IBI December 2010

4

6THE ISSUE AT HAND

He gets itBy Scott Frager

8SHORTS

Bordenclarification...new

prexy at Kegel...peo-plewatching.

11CENTER STAGEA Dubai stunner

launches Switch-brand-ed centers.

14OPERATIONS

Singing the bluesBut it’s no sad song

for a group of Detroitproprietors.

18OPERATIONS

The sauce for thegander

Coaching haschanged. The idea is to

remain exactly the same.By Lydia Rypcinski

32

CONTENTS

26COVER STORYJohnson to the coreFive “core values” guidethe E.D.’s strategic plan forBPAA’s role in the industry.The same values areworking inside theorganization, a year-plusinto Steve Johnson’stenure.

32NEWDEVELOPMENTSBowling on the RivieraGood bowling and thegood life came togetherthere in October.

46REMEMBER WHEN1960Chic shopping forChristmas at an AMFaccessories store.

36 Showcase

38 Datebook

38 Classifieds

VOL 18.12THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI December 2010

18

26

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

[email protected]: scottfrager

MANAGING EDITORFred Groh

[email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSLydia Rypcinski

SPECIAL PROJECTSJackie 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:

6 IBI December 2010

THE ISSUE AT HAND

I met Steve Johnson in 2009when he made his first officialappearance as BPAA executivedirector at the West Coast BowlingCenters Convention. The show wasat Lake Tahoe that year, high inthe cold air and pines. It struckme as an appropriate setting forthis tall tree of a man.

Understandably, Johnson seemeda little unsure aboutthe people and theindustry he was justbeginning to know butthere was somethingabout the way hecarried himself thatsaid to me: This guyknows how to getthings done.

I introduced myself as the IBIpublisher and executive directorof the Bowling Centers of SouthernCalifornia, and there was instantrapport. Steve responded by askingme questions that had not been putto me by a BPAA E.D. in years.The most memorable one was alsothe first one: “How can we workbetter together?”

That was all it took for me todecide that Steve Johnson was avery good candidate for an IBI coverstory. But I also thought it was toosoon. Better to wait until he hadshaken off his first impressions ofthe industry and spent, oh say ayear on the job – time enough forhim to put his values into practiceat BPAA and to post a track recordfor a few early laps anyway. Wewould talk then.

Since Tahoe, I have talked withSteve at a number of major

conventions. I have seen how proprietors and state associations respond tohim and how he works with them. I couldn’t be more pleased with hisopenness, the focus he always has on the task at hand, and his style as aleader.

Occasionally IBI has been critical of BPAA when we thought its policiesor activities were wide of the mark, but Steve has illustrated how right-onhis organization can be. When Fred Borden’s glow patent looked like it wasgoing to spell trouble for BPAA members, Johnson took the problem to theBPAA general counsel, which investigated, took action, and cleared the skiesfor proprietors. It was the kind of thing a great trade association should do

for a great industry, and it was at theinitiative of Steve Johnson.

More recently, he perceived that BPAAnational needed to get closer to statepresidents and E.D.s. Based simply onhis perception of that need, he movedfast and convened an in-personconference at IBC. I was among thosewho left after the three days with thefeeling that a new and more productive

era in state-national relations was dawning. Again,Johnson’s initiative.

Steve also shows how really small the world is. Itturns out that he and I grew up in the same Kansastown and went to the same high school.

Modesty forbids me from saying who graduated first.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND [email protected]

He gets it

Industry newbie or vet, share the fun, thelaughs, the challenge and triumphs of thebowling biz. Comment on a discussion or,like newcomer Stacey Davis, start your ownblog. And make new friends in the process.

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

10 IBI December 2010

SHORTS

Bart Burger is new BPAA Vice President of BusinessDevelopment. Executive Director Steve Johnsondescribes the new position as intended to enhance theBPAA infrastructure. Among other responsibilities, Burgerwill assist Johnson in marketing, education and webservices. Burger was with Brunswick for more than 25years, most recently as VP for marketing for the company’s100+ centers.

Kevin Terry is new Managing Director of Marketingand Membership at USBC. He will oversee marketing andsales; association, membership and youth development;and the customer service call center.

Most recently Terry was president of Winston-Salem(NC) Dash, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago WhiteSox. He held prior vice-presidential sales or marketingpositions with two NBA teams and MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.

Kelli Briscoe is new curator of the International BowlingMuseum and Hall of Fame at IBC. She has been archivistfor several museums and an editor or writer for severalpublications.

Mike Cannington, who joinedBowling Management Associates of

Southwest Florida last year as director of marketing, willadd ‘director of operations’ to his title. The company ownsand operates five Bowland-branded centers in the area.Cannington replaces Bill Hanson, who left after 10 yearswith the company and the purchase of a center it owned.

Former Celebrity Bowling producer Don Gregory is back, with the pilot fora new show, Stars and Strikes, in the can. The show will pair entertainers suchas NFL star Terrell Jones, actress Shannon Elizabeth and comedian TimConway with audience members. The competition is based on how well thecelebrities do. A network for the show has not been announced. The pilotwas shot at Lucky Strike in downtown L.A.

Next year’s Bowl Expo in Grapevine, TX will nod twiceto the Dallas Cowboys. In addition to the finals ofBowling’s U.S. Women’s Open being played in theCowboys stadium in Arlington, Expo will be keynoted byNFL Hall of Famer and former Cowboys star RogerStaubach. BPAA E.D. Steve Johnson made theannouncement of Staubach’s appearance at the EastCoast Bowling Centers Convention.

Bart Burger

Kevin Terry

Kelli Briscoe

Mike Cannington

PEOPLEWATCHING

Roger Staubach

Kegel Signs with

Women’s OpenKegel will be exclusive supplier of lane

maintenance for next year’s Bowling’sU.S. Women’s Open under a pact withBPAA signed in October.

The company will also develop theunique lane oil pattern to be usedthroughout the tournament.

Also under the arrangement, Kegelwill provide lane maintenance for thefinal qualifying rounds in Euless, TX and,in partnership with Ebonite, for selectedlocal qualifiers around the nation.

BORDEN CLARIFICATIONOn Oct. 29, IBI received a copy of a letter

from BPAA to its members that may havecaused some confusion. Commenting onour October cover story on Fred Borden andhis glow bowling patent, BPAA generalcounsel Thor Lundgren is quoted in the letteras saying, “That story implied that, due to abacklog at the re-examination office of theUSPTO, ‘it could be a while coming’ beforethe USPTO invalidated all of the Bordenpatents concerning ‘Glow Bowling.’ That isnot the case.”

But it was the case when Mr. Lundgrenand co-counsel Kathy Schill were bothinterviewed in a conference call on Aug. 26for the October issue, which went to theprinter on Sept. 16.

Mr. Lundgren told IBI in October that hehad received on Oct. 1 the notice fromUSPTO announcing its disposition of thecase. Our story was updated with thatinformation in the first available issue of themagazine, November.

Also, our cover story does not imply thatit could be a while before Borden’s claims areinvalidated. It says that it might be a while,because of backlogged cases, before USPTOwould issue a notice of abandonment onthe patent, should that be its ground fornullification. That possibility was specificallybroached by Miss Schill in the interview.

8 IBI December 2010

SHORTS

Chris Chartrand, who joined Kegelin 1999 when it launched its brandedline of lane machines, was namedpresident of the company in October.

John Davis, Kegel founder, willcontinue as CEO, helping to set thevision and overall direction of thecompany. As president, Chartrand said,he will helm “day-to-day operationaldecisions in making the vision a reality.”

The new president was instrumentalin developing Kegel’s network of 43

distributors worldwide, mostly in the first few years of the Kegelbrand. He formally created Kegel’s marketing and sales division,and as company vice president for the division launched leadingKegel products including Kustodian lane machines, Prodigylane oil, and Fizzion all-purpose cleaner.

“The public can expect that Kegel will continue its commitmentto researching the problems in the sport of bowling and from thatresearch, to develop solutions and products and services to meetour customers’ needs,” said Chartrand.

He added, speaking of Davis, “It’s my full intent to carryforward in the way I know he would want. He has a saying thatI try to practice in my thinking: ‘What if you had a company wherethe customers and the employees mattered?’ That’s how weapproach it – all our customers matter, our employees matter.If you keep that in mind, it helps makes decisions pretty easy.”

Chartrand’s promotion was announced on Oct. 22, his fifthwedding anniversary. He and his wife, Nicole, live in WinterHaven, about 15 minutes from Kegel headquarters in LakeWales, FL.

Garrett Hartshorn, 12, son of New Center Consulting’s Glenn Hartshorn,was named Hero of the Month at William Beaumont Hospital’s pediatricrehabilitation center in Royal Oak, MI.

The award is given by the Kids Wish Network to honor children who haveovercome major health problems that are not life-threatening. Garrett,nomionated for the honor by the hospital, is recovering from surgery inFebruary 2010 that removed a tumor from inside his spinal cord. He wasrecognized for his constant enthusiasm and encouragement of other kidson the unit.

The award included the medal and T-shirt in the picture, a bag of assortedgifts and a $400 gift card. He used the card to upgrade his computer.

“With his dedication and drive,” his father said, “he is walking – evenrunning at times – leaving his wheelchair to gather dust in the garage.”

Pictured with Garrett are pediatric rehab social worker Marcy Cameron(left) and physical therapist Mari Lohman.

CHARTRAND NAMED

KEGEL PREXYCHARTRAND NAMEDKEGEL PREXY

Garrett Hartshorn

Honored for True Grit

Matt Fiorito, one of thebetter-known bowling journalistsfor his coverage of the sport inthe Detroit Free Press since 1985,died last month after developingacute leukemia. He was 74.

He began his career in July1957 with the Sault Ste. Marie(Ontario) Star, then worked at hishometown paper in Thunder

Bay, Ontario, Canada, before heading west. He movedfrom the Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Star-Phoenix toMilwaukee in 1968 and became sports editor inWaukegan, IL, in 1978. He joined the Free Press in 1984.

Fiorito also wrote food columns for the Free Pressand off the clock, his hobbies were reading, playing pooland cooking.

When we landed him to write a history of bowling inhis home-base town, Detroit, he told us, writing in thethird person, “He is still searching for the meaning to life,which he thinks might be found in the lyrics to‘MacArthur Park,’ but he has never left a cake out in therain.” His story ran in the October 2010 IBI.

Fiorito won multiple national writing awards amongother honors, including the media excellence awardfrom BPAA. An inductee of the PBA, Bowling WritersAssociation of America, Detroit, and Michigan MajorsBowling Association halls of fame, he was an inauguralmember of the Michigan High School Bowling CoachesHall of Fame.

Bowling WriterMatt Fiorito Dies

11IBI December 2010

CENTER STAGE

Shoppers in Dubai’s IbnBattuta Mall are all

smiles as they step intothe new bowling center.That brings Ahmed El

Komy a feeling of

personal satisfaction. Heis president of Switch

Middle East, and this isthe first center to bebuilt, branded and

operated by Switch.

No-limits lighting, sound and videosystem features custom-pro-grammed, computer-controlledlighting in approach area that isaudio-activated for synchronizedsound and light. Cap lightingeffects run all the way to themasking and sidewall to sidewall.Above the pins, 12x16-footmotorized video projection screens.All lights are intelligent, securedwith custom mounting.

Fully automated, the system wasdesigned and installed by IndustrialLighting & Sound of Cleveland, OH.It will be featured in 9 projectedSwitch centers in the Middle Eastand will be available in thecompany’s standard packages.

On the mezzanine, karaokelounges. Below, coffee bar,

order counter for food.

CENTERSTAGE


CENTER STAGE

Nine more are planned in the regionat the rate of one or two a year. The12-lane houses will serve no alcohol,since most Middle Eastern countries

don’t allow it outside hotels andspecial bars, making licenses tough to

get. Turning necessity into a virtue,marketing will focus on Switch houses

as good places for kids and teens.Other attractions: computer

networking games, non-alcoholicF&B, billiards.

Paolo Velcich designed and RomeoDesign, Dubai, executed the Ibn

Battuta location.

Attention, Cairo: the next Switchcenter is yours.

13IBI December 2010

CENTER STAGE

Relaxing in lounge area behind theapproaches is like sitting in a comfy bowlingball. Balls continue as decor elements atbottom of photo and on the giant “ballreturn” in picture to left.


he “old line” proprietors felt that all you had to do wasopen the door and stand back. “Build it and they willcome” might as well have been their motto.

Opposing them were the operators who felt they had todrive traffic. “We’d get the argument all the time that ‘we’ve neverdone that in 20 years and I don’t see why we have to do itnow,’” remembers Henry Mistele, not one of the old-line men.

There came to be so much disagreement, he says, nothing wasbeing accomplished by the proprietors’ association of SoutheastMichigan. At one meeting, president Mistele couldn’t even geta consensus to adjourn the meeting. (He gaveled it closed.)

The scene was the Detroit area home of SEMBCA, the yearwas 1996, and Mistele was pretty fed up. Fellow SEMBCAmember Michael Capaldi wasn’t too happy, either. He approachedMistele with an idea.

“Why don’t we form a group, and just do it by invitation? Wewill pick the best centers that have promotion-minded ownersor managers.”

Five was the magic number: Beech Lanes in Redford, with 16lanes; Cherry Hill Lanes, Dearborn Heights, 52; Mayflower Lanes,Redford, 32; Roosevelt Lanes, Allen Park, 24; and WestlandBowl, Westland, 60 (totaling 124 lanes).

Mistele owned Mayflower, Capaldi had Westland. They knewthe other three owners from SEMBCA or from BCAM, the stateassociation, to be “young – I’m not talking in terms of age [but]their thinking – energetic, willing to come up with ideas or try toimplement ideas that would drive traffic,” Mistele says.

The five had a meeting and formed Blue Ribbon QualityBowling Centers – a name that makes it sound like a formal, BPAA-like group, Mistele observes. But it isn’t.

Meetings are pretty loose. Anything potentially beneficial to themembers might be discussed. Guest presenters like Beth Standleeof TrainerTainment come in. Once they rented a meeting room andspent an entire day brainstorming. Four or five times they havegotten together purely to have fun. The group has done some

OPERATIONS

T

SINGINGTHE BLUESIT’S NO SAD SONG FORA GROUP OF DETROITPROPRIETORS.

MICHAEL CAPALDI

HENRY MISTELE


OPERATIONS

group buying of pins and shoes and saved some money.But everybody is clear about the main business of

Blue Ribbon, and that is promotion.“We only want to do four promotions a year but we

want those four to be good ones,” says Mistele. “Toget the four promotions you may try five differentones that don’t work and then you’re saddled with onethat does.”

He says ‘saddled’ because the group operates ontwo absolute rules. They all vote on what they want todo, and everyone in the group goes along. That way,they can guarantee a potential sponsor that they candeliver a certain number of bowlers or centers.

They can also guarantee to one another the biggestbuck for the bang. A $5,000 promotion may be outof reach for one member but do-able if spread amongall the members.

Something might come up; it might be impossiblefor a center to participate in a particular promotion.“If you don’t do what the group votes on – it’sconceivable you might optout of one – but generallyif you’re not participating,we ask you to leave thegroup,” Mistele says.Through the years, threeor four have been asked.

Promotion materialsthat issue from the grouptypically publicize more than one member. Blue Ribbonmembers want people to know they’re dealing witha group. Here they are following the lead of the Mileof Cars concept, Mistele offers. Dealers discoveredyears ago that if they grouped their lots, they alltended to sell more cars. “If they bowl in my center,fine. If they bowl in Mike’s center, that’s fine too.We’re promoting all of us, not trying to gain businessat the expense of another proprietor.”

Proprietors around Detroit have not always foundthat easy to do. Back in the day, they would go tomeetings not wanting to share any of their ideas,Capaldi says. They were unable to regard one anotheras partners, too worried about their ideas being stolen.But the notion in Blue Ribbon is not to be afraid to talkto other members and to act – always – “to improvethe image and the sport of bowling,” he says.

Easier said than done? The members of BlueRibbon are in the same region and two of them,Mayflower and Beech, are in the same town.

Mistele acknowledges it’s a problem, in fact “thebiggest problem in the bowling industry. We’re all

independent businessmen and people don’t necessarily agree. And ifthey don’t agree, they can pick up their keys and go home.

“We’re not sharing financial information,” he continues. “We’retalking about the business in general and what we can do to make itexciting for the bowler and hopefully generate some more lineage forthe houses that are members.” And push coming to shove, he says simplythat in Blue Ribbon “you can’t be afraid of your competitors.”

The group works because the members think alike. Meetings maybe loose but the group is tight. By-invitation-only membership, whichhas never been relaxed in all the years, helps keep it that way. So doeskeeping the group small. Too big and “they’re not going to participate,”Capaldi says. “They’ll keep coming up with reasons why they can’t.”

Adds Mistele, “I think the consensus is we don’t want to be over 10.We’ve had as many as 12. You start getting into a lot of politics. We havenine right now. We think that’s a good group. Everybody shows up atthe meetings. We meet once a month. We rotate where we meet, toeach member center. We’re thinking about adding one more. Nine or10 is about where I would like to see it,” he says, but then notes thattoo would be up to the group.

The biggest pitfall in a group like this is not paying enough attentionto who joins it. If the members arepromotion-minded, willing to trynew things, if their centers areclean, up-to-date and wellmanaged, a “handful” of people isenough, says Mistele.

Members pay about $1,000 aquarter to belong. They try tomake their four promotions a year

self-funding but special supplementary assessments from $200 to$1,000 average about one a year.

The money goes where it gets the best results. Radio and broadcastTV are expensive in the Detroit area. They serve a market of about 5million while Blue Ribbon is only interested in five of the suburbs.Direct mail has worked, as has cable. They think the Internet not worththe investment yet.

A marketing company retained to devise promotions came up withideas that might have worked in Seattle but were not attuned to folksin Detroit, and the company proved to be inflexible when the memberswanted changes. These days they do everything in house, led bycommittees formed to investigate and report to the membership onpromising promotion ideas.

“Who knows” what membership means on the bottom lines ofmembers, says Mistele in answer to the question.

“There’s no way of determining how much business we haveincreased,” Capaldi replies. “We’re still around as individual centersand I want to think Blue Ribbon has helped us survive some badeconomic times.” ❖

We thank Gary Winkel of Woodland Lanes, Livonia, MI, a Blue Ribbon member,and Glenn Hartshorn of New Center Consulting for background for this article.

THE BIGGEST PITFALL:NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION

TO WHO JOINS THE GROUP.


ven a casual observer can see how much bowling haschanged in the last half-century.

It moved from pen-and-paper to telescore-and-wax-pencil to automation in terms of scorekeeping alone. Theindustry transitioned from an unsavory, den-of-iniquitystereotype to a persona that’s modern and family-friendly. Itembraced high tech in both personal and capital equipment.

Yet one thing remained constant: the goal of the bowlingcoach. He or she remains committed to helping peopleimprove their skills and scores on the lanes. And like DickClark, bowling coaches have been able to exploit someindustry trends to stay on top of their game – and help theirclients stay on top of theirs.

� •�But dedicated coaches were rare in the 1930s and ’40s. More

often than not, “coaches” were bowling center employees whowere good bowlers, or star bowlers who did exhibitions andclinics for ball manufacturers. Many coaches had little or nobackground in physical education or physics; they were justgood bowlers willing to share what worked for them.

OPERATIONS

E

THE SAUCE FOR THE GANDER HOW COACHING HAS CHANGED IN ORDER TO REMAIN EXACTLY THE SAME.

“Nowadays you have got the 100 top instructors in thecountry. We didn’t have 100 bowling instructors total [inthose days],” said Bill Lillard, who joined Brunswick’s pro staffafter winning the All-Star in 1955.

People back then – including Lillard – learned about bowlingby watching good bowlers or reading books they wrote.

“I learned pretty much by the seat of my pants, observationand a suggestion from someone once in a while,” Lillard said.“I saw a movie short with Andy Varipapa bowling back in1930-something. I used to move to the right if my ball washooking too much, and I saw he moved to the left. So I didthat, too, and saw it worked okay.”

It took moving to Chicago years later for Lillard to getactual, one-on-one coaching from a master instructor.

“Buddy Bomar invited me to join his team in Chicago in1951,” Lillard said. “He got me into the fundamentals andbasics and helped me an awful lot. I used to leave morewashouts than I got strikes before that.”

As bowling’s popularity surged in the 1950s, people likeAMF’s Bill Bunetta and Brunswick’s Joe Wilman created

“I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.”– Dick Clark, American entertainer.

BY LYDIA RYPCINSKI


OPERATIONS

instructor’s school programs. They set standards for bowling instruction thathave lasted.

“There’s nothing better than going with the book,” said Jeanette Robinson, whocoached at Showboat Lanes in Las Vegas for 21 years before becoming theresident teaching pro at The Orleans Bowling Center

“It still comes down to, take four-and-a-half steps from the foul line, turn around,and there’s your starting position. That will never change.”

Television introduced millions to the world of professional bowling in the 1960sand ’70s, and visionaries like Dick Ritger and Tom Kouros developed educationallysound programs to train bowlers who wanted to bowl like the pros and thecoaches they would need to do so. Wise coaches latched onto their work andtheories and integrated them into their own teaching methods.

“A lot of the techniques developed by people like Ritger are still valid today,” saidGregg Zicha, who coaches at Fox Bowl in Wheaton, IL. “We do a lot of the Ritgerdrills for true beginners – balance, one-shot, armswing – because they work.”

� •�More recently, the industry buzzword has been “certification” as bowling sought

to bring itself in line with Olympic medal sports by developing rigorous certificationrequirements for its coaches.

As a result, coaches can now go through the training and testing program offeredby the U.S. Bowling Congress and become Level One, Bronze, Silver and GoldLevel coaches. They can also take advantage of a continuing education program that

includes online training and testing in thefundamentals of team coaching.

Interestingly, despite the industry pushto provide coaches with the opportunityfor professional accreditation, it doesnot seem to matter to the public, oreven some coaches. Reputation stillcarries more weight.

“It’s amazing, but I have never beenquestioned about credentials,” saidRobinson, who is in her 54th year ofcoaching. “I was certified years ago byAMF, before I signed on with their staff,but that’s all.”

Zicha has been coaching for 20 yearsbut had no formal coaching trainingbefore he began working at Fox Bowl.He has since earned Level One andBronze Level accreditation. Zichaestimates that he’s worked with 350people since joining the Fox staff twoyears ago and that most of his clientsseek him out because of word-of-mouthrather than certification.

“I thought getting certified wouldbe a good thing to do, for the good ofthe sport, but I didn’t think it wasnecessary,” Zicha said. “Not everyonehas to be certified to be a good coach.And if you’re not on the lanes, justgetting a certificate does not meananything until you go through theprocess [of learning through actualcompetitive experience].”

“I know of several promising coachesI respect who don’t have the [industry]credentials,” Robinson said. “If a bowleris going to listen to a [coach] morebecause of credentials, maybe it’s agood safeguard. But [not beingcertified] doesn’t take away fromsomeone’s capabilities.”

� •�The second major trend that has

affected coaches is the high-techrevolution in balls, pins, lanes, and lanedressings and patterns over the past20 years.

“You really need to understand ballsand [drilling] layouts and surfaces, andhow to match up ball surfaces and lane


OPERATIONS

conditions,” Zicha said. “There are so many options now – thousands ofoptions of balls and layouts. As a coach, you have to keep up with that,especially because the information is so available on the Internet.”

Robinson said she learned to drill balls while on the AMF staff,“but I always sent bowlers to the pro shop if they wanted to buy a ballor shoes. My emphasis is much more on that today. People come in,say they want to shoot pro scores, and you gotta tell them, ‘It’s in thepro shop.’

“What really hurts more than anything is knowing someone couldbe a better bowler if he had the money to invest,” she continued. “I’vegiven so many bowling balls away to keep people in the game, I feellike a drug dealer! It’s much more a financial thing now than it everwas in my day.”

Technology has affected how coaches teach as well as what they teach.Lillard’s state-of-the-art teaching tools back in the 1950s and ’60s were

index cards and a slide projector. “I would have these little cards andread off what Joe [Wilman] told me to do,” he said with a chuckle.

“On one trip to New Jersey, the bulb failed and I didn’t have abackup,” he continued. “So, again, I did things by the seat of my pants.The proprietor congratulated me on my performance! But if you did[the presentation] enough times, you knew what was going on.”

Robinson has used everything from a hand-made flag to coins toa laser pointer over the years to help her students concentrate onhitting a spot on the lane.

“I teach my students who want to be real bowlers to line up on allthe arrows and then tell me what board they hit,” she said. “Not justthe spot they were aiming at, but the board they actually hit.

“I used to get them to focus by putting a 50-cent piece out on the

lane,” she continued. “If you hit it, it was yours.“I only had to give up one 50-cent piece all the

years I did that.”Zicha uses the same technique, but thanks to

inflation, he uses $1 bills. “It’s all about focus and motivation,” he said,

before adding, “Make sure you’re putting down $1bills and not $20s.”

Zicha has also found a novel way to incorporate theblack lighting used for glow bowling into his lessons.

“The UV in the oil shows up under black light,so I’ll have students bowl for about 10 minutes, thenturn down the regular lights and turn on the blacklights,” he said. “The colors of the pattern come outand visually seeing what happens to the dressinghelps them appreciate what is otherwise an invisiblehazard in our game.”

� •�Somewhat surprisingly, Robinson said she takes

a pass when it comes to using videotaping as ateaching tool.

“After the third time I was robbed, I didn’t reallyfeel it was a real advantage,” she said dryly.

“But truthfully, cameras seem to make the majorityof people nervous. I have asked people if they wantto be videotaped or just listen to what I observe.Maybe 90 percent, even the young kids, wouldjust as soon not do the videotaping.

“One client, a college professor, asked me ifhe could tape our session with a tape recorder. He

Gregg Zicha, in blue, and Scot Bulifant.

Bill Lillard and stars of tomorrow.

OPERATIONS

just wanted to take notes, and I thought that was an advantage,because each individual [zeroes in on] very pertinent things dependingon his own natural abilities.”

Zicha, on the other hand, is a big proponent of videotaping andcomputer analysis. He videotapes his students, transfers the camera’smemory stick with the images to his laptop, downloads the imagesinto a motion-analysis program called MotionView (available for freedownload at www.cnet.com), and within seconds his student sees whathe did right and what he did wrong.

“I don’t think you can coach effectively without these [tools] today,”he said. “It’s so much easier with video. People need to see what isgoing on, to reinforce the mental image of what they’ve just done.

Technology enhances the learning of the basics.”Zicha has even developed an online video showcase

for his youth bowlers, called the Illinois Prep BowlingReport (http://prep bowlingreport.com). Zicha and KRStrikeforce owner Mike Stoudt came up with the ideabased on a website, www.prepbaseballreport.com,which showcases for college coaches the top highschool baseball players in Illinois, including videotapesof their skills.

“We take three or four video shots of a bowlerfrom the side and from behind while they are bowlingon [USBC] Sport conditions,” Zicha said. “We postthose videos on our website. College bowlingcoaches can then see all these kids from theChicagoland area and maybe consider them forscholarships for their bowling programs.”

Zicha said that 39 high school bowlers paid the $99fee to be showcased last year, and six got scholarships.It’s a good way for the kids to market themselves tocolleges, he added, and for him to market his coachingbusiness. (He emphasized that coaches can contact thebowlers only through him and that no personalinformation is given out on the webpage.)

“A lot of the kids who come to do the showcaseask for lessons afterward, and then they tell theirfriends, and so on,” Zicha said.

He noted that the industry’s latest push is to turnbowling centers into Strike Ten Skills Centers, ofwhich Fox Bowl is now one. Skills Centers willdemand even higher levels of professionalism andknowledge from their coaches, and Zicha couldn’tbe happier.

“Coaching is going where the industry wants it togo,” he said, “and right now it’s toward making ourgame better than ever.” ❖

What’s the most effective technique you know in coaching? Share it with the industry at www.BowlingIndustry.com.

Jeanette Robinson with tips for Freddie Aw.

: Who is a successful leader?Steve Johnson: Obviously it’s got to be someone

that’s got passion. Somebody that leads by example,that has extremely high expectations and understands the business,brand or company that they work for, and in our case [that] themember is number one.

IBI: I’m thinking about whether a leader is primarily someonewho has ideas of his own or whether he works by orchestratingother people’s ideas.

SJ: It is all of the above. You’re not an administrator. You haveto have vision but you have to work through the system andyou’ve got to be able to listen very well.

IBI: How does a person “listen well”?SJ: I ask questions. I am on the phone or with people 70% of

my time. Nobody knows our business better than our proprietorsdo. They have forgotten more than I will ever know about thisbusiness.

Do they execute and is everything going great? Not necessarilybut when you listen to them, they have the answers and thesolutions for the problems we encounter on a daily basis. I listen.I listen for patterns. Consciously ask questions. The beauty of itis, they are not afraid to share.

IBI: How do you spark your staff?


Johnson

Five“Core Values”guide the E.D.’sstrategic plan

for BPAA.The same valuesare at work insidethe organization,a year-plus into

Steve Johnson’stenure.

COVER STORY

Cover photograph by Dan McDonough. Storyphotography by Ron De Roxtra.

CORE VALUE:Excellence. “If you want me to get rid of you, come inwith an attitude that our members are a necessary evil.”

to the

corecoreIBI

27IBI December 2010

and give them the tools necessary toachieve them. Not every one is going towork, but it is my job to teach them andmentor them and to help them grow.

IBI: If I worked for you, under whatcircumstances would you get rid of me?

SJ: I look for energy, for a can-doattitude, for people who are positive,who understand that our members arewhat we’re about. If you want me toget rid of you, you better come in withan attitude that our members are anecessary evil. There are organizationsthat treat customers that way. I havezero tolerance for that. Our members arewhat we are. That would be the fastestway, trust me.

IBI: A year ago, you published yourstrategic plan for BPAA. One of the“Core Values” you list for BPAA is“solidarity.” What does it mean?

SJ: Meaning I’d love to see peoplefocused on bowling; pick a direction butlet’s all go there together. At the end ofthe day, the brand to me is bowling. Ifwe can improve that brand – do thethings we say in our strategic plan, whichwe will – everybody wins, but we’ve gotto get people focused on the samething. I think you’ll see that happening.I’m seeing it when I talk to the leadersin this industry now.

IBI: What about BPAA competingwith Smart Buy partners, as in partywareor pizza?

SJ: We’ve got 240 programs andproducts and services we offer. Should webe in all of them? I don’t know. We’re stillassessing a lot of that. I think you’ll see uscome out with some new directions insome of those areas.

Our participation in many of thoseprograms is minimal, so when you saywe’re competing I can tell you one thing:we ain’t putting anybody out of business.[But] at the end of the day our missionis to enhance the profitability of ourmembers, so if pizza and partyware [dothat], then the decision [to offer them]was probably the right decision.

There [are] a lot of ways to increase


COVER STORY

SJ: They need to know what they’re doing and what they’re being measured onand being held accountable to, and they need to have good business plans. Whenthose things are put in place like they are now, there’s not much spark needed becausethey’re making a difference in our industry. They don’t come into work saying,“What are we going to do today?” They know what they’re doing. They’ve got itmapped out; they’re following their plans.

IBI: Then is leadership a matter of the way the organization is structured, asopposed to personal charisma?

SJ: I think it’s both. I think we’ve put some good structure in place here, startingwith a strategic plan so people understand where we’re going and what we want tobe. Then working closely on developing the business plan as a team.

The whole process got people really engaged, made them take ownership in whatwe’re doing as a business. Most importantly, I think they’re having fun. They’re veryfocused but I don’t think people are dreading coming to work. They like coming to work,they’re excited about what they see, and they’re excited about the results they’re getting.

IBI: How important is it for a leader to appear to be someone who works alongsidethe people he is leading?

SJ: It is the only way I know how to do it. I am not good at sitting behind the deskand getting reports on how things are going. I am constantly in and out of employees’offices daily. My staff are the experts. They know more about what they’re doing thanI do. It is important to me to help keep them focused, ask them a lot of questionsand keep them energized.

IBI: What’s the difference between that and micromanaging?SJ: I allow them to make decisions. A micromanager makes the decisions. I will

allow my staff to make mistakes or try different things, allow them to take risks. I willallow them to do that even if I think they might not work. The reason is because theylearn from that. I am not going to let them make a mistake that is going to be costlyto the organization, but it is important to let them make decisions and support them

CORE VALUE:Leadership. “I ask questions. I am on the phone or with

people 70% of my time.”

CORE VALUE:Empowerment. “I just finished an analysis of the

programs. Every one is underdeveloped.”


COVER STORY

profitability. It doesn’t mean that you’re sellingthem something. It means giving them programs,whether it’s education or web services or SmartBuy, that help their businesses. That’s what we haveto focus on. I think education is one of the bestopportunities we have to make a big differencefor our centers from a program standpoint.

IBI: Does BPAA have any responsibility toward theindustry as a whole?

SJ: Yes. I want to make sure I’m making decisionsthat affect them positively – Ebonite, Storm, all theplayers, all the distributors. The healthier this industryis, the healthier all of the partners and all of theconstituents in the industry will be.

IBI: I’m also thinking about Bowlopolis and SkillsCenter. Why are these ideas, which might make abig difference in growing the industry, turned intoproducts that BPAA sells? Why not think of“profitability to members” in terms of everybodyusing these products? Why doesn’t BPAA make at

least a “light” version available for free? SJ: I think that’s a good point and I think you’re going to see some

changes in some of those areas. I never build programs around howmuch money [BPAA is] going to make. I look at programs in how are wegoing to impact our members, be relevant, increase traffic, and getpeople, when they come in to the bowling center, to spend more money?

IBI: When you make a major decision, do you act on it immediately orlet it settle a while?

SJ: It depends on what that decision is and how time-sensitive it is, butnormally I don’t make a decision in a vacuum. I test these out with folksfirst. I am very fortunate to have a great board.

IBI: What makes a board great? SJ: People that are open-minded, are willing to listen, not pushing their

own self-serving agenda. I don’t have any of that. I’ve got a board thatjust wants to make bowling better. They’re willing to listen to any idea that

I have and review it, and if it’s different they don’t shut me downbecause it’s different.

IBI: What is the role of BPAA national as compared with stateassociations?

SJ: Our role [national] is to put programs together that canmake a difference for [members] in their states. We’ve got theteam here to be able to put the programs together but we haveto listen to proprietors and state leaders and build the programs,products and services that are relevant for them.

[State associations are] interacting daily with our members.We’re not out there in the field with them nearly as much as Iwould like us to be, the state associations are, and they can giveus instant feedback on something that is happening today at 12

CORE VALUE:Collaboration/Solidarity. “The whole

process got people really engaged. They’re

very focused but I don’t think [they] are

dreading coming to work.”

With Micki Cline at IBC reception.

31IBI December 2010

COVER STORY

o’clock in North Carolina that we may not know about until we go to theNorth Carolina show.

IBI: Would direct membership work in bowling?SJ: I don’t know. I haven’t really given that any thought.IBI: Will streamlining your infrastructure and perhaps bringing in new

folks like Bart Burger, your new Vice President for Business Development,free up some time for you?

SJ: I hope so. I need to be at the proprietor level more than I have been.I’ve been out quite a bit – all the shows [for example] – but I think it’s beenimportant for me this first year to be in the office and get things heresquared away.

I’m encouraging my entire staff to be in the centers more than we are.It’s important for the proprietors to understand who we are. It’s great totalk to someone over the phone but when you’re working the counter withthem, then they understand, they know you’re there to help. And you learna lot from them. If that’s the case from a staff standpoint, whoever goesout will be better at what they do because they will have that experienceto drive them.

IBI: Who will be making these trips?SJ: My entire executive team as well as others. We all have to get out

there when we have the opportunity.IBI: When you came in, you talked about too many programs. What’s

happened to the number of them in the last year?SJ: I just finished an analysis of the programs and there were some

conclusions. What’s really good, we’re not wasting money. Even though wehave 240 programs, there are a lot of programs we have that are just

sitting there; we’re not spending any money onthem. I was concerned that we were putting resourcesinto things we weren’t doing. What I have seen isevery one of our programs is underdeveloped. Sothere is room for growth in all of them.

IBI: How do you “develop a program”?SJ: Some of them are so difficult to execute –

figure out – the proprietor doesn’t have the timeor the energy to do that. Some proprietors, asyou know, they’re running their entire business.They’re running their machines, the snack bar, thenthey’re doing books, then they’re doing sales calls,and then [trying] to figure out a program we sendthem. If we can’t make it very turnkey and easy toexecute, the chances of success of the program willbe limited. That’s why I’m saying a lot of them areunderdeveloped.

IBI: What’s the most important thing you’veaccomplished the first 15 months?

SJ: Instead of having people say “Look how farwe’ve come,” to having an attitude of “Look how farwe can go.” I think it’s brought a lot of positiveenergy here. People here are actually thinking they’remaking a difference in an organization, that they arein a winning organization, and maybe giving themthe confidence that they know what they’re doingand that they are making a difference. I probably[would] say: some leadership I’ve brought forward.

IBI: Which is more important to a leader,motivation or results?

SJ: I’d have to say results are, always. You don’tget measured on motivation. What you do in life,you’re measured on results. So results, obviously, isthe most important. How do you get those results?Motivation is obviously one piece. I think I’m adecent motivator.

IBI: What’s the secret to your success – there andgenerally?

SJ: With me, the sun’s always shining. I’m a verypositive person. I’m a realist, but I’m also an optimist.I just have a positive attitude on just abouteverything that I do in life.

IBI: What have you learned?SJ: There’s some politics in bowling, I’ll tell you

that. The thing that jumps out most to me is thatproprietors [are] the hardest-working people I haveever met in my life. The work ethic blows me away.And it makes it pretty easy for me to get up everymorning and come to work knowing that they’llprobably beat me to work and then when I’mleaving they’re still there. ❖

CORE VALUE:Results. “You don’t get measured on motivation. What you

do in life, you’re measured on results”


he “industrial tech”decor of Bowling deProvence seems an oddfit with the sun-and-sea

ambience of Toulon along the FrenchRiviera, but they got along quite wellduring the 46th QubicaAMF BowlingWorld Cup, Oct. 15-24.

Given a frenzied three months tocomplete the expansion andupgrading of the center in time forthe Cup, Olivier Beltramone judgesthe project “really, really a success.”Olivier is the son of Bowling deProvence managing director MichelBeltramone, coaches and runs thepro shop.

It was not the first success sincethe center opened, which was whena center in Toulon closed. The city,owner of the latter, decided to dosomething else with the building. Tenbowling friends at the center had

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

TEight of the original friends behind Bowling de Provence. They are Jo Dho, an engineer; Nico Salducci, a former

gym owner, now a trainer at three gyms owned by the group; Sylvain Novo, dentist; Claude Giovannetti, engineer;Michel Beltramone, bowling center managing director, former insurance agent, and Olivier’s father; DominiqueMercier, bowling center mechanic; Mario Todisco, in charge of security and the bar at the bowling center; and

Patrick Marrast, who outfits boats. Not in the picture are Jean Pernel and Roger Malfatto, both engineers.

33IBI December 2010

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

other ideas. They asked the city for six of the lanes and thepinsetters so they could set up a place of their own. Thirtyyears ago, Toulon city officials apparently could see no futurefor bowling. They let the friends have the equipment.

Bowling de Provence opened the same year, 1982, in LaGarde, just east of Toulon and likeways on the Mediterranean.

The next year, brisk business drove the center to 12 lanes.The year after that, to 16. In 1999, it became a 20-lanehouse; in 2001, 24; 2002, 28. With the expansion for this year’sCup, Bowling de Provence boasts 44 lanes, making it France’slargest center, according to Olivier. That’s besides 17 pooltables, a bar, pro shop – and a fitness center.

The gym is one of three in the area owned by the bowlingfriends who started the bowling center. They purchased theirfirst in 2002 because it seemed a good business opportunity– and because it was about 60 feet from the bowling center.Two more followed into the portfolio in 2004.

The group also operates an ice rink in La Garde, ownedby the city, which Olivier sees asmuch the same as running abowling business. “It’s the sameactivity – fun, children, family,”he says.

Meanwhile, bowling in Franceis up-trending, Olivier reports.Two hundred centers in 1990have grown to 340 this year, withmore than 4,200 lanes. Aproprietors’ association withabout 100 member centersoffers discounts on insurance

Olivier Beltramone.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Entry to the center.

The bar.

A neighborhood feeling.

Glass wall separates lanes and billiard tables.

35IBI December 2010

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Have you been to a Bowling World Cup? Recount your adventure on www.BowlingIndustry.com.

and other purchases.One other thing has changed in the story of Bowling de Provence: the

original 10 partners have become about 40 investors. “We have to takenew associates every [few] years to have money,” Olivier jokes. ❖

Part of the gym at the bowling centeras expansion was nearing completion.

TRADEMARKANNOUNCEMENTGKM International, LLC, manufacturer ofthe patented Smart Seat for renewing AMFand Brunswick bowler seating, has beenawarded the registered trademark “ProfitPlatform” for its newest innovation. TheProfit Platform makes it possible to cover lanes and easilycreate additional floor space for a wide variety of profit-making functions without damaging the lane surface. Formore information, visit www.ProfitPlatform.biz.

BOWLING AIDFrom Sierra Products, Rowlerallows young, old or disabledfolks to push the ball off theapproach. Result: they dobetter on the lanes for a moresatisfying game. Available in36”- and 48”-inch lengths, Rowler has a 1-pound, powder-coated aluminum shaft with lane-safe UHMW plastic.Available in silver, red or blue, and approved by ABC/WIBC.For more information, call 800-900-7695 or go tohttp://www.NoveltyBowlingStuff.com/p-49-rowler.aspx.

TECH SUPPORT PORTALQubicaAMF Tech Support Customer Portalis designed to be a self-help area forcustomers. Whether it’s for routine mainte-nance, training a new employee, trou-bleshooting a problem or identifying a partto order, we know that when you need information, you needit fast. And we know you are busy so we’re making it availableto you 24/7, at your fingertips. Log on to www.customerportal.qubicaamf.com to register today for your chance to win a$100 Visa Gift Card.

BALL CLEANERHow about a bowling ball cleaner that lowers thesurface energy of the ball to reduce dirt and oil-buildup on the ball surface? That’s Revive, newfrom Kegel. Spray on and wipe off, it’s gentle toskin, can be used on all bowling balls, performs incold or hot conditions, and is USBC-approved foruse in competition. For more information, visitwww.kegel.net.


SHOWCASE

REDEMPTIONREMODELImagine what a $5,000 makeovercould do for your redemptioncounter! That’s the prize in a jointpromotion by Redemption Plus, the leading provider ofredemption prizes and training, and Innovative Concepts inEntertainment, a leading maker of coin-op products. Nopurchase necessary, no obligation. Just visit www.RedemptionPlus.com/PrizeGiveaway to sign up through Dec. 17, 2010.Winner will be announced Jan. 4, 2011. For more information,visit RedemptionPlus.com or call 888-564-7587.

EVENT MANAGERBrunswick Event Manager is thefirst special event software designedspecifically for the bowling industryto include more features and auto-matic integration with your reservation and managementsystems. Brunswick Event Manager will help you streamlinethe event management process and create a more consistentcustomer experience to drive increased customer satisfactionand center profitability. For more information, go tobrunswickbowling.com/products or contact your BrunswickRepresentative, call 800-YES-BOWL or 231-725-4966.

IN-SEASON LANEINSTALLATIONSIn-season is an ideal time tomodernize your lanes withBrunswick Pro Lane or Anvilane. Brunswick installers workaround your business hours, so you can provide uninterrupt-ed bowling throughout the modernization process. Everystep is completed with the utmost care to maintain a safe andwelcoming environment. Your league bowlers see and experi-ence the investment you are making in their center. For moredetails, call your Brunswick representative, (800) YES-BOWLor (231) 725-4966.

BUSINESSACCREDITATIONNew Center Consulting, Inc. hasbeen nominated by customers foraccreditation by the Better Business Bureau, a non-profitorganization that investigates companies before accreditationis granted and acts as arbitrator for unresolved issuesbetween consumers and accredited businesses. To see if yourprovider of upgrades and repairs is accredited go towww.bbb.org. For more information about New CenterConsulting, Inc.’s growing line of products, call GlennHartshorn, 888-452-3748.

37IBI December 2010

SHOWCASE

CENTER ACQUISITION/MANAGEMENTIndustry veterans Michael Ducat and PaulBarkley announce their new joint venturecompany, Pincurean Entertainment Group,which will focus on acquiring existingcenters, look for potential new sites, andprovide management services to selectcenters. The two co-founders have a combined 65 yearsexperience operating centers of all types. For more informa-tion, email Michael Ducat at [email protected] or PaulBarkley at [email protected].

B’DAY PARTY SALESOutsource your birthday partysales mailings with BMAMarketing and our updateddatabase of 21 million kids. Fill yourempty lanes, fill leagues, advertiseyour business to your community, build a valuable list ofhouseholds with kids for other campaigns, generate reusablead content, generate referrals. And do it all for $1.25 peraddress. For more information, call or visit www.bmamkt.comor our YouTube video brochure at www.BPS.BMAmkt.com.

LIGHTINGNew from The Lighting Store, theIntimidator is a moving head LED spot-light with a third rotation axis thatcreates unique movements and posi-tions. This one really moves to yourmusic! Features 60W white LED, 7rotating gobos, 7 dichronic colors pluswhite, 3-facet prism, 17-degree beam angle, and motorizedfocus. For more information, call 888-746-5483.

CUSTOM BOWLING PINSQubicaAMF — The Best Bowling Pins inthe Business just Got Better. QubicaAMFpins are high scoring, incredibly durableand now even more attractive. Get yourAMFLite pins today and don’t pay until fall2011. No minimum purchase required,free custom logo with 10-set order, special pricing AMFLitePinnacle pins, plus 2-year warranty, special pricing on EntryLevel Birthday pins. Orders must ship by 1/31/11. To ordercall 800-333-0527.

DECEMBER6Bowling Centers Association ofWisconsin mid-winter retreatChula Vista Theme Resort,Wisconsin Dells. Gary Hartel,[email protected].

2011JANUARY19-22BPAA’s Bowling SummitRed Rock Resort and Casino, LasVegas. 800-343-1329.

FEBRUARY28Illinois State BPA board ofdirectors meeting and LeadershipDevelopment WorkshopDoubletree Hotel, Bloomington.Bill Duff, 847-982-1305,[email protected].

MARCH8-101st International BowlingExhibition Kuwait 2011Mavenpick Convention Center,Salmiya. www.BestExpo-kw.com.

MAY16Illinois State BPA board ofdirectors meetingMarriott Hotel & ConferenceCenter, Normal. Bill Duff, 847-982-1305, [email protected].

JUNE26-7/1Bowl ExpoGaylord Texan Resort &Convention Center, Grapevine,TX. 888-649-5685.

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39IBI December 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

AMERICAN-MADE PINSETTER PARTS– HIGHEST QUALITY. Visit us on theweb at www.ebnservices.com or calltoll free (888) 435-6289.

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

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FOR SALE: 27” monitor for AccuScore Plus& AccuScore XL; used Synthetic Pin Decks.Ken’s Bowling Equipment (641) 414-1542.

MUST SELL. 20 lanes Qubica scoringequipment. Purchased new in 2007. Monitors,VDBs, Keyboards, Scoring Pedestals, POS +.By piece or make offer on entire lot. Picturesavailable @ www.bowljupiter.com/qubica.htm. (214) 431-7561; email:[email protected].

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CLASSIFIEDSEQUIPMENT WANTED

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CENTERS FOR SALE

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.

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.

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.

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.

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41IBI December 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lanecenter w/ synthetic lanes, 82-70s, 19,000s/f building w/ lots of parking. Newlyremodeled bar & large kitchen. Ownerretiring. (530) 598-2133.

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.

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.

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CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

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43IBI December 2010


SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING: 12 lanes+ café & lounge, 2 acres w/ 5 bedroomhome. Full liquor & fireworks licenses.Outside Salt Lake City area. Dennis @Uinta Realty, Inc. (888) 804-4805 [email protected].

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.

SW WISCONSIN: 10 lanes, newautomatic scoring/sound. Bar/grill. Greatleagues, local tournaments, excellentpinsetters. Supportive community. 2acres off main highway. $299,995. (608) 341-9056.

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.

CENTERS FOR SALE

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lane centerREDUCED to $799,000 for quick sale.Synthetics, 82-70s, 19,000 s/f + parking.Newly remodeled bar, large kitchen. Ownerretiring. Will consider selling only equipmentor building. www.siskiyoulanes.com. (530)598-2133.

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.

NW INDIANA (Lake Michigan/NationalLake Shore area): Well-maintained 32-lane center, family owned & operatedsince 1997 with spacious nightclub loungeon 6.6 acres. Also billiards, arcade, proshop, full-service restaurant, establishedleagues, birthday party activity & MORE!Owner retiring. Reasonably priced. (219)921-4999.

CENTERS FOR SALE

CENTRAL ALABAMA: Recently remodeled,split house w/24 synthetic lanes (16 & 8) in28,000 s/f building in shopping center;Brunswick A2s & 2000 seating; AccuScorePlus; VIA returns & storage tables; systemsfor Cosmic; established leagues; snack bar,pro shop & game/pool table area. Nearestcompetition 28 miles w/ colleges & Hondafactory within minutes. Need to sell due tohealth. Reasonably priced. (435) 705-0420.

(570) 346-5559

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/

PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70S.S. & M.P. MACHINES

Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. BoardExchange & Repair!

A reasonable alternative forChassis and P.C. Board Exchanges

MIKE BARRETTCall for Price List

Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576

818-789-2695SELL IT FAST IN IBISELL IT FAST IN IBI




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.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Turnkeybusiness. 12-lane center, Brunswick A-2s,Frameworx scoring, full bar and restaurant.Good league base with large tournament.Contact Bruce @ (715) 614-7779.

NEW MEXICO: 24-lane center in Clovis –Brunswick Vector scoring system, game room& kitchen. Call Susan, Coldwell Banker (575)714-4018.

ARIZONA, PAYSON: 16 LANES. Assumemortgage. Details @ http://rimcountrylanes.com/4sale.pdf. Bob (602) 377-6657.

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling.Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluthw/ large bar, dining room, banquet area. Twolarge State employment facilities nearby.High six figure gross. $1.2m. Call Bryan(2180 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com.

SW IDAHO: 8-LANE CENTER w/ awardwinning restaurant, new lanes & scoring.$500,000 includes equipment & real estate.Nicely profitable. Owner financing. Call Ron@ Arthur Berry & Co., (208) 639-6171.

NE PENNSYLVANIA: 12-lane center,10,500 s/f with 82-70s, Twelve Strike scoring,a great sports bar and game room. Largeparking lot. Huge potential. Possible ownerfinancing. $625,000. Call Mike (727) 858-3427.

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

2021 Bridge StreetJessup, PA 18434570-489-8623www.minigolfinc.com

MINIATURE GOLF COURSESIndoor/Outdoor. ImmediateInstallation. $5,900.00 & up.

BUY SELL

AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENTCOMPLETE PACKAGES

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

45IBI December 2010

POSITION WANTED

Brunswick “A” mechanic, 12+ yearsexperience, AS-80/AS-90 scoring systemexpertise. Former owner/GM. Willing torelocate. Contact me at (308) 380-8594.

Wanted—-job as a manager for a Brunswickcenter. 30+ years experience in all phases ofrunning a center. Trustworthy with greatreferences. Seeing is believing! Call Owen(763) 497-3139. Please leave message.

CLASSIFIEDS

INSURANCE SERVICES

30+ YEARS INSURING BOWLINGCENTERS – Ohio, Illinois & Michigan.Property & Liability; Liquor Liability, WorkersComp, Health & Personal. Call Scott Bennett(248) 408-0200, [email protected]; MarkDantzer, CIC (888) 343-2667,[email protected]; or KevinElliott.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

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

"Bowling Center Construction Specialists"

�New Center Construction �Family Entertainment Centers�Residential Bowling Lanes�Modernization�Mini Bowling Lanes�Automatic Scoring

Toll Free: (866) 961-7633Office: (734) 469-4293

Email: [email protected]

CONTACT BRIAN ESTES


HELP WANTED

PROMOTIONS PERSON for multi-centersin Indiana/Kentucky area. Great opportunity!Dennis (502) 722-9314.

hat attire could be more appropriate for Christmas shopping – at your localAMF bowling center, no less–than a fur-trimmed coat by Bonnie Cashin?

That’s what Sharon Ritchie, a former Miss America, thought–or at leastthe people did who masterminded this ad from an unnamed magazine in 1960.

And what goodies were on offer in the AMF Fashion Line of bowler accessories!Never let it be said that in its shoe-selling days, AMF could only make footwear thatlooked like...well, bowling shoes.

In that fashionable year, ABC/WIBC claimed 5.4 million bowlers and certified135,041 lanes in 10,417 establishments. BPAA had 90,321 lanes in 5,293 houses. ❖


REMEMBER WHEN

1960W

Documents

IBI December 2010