketing that generates abuzz on both Facebook and Twitter. It’s beengood to create a sense of urgency, and it alsoguarantees a partial payment if there are no-shows. Holiday Lanes was one of the firstbowling centers in the country to implementthe use of it, and it’s been very effective.

Williams serves as a diplomat for theChamber of Commerce where her job is topromote local businesses in the community. It’ssomewhat of a ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratchyours’ kind of an agreement. When businessesfind out that she’s helping to promote them,they are happy to do the same for her.“Everywhere I go and talk to people aboutbowling, I give them a free game coupon,” shesaid. “We also have free game coupons on ourweb site. We sometimes have them on ourFacebook page and sometimes I put them on

Twitter. Any time I put an ad in a magazine or newspaper,I always put a coupon in the ad. It lets us know where thecoupon came from and if the ad is effective.”

Whenever there is a ribbon cutting in town, Williamswrites a web blog about the new business for thecommunity and posts it on her personal page and alsoon the Holiday Lanes’ page. “The thing about Facebookis that it’s okay to promote your own business, but it’simportant to make it about other people too becausepeople like to read about themselves,” she said. “Everytime I do a blog about a new store, I do a tag of it on ourFacebook page, and then the followers of the new storecome to our page after they’ve checked out the blog.”

Beyond the digital marketing, the biggest goals bothfor Williams and for Holiday Lanes are to create a senseof community and to teach students to bowl, because they

COVER STORY


understand that the kids are the future of bowling.“It seems that bowling went out of fashion for awhile,but it’s our intention to make bowling a priority.We’re really committed to making sure that everystudent in the state of Louisiana learns to bowl in P.E.class. We’ve developed some things that we try topromote to help reach that goal,” said Williams.

Geaux Beauxling Louisiana is a plan that shecreated to promote bowling as a fun activitythroughout the state of Louisiana. The idea is togenerate funds to help purchase bowling equipmentfor schools that may not be near a center. Part of theprogram includes selling t-shirts with a colorful,Mardi Gras motif. Currently, only a few centersthroughout the state have equipment available toloan to the schools. Holiday Lanes has 22 lanes that they loan outregularly. They use the in-school bowling program that’s provided bythe BPAA that provides free curriculum to the teachers on-line. They areable to check out the portable bowling lanes for two weeks and use themin their schools. Each lane consists of a carpet and rubber pins. Afterthe kids have learned on the portable lanes, they come to the centerand try out their skills on the real thing.

Williams understands that kids who learn how to bowl will come backand bring their families with them, both now and in the future, and bycontinuing to market her center with eyes on the future, the ‘Marketing

COVER STORY

25IBI December 2011

Maven’ will always be one step ahead of thecompetition. ❖

Photo courtesy of Derek Groves

Robin Breuner is a freelance writer and a frequentcontributor to IBI. She lives in Marin County, California.


REMEMBER WHEN

1947

27IBI December 2011

REMEMBER WHENREMEMBER WHEN

hether in 1947, 1969 or today, at Christmas time, kids of all ages are thrilledwith gifts that will perform and last! These holiday ads from differentgenerations point out that bowling has always been high on the wish list.

Notice in each ad the older company moniker. The Brunswick Corporation was foundedin 1845 as J.M. Brunswick Mfg. Co., and then became Brunswick-Balke-Collender

Company before moving on to Brunswick Corporation.AMF Bowling was founded in

1900 as American Machineand Foundry Co. and becameAMF Bowling Products and today isQubicaAMF Worldwide. Bothcompanies came to bowling with theintroduction of the automatic pinsetterand have been there ever since.

What stands out about both of theseads is that they did not run in industryselect publications but were found innational, general media magazines, e.g.Life, Look, etc. Even though there was atwenty-plus year gap, bowling continuedto tip the scales for product placement;Christmas was even better with a newbowling ball, bag or pair of shoes. Ad agenciesknew where to go to find the bowlingaudience–everywhere!–and the larger, generalcirculation publications fit the bill.

Stepping back in time is not just nostalgic, itemphasizes what can be achieved with will, workand... ahem, good advertising! ❖

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS

W

1969


RECAP

29IBI December 2011

RECAP


RECAP

31IBI December 2011

RECAP

FEATURE

n a bowling world where older centerscontinue to close and the number ofleague participants has dwindled for more

than 30 years, there’s a place in centralMinnesota bucking those trends. Located inSartell, a town of about 15,000 people justnorth of St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids, GreatRiver Bowl hasn’t been downsizing and layingpeople off. Quite the contrary, it has beengrowing and adding staff after a majoraddition to the original building built in 1979.The 60- by 190-foot expansion in front of theold structure, called The Suite Lanes, openedlast year and features eight upscale lanesand large glass doors plus a modern exteriorfor the entire complex. In a previousexpansion, another eight lanes, restaurant-barand outdoor courtyard were added.

“It’s a transformation we’ve been makingfor the last 10-12 years one room at a time,”said Great River Bowl Hospitality DirectorJason Mathiasen, whose parents Lyle andBarb have owned the center since 1984.“We’ve been pretty lucky,” said LyleMathiasen. “We’ve tried what the big guysare doing. Sometimes I go down toMinneapolis to see what’s happening there

to give me ideas here. In the end, it’s all about having good conditions, greatservice and clean bathrooms.”

The transformation has taken Great River Bowl from a small, old-time alley thatjust offered bowling and a bar to a family fun center with something for everyone.“We thought we’d do okay but it’s been a huge advantage that we didn’tanticipate,” said Jason, a former school teacher who’s been a full-time employeesince 2004 and on the payroll since 1991. “It seems to draw people when they

I

Modest to MightyModest to MightyFrom lane beds to lounges, Minnesota’sGreat River Bowl keeps on expanding.

By Mark Miller Exterior of Great River Bowl.

Proprietors Lyle and Barb Mathiason with their son Jason who oversees Great River Bowl’s Food and Beverage.

33IBI December 2011


FEATURE

see something new and modern.”Great River Bowl is a 32-lane facility with 40 employees. It’s now big enough that

the fire marshal has approved it to handle up to 940 people and its amenities caterto every non-bowling and bowling need in town.

On the lanes, the numbers Lyle Mathiasen gave are impressive:

Almost 1,000 league bowlers40 teams of youth membersFive high school teams

Off the lanes, Great River Bowl hasfeatured a wide variety of eventsincluding group events, holiday partiesand wedding receptions. “Christmas andcompany parties have been big,” Lylesaid. “We’ve found people wanting food,drink and entertainment with theirbowling. So about eight years ago weadded a glass wall. Some weekends wehave big groups and can close off theroom by pulling the shade down forprivacy.”

Next to the Suite Lanes, the 208Lounge added what Mathiasen says is thearea’s first piano bar in September.Partners Pub, the restaurant-bar, serveslunch starting at 11 a.m. and has lots oftelevisions where locals follow theirpassion, college hockey. The 100-seatBreakroom adjacent to Partners Puboffers adult games and billiards.

As one of only three commercialcenters in a metropolitan area of about120,000, Great River Bowl’s biggestcompetition is other entertainmentvenues and making changes to keep upwith them. Seeing what other businesseswere doing told the Mathiasens theyneeded to go beyond the traditionalbowling alley to succeed.

“We’ve been able to watch bowlingevolve,” Lyle said. “It’s been fun to seewhere we are now. Bowling is fun for alot of folks. Twenty years ago we weredown a little. It was not cool to be abowler. But today the young folks seem

The 24 QubicaAMF-equipped lanes at GreatRiver Bowl got new scoring in 2008.

The lanes transform for Glo-bowling. The fun and inviting concourse area.

35IBI December 2011

FEATURE

to want to be challenged. It may not get to where it was, but it’s on the way up andvery positive.”

Knowing they couldn’t just sit still and do nothing was key to making sure GreatRiver Bowl remained on the upswing. “We always thought we could make it happen,”Lyle said. “The biggest thing 10 to 12 years ago was glow bowling. Old style bowlingwas starting to phase out. You either keep up or go under. It’s worked out pretty well.”

Great River Bowl features a great mix of open and league play which includesbumpers for the kids, glow bowling for those in their teens and 20s and daytime actionfor seniors. Mathiasen said the latest expansion in the QubicaAMF-equipped center

Name: Great River Bowl

Location: Sartell, MN

Proprietors: Lyle and Barb Mathiasen

Number of Years in the Business: 27

Number of Lanes: 32

Number of Employees: 46

Type of Scoring Equipment: QAMFConqueror Pro

Lane Type: Synthetic

Type of Pinsetter: AMF 82-70

Attractions Vendor: Midwest CoinConcepts

Lighting and Sound Vendor: The LightingStore

Carpet Manufacturer: Astro Carpet Mills

Furniture Provider: Strategic Equipment

Food Distributor: Apperts Food Service

Signature Cocktail: Homemade BloodyMary with food skewer (pepperoni, cubedcheese, large green olives, pickle spear)

Pro Shop Equipment Distributor: Bob’sBusiness

Kitchen Equipment Vendor: StrategicEquipment

Credit Card Processor: Mercury

Insurance Underwriter: SecuraInsurance Company

Security System Vendor: SafeguardSecurity, Inc.

Roofing Company: Bysee Roofing

In good weather, the Courtyard is a nice place torelax and enjoy the great food the center offers.

The Suite Lanes, 8 VIP state of the art lanes were added in2010. The area can accommodate 50-70 guests.

The Breakroom, constructed in 2004 added2,300 square feet and features billiards, dartsand video games. The seating capacity is 85.

Great River BowlAt A Glance

has brought people from the company in to show other centers what they can do toupgrade. It also caught the attention of the Sartell Chamber of Commerce whichselected Great River Bowl as the 2010 Sartell Business of the Year. “From ages 3-63,Great River Bowl has provided programs and activities and is constantly trying newways to become involved,” Sartell Community Education Director Chris Kosloski toldthe St. Cloud Times. “This business, and specifically Jason and Lyle Mathiasen, is reallyseeing the big picture on how they can help people in the community. They’vefigured out just how to be a community member and make a difference.” “We’re veryproud of that,” Lyle said. “We’re a small town, and we do a lot of things. We give back

to a lot of non-profit organizations andgroups like youth baseball and hockey.I’m happy we’re doing well enough to dothat in the community.”

The center also hosts special localevents such as Community Education’sannual children’s Halloween Bash andThanksgiving Bash where more than4,000 pounds of food were collectedfor area food pantries in 2009. GreatRiver Bowl also hosts more than 400youth and the annual Teen Xtravaganzawhich is part of the city’s SummerFest.It also hosts a street dance and fireworksthat close the festival.

Lyle Mathiasen first learned thebowling business in the late 1960s fromhis father who owned the old Dees Lanes.Even after taking a job with the city of St.Cloud, he wanted to stay close to thesport so he and Barb bought Great RiverBowl. While working his way up to adepartment head in the St. CloudCommunity Services and Facilities, the61-year-old and his family remain activeat the center. “We’ve grown up with thetown,” Jason said. “There were only3,000 people when my parents boughtthe place. You know you’ve made it whenbusinesses advertise they are right acrossthe street from the bowling alley.” ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writerfrom Flower Mound, Texas. He isthe national and Dallas-Fort Worthbowling writer for Examiner.comand a columnist for the BowlingNews Network.

IBI December 201136

FEATURE

The 208 Lounge offers another food andbeverage service area for up to 85 patrons.

The combination of the 208 Lounge and the SuiteLanes are used for private functions and can be

closed off from the general public.

Partner’s Pub , with a seating capacity of 120,offers yet another food and beverage option for

patrons of Great River Bowl.

CAPITAL SUPPORTCapital Access Network, Inc. (CAN),and its subsidiaries, AdvanceMe andNewLogic Business Loans, are dedicated to supporting smallbusinesses and developing working capital innovations toincrease business potential. CAN subsidiaries have providedover $3 million to bowling centers across the nation viaMerchant Cash Advances and business loans. Businessowners use capital for various reasons from renovating andpurchasing new equipment and supplies to funding advertis-ing and managing unexpected expenses. For more informa-tion, visit www.bowlingcapital.com.

LONG LAST PARTSZOT is pleased to introduce an all-new,replacement Pin Curtain and CushionCover for AMF 82-70 & 82-90 Pinspotters.These two price-competitive products areconstructed of Time Proven Heavy DutyReinforced Polyester PVC for increasedimpact resistance and a longer life. The Pin Curtain also has aMatte Finish that eliminates automatic scoring miscounts. Formore information contact ZOT Pinsetter Parts CustomerService at 1-800-525-8116 or [email protected].

ONLINE INVITATIONSBuild more buzz in your center withQubicaAMF Themed BirthdayParty Program now with custominvitations to match. Another firstfrom QubicaAMF! Making it less stressful for yourcustomers…no more paper lists, no more phone calls, nomore missed RSVP’s. Let QubicaAMF be your completesolution for your next bowling birthday party. Contact yourlocal sales representative today or visit us at www.qubicaamf.com.

FLASHY LIGHT SHOWTransform your old venue into anexciting new atmosphere with thisstate of the art intelligent lightingsystem. Industrial Lighting & Soundintroduces the LED Quest Superbright LED effect light. Never replace a lamp with this lowpower consumption light. Special price $169.99 (Regular$229.95). View this product and much more at www.industriallightingandsound.com.

IMPRESSIVE BALLThe new Primal Impulse™ is the first skid-flip ball from MOTIV. It features newAtomix SFP Reactive coverstock and thenew dual-density Impulse core. This is anoutstanding piece of equipment!Engineered for medium oil, the ball is very long and cleandown the lane with a fast backend transition and incredibledrive through the pins. MOTIV™ brand bowling balls aremanufactured in the USA. For more information please visitwww.motivbowling.com.

HOME SCHOOLPROGRAMIf you are looking for a solid mid-winterleague program to increase sales andlineage, consider the home schoolmarket. This is a growing demographicfor whom bowling is an attractive sport. The turnkey packageincludes marketing material to promote this twelve weekleague. Special discounts are now available to launch thisprogram in January. Contact Stacy Karten at 410-356-0936.

CUSTOMEXPERIENCESNow bowlers can choosetheir owned themed environments right at the lane andthemes are applied instantaneously so bowlers don’t have towait. Choose from an array of creative new themes designedfor every age and skill level—from kids to adults and fromcasual to competitive bowlers. For more information, contactyour Brunswick Representative, call 1-800-YES-BOWL or 1-231-725-4966 or visit www.brunswickbowling.com/products/vector-plus/.

RENTAL SHOESEbonite Sport Rental Shoes have beendesigned to ensure that you maximize profits,as well as provide your clientele with awonderful experience in your Bowling Center. The EboniteRental Shoe has a rubber molded outsole, includes a one-yearwarranty from the date of purchase, comfortable padding onthe inside of the shoe, the ability to glow in the dark, and theinsole is treated to fight bacteria. No minimum order quantity.Visit www.ebonitebowlingcenterdirect.com to order.

37IBI December 2011

SHOWCASE


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EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

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

FOR SALE: 40+ 82-70s . [email protected]

USED BRUNSWICK PARTS, A2 partsand assemblies. Large Inventory.www.usedpinsetterparts.com.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

Pinsetter Parts New from ALL majormanufacturers. HUGE IN STOCK inventory.USED Brunswick Scoring parts, AS90cameras, processors, lane cables,monitors, and PC boards. Order online @888SBIBOWL.com or (888) 724-2695.The Mechanics Choice!

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JANUARY 201216DJ & KARAOKE HOSTINGSCHOOLNewton, IAHosted by The Lighting [email protected]

22-26BOWLING SUMMITThe Meritage, Napa Valley, CA800-343-1329www.bpaa.com/summit

FEBRUARY24Mayor’s Celebrity BowlingChallenge to Strike Out HungerBaton Rouge River CenterU.S. Open Championship LanesMarc Pater, [email protected]

JUNE24-29BOWL EXPO 2012Silver Legacy, Eldorado & CircusCircus, Reno, NVTrade Show: Reno SparksConvention Ctr. 800-343-1329www.bowlexpo.com

EQUIPMENT WANTED

LANE MACHINES WANTED. We willpurchase your KEGEL-built machine, anyage or condition. Phone (608) 764-1464.

USED WOOD BOWLING LANE BEDS.WILL REMOVE! MIDWEST LOCATIONPREFERABLE. (74) 1914 [email protected].

CENTERS FOR SALE

UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/commercial building built in 1992.Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring,kitchen and room to expand! Reduced tosell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611.

16-lane center in Southern Coloradomountains. Great condition. 18,000s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge.Paved parking 100 + vehicles.Established leagues & tournaments.$950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.

CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, autoscoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Greatfood sales. Yearly tournament. Attached,large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace.$550K. (715) 223-8230.

NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s,Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game &pool rooms. See pics andinfo @ www.visitcolby.com or contactCharles (785) 443-3477.

SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.Includes business and real estate. Nice,smaller community. Owner retiring.$212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN: 12-laneBrunswick A-2s, Vector Plus FrameworXscoring, kitchen, & pro shop. PRICED TOSELL. Call Bruce (715) 614-7779.

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling.Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluth w/large bar, dining room, banquet area. Two largeState employment facilities nearby. High sixfigure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089.www.majesticpine.com.

SOUTHERN INDIANA (close toIndianapolis): 18-lane Brunswick centerwith lounge, liquor license & movietheater on 4+ acres. Turnkey business.Owner retiring. Great investment! (765) 349-1312.

CLASSIFIEDS

39IBI December 2011

CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Islandregion. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmicbowling, auto scoring. Established leagues+ many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill@ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.

GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, realestate included. Great location in one offastest growing counties in metro Atlanta.5 years new with all the amenities.Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One ofthe top five places to move! Remodeled32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1mgets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828)253-0362.

CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center andrestaurant in central Idaho mountains.Small town. Only center within 60-mileradius. Brunswick A-2 machines;Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring.(208) 879-4448.

NORTHWEST LOUISIANA: 12-LANEBrunswick center. REDUCED TO SELLNOW! Includes auto scoring, glow bowling,pizza, large dining area & video poker. Goodincome. Long Lease. Great opportunity. CallMike (318) 578-0772.


CLASSIFIEDS

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940

on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: [email protected]

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41IBI December 2011

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MARSHALL ELECTRONICS• Electronic Scoring Repair• AMF Accuscore Plus• Curtain Wall Chassis - $285

• Foul Units• Chassis Boards• Brunswick Scoring

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CallDAVID DRISCOLL& ASSOCIATES

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43IBI December 2011

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Orange County Security Consultants

•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.

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CENTERS FOR SALE

NW INDIANA (Lake Michigan/National LakeShore area): DRASTICALLY REDUCED—PRICED TO SELL! 32-lane center, familyowned & operated since 1997 on 6.6 acres.Also billiards, arcade, pro shop, full-servicerestaurant, established leagues & MORE!$2,300,000. (219) 921-4999.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-laneBrunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thruliquor store in small college town. Also, 3apartment buildings with 40 units, goodrental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701)430-1490.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!!8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full servicerestaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables,karaoke machine & DJ system. Asking$125,000.00 with RE. (217) 351-5152 [email protected].

GEORGIA: 32-lane center – strong leagues& good demographics in suburban Atlanta.Leased building with opportunity to expand.Jetbacks, synthetics, Accuscore all in goodcondition. Call Ken Paton (503) 645-5630.

IDAHO, Rigby: 8-lane center withBrunswick A-2s; refinished wooden lanes;assets $85,000; lease $1,200/month. BRINGALL OFFERS! (208) 535-9905, www.arthurberry.com.

WEST TENNESSEE: Nice 24-lane [email protected]

CENTERS FOR SALE

NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound &lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, fullservice snack bar & pro shop. Call (775)934-1539.


45IBI December 2011

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BUY SELL

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WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY

Danny & Daryl TuckerDanny & Daryl TuckerTucker Bowling Equipment Co. Bowling Parts, Inc.609 N.E. 3rd St. P.O. Box 801Tulia, Texas 79088 Tulia, Texas 79088Call (806) 995-4018 Call (806) 995-3635Fax (806) 995-4767 Email - [email protected]

www.bowlingpartsandequipment.com

FOR LEASE

PRO SHOP: National Lake Shore area ofNW Indiana. Call (219) 921-4999.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

See a list that will help centers fill lanes w/1200+ New Bowlers, Birthday Parties &Corporate Outings that generate $15,800 –a 600% ROI from 4 payments starting at$278. Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call (888)243-0685.

AMF 65-25 CHASSIS: Conversion, Repair,Replace & exchange. Includes rewiring,requested repairs, conversion to MK 30board system and converting chassis to newPR system where applicable. TOTALSATISFACTION GUARANTEED! Referencesavailable. CHASSIS DOCTORS(330) 314-8951.

MANAGER WANTED

Don't miss your chance to grow withan Industry Leader! Looking forExperienced, Service-Oriented GeneralManagers for our U.S. bowling retailcenter locations. Please check us out atwww.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.comfor more details on our current openings.Act Now! Apply Today!

The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments

Ken Paton(503) 645-5630

[email protected]

We could not have gottenWe could not have gottenour loan without him.our loan without him.

Max Cook and Fred KaplowitzMax Cook and Fred KaplowitzNorth BowlNorth Bowl

Spokane, WASpokane, WA

CENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHERN NEVADA: Excellentopportunity for qualified person! 8-lanecenter with AMF 82-70s, Twelve Strikescoring. $60,000 for business and equipmentonly. Long term lease available. Buildingbeing remodeled. Call Steve (702) 293-6072;cell (702) 414-5321; email:[email protected].

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: Major MSA – 12-lanecenter, 13K s/f, brick front, new roof, 4.2developable acres, includes restaurant &lounge. Asking $575,000 w/ RE. Call TomThompson (309) 264-8011 or email:[email protected].

POSITION WANTED

Seeking managerial position:EXPERIENCED manager/district manager ofsingle & multiple unit centers; specializing inturn around centers; great customer serviceskills, inventory and payroll controls and P &L controls. References and resume availableupon request. Email:[email protected] or leave message@ (817) 232-2219.


CLASSIFIEDS

AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC boardrepair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fastturnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service

5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695)

Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon)E-mail: [email protected]

Visit us on the WEB!http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/

(818) 789-2695

Sell Your

Centeror Eqpt.

Fast!Fast!


international bowling industry magazine dec 11

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