IBI November 2010

4

6THE ISSUE AT HAND

How do you valuea friend?

By Scott Frager

8SHORTS

Conventions Eastand West...Fred

Borden update...women at the

museum.

11CENTER STAGEGrand indeed is

Inazawa Grand Bowl,the biggest center in

the world.

14THIS IS BVL

Songs my fatherstaught me

Young singer/dancers are also touched

by the mission of theBowlers to Veterans Link.

18OPERATIONSTaking the rap

for a repThree guys who

knew their new centerhad an unsavory

reputation, and whythey bought it anyway.

32

CONTENTS

24 COVER STORYThe sage of SouthfieldA chat with Sandy Hansellabout his 25 years asprognosticator and pundit.By Fred Groh

32OPERATIONSSpecial editionMeeting rooms aren’t doneby halves at Irvine Lanes.

34PROFILEThe charm of bowlingAfter five years out of theindustry, real estatedeveloper Jim Hoobermanreturns – by buying acenter in Michigan.

46REMEMBER WHEN1948-49A season in which bowlinghit dramatic highs.

37 Showcase

38 Datebook

38 Classifieds

VOL 18.11THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI November 2010

14

24

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

[email protected]: scottfrager

MANAGING EDITORFred Groh

[email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

[email protected]

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 November 2010

THE ISSUE AT HAND

For more than 16 years, Sandy Hansell’s name, ideas and commentary have been as much a part of IBIas our masthead. Month after month, year after year, Sandy’s perspective and commentary about bowlingand the business have been a much-read staple.

Hansell has a special place in the industry’s collective heart and soul. I’ve seen Sandy present at manya trade show and conference. I’ve read his profile and quotes in many a national magazine and newspaper.He’s always putting bowling’s best foot forward.

And while a private practitioner in business, he is also very much in the public eye. Sandy recently accepteda position on the newly created board of the SMART Bowling Scholarship Funding Corp., an entity legallyand financially separate from USBC that is managing $33 million in scholarship funds currently in the SMARTprogram. Many proprietors exhaled a sigh of relief at the news of his appointment.

Sandy is a guy you want on your side. Why? Not because of who he knows or even what he knows, butbecause of the kind of man he is.

In this month’s cover story, I think you’ll learn a lot more about the other side of Sandy Hansell. You’llcome away even more impressed than you may be now.

For years, we have wanted to feature Sandy on our cover. But since he was a columnist for the magazine,it was a tad tricky. Only after his retirement from the column and a record 177 consecutive months of “TheInside Track” did we feel we were able to give Sandy his due.

Sandy always gave us the freedom to edit his column, not that it ever needed it much. He was alwaysvery sensitive about how his words would be received by the industry. He wanted to be free to speak his mind,even if some could have perceived it as being negative. Most of all, the one thing I always respected Sandyfor was that he never used his column as a self-serving promotional tool.

Over the years, Sandy and his team of brokers have helped hundreds of proprietors and prospective proprietorsvaluate, buy and sell bowling centers. And he’s managed to succeed with a specialgrace, confidence and humility that is truly rare in today’s age.

As hard as it is to appraise a bowling business, I can say it’s impossible to reallyput a value on a good friend like Sandy Hansell.

Thank you, Sandy, for devoting your career to bowling and your friendship to IBI.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND [email protected]

How do you value a friend?

Holiday promotions...open letters to industrypowers-that-be...operational best-practices...Join the discussion. Or start your own. Eitherway, it’s a snap. And it’s free.

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

8 IBI November 2010

SHORTS

In a seminar on selling parties,TrainerTainment’s Pam Weatherfordhad lots of good advice. In thetrade show, Tom Cristi from theSouthern California proprietorcontingent hobnobbed with FrankGatten, Western rep for SwitchBowling & Billiards LLC, whileQubicaAMF’s Reed Freeman, BobLehman and Joe Roussin pausedfor a photo op at their booth.

Thirteen new vendors and a bell-ringing seminar agenda highlightedthe West Coast Bowling Convention,Oct. 3-5, show director SandiThompson reported. Harrah’s Harveysat Lake Tahoe was the setting for theevent for the second year running.

Seminars covered smart use ofFacebook, presented by Carey Tosello; customer and business safety from crime,by police officer and investigator Walt Aldred; selling parties, by PamWeatherford of TrainerTainment; and an interactive keynote presentation by

Craig Elkins on being abetter “people person.”

Among names attendingfrom BPAA national wereE.D. Steve Johnson and vicepresident for marketing andresearch Henry Lewczyk.

The standup comedy ofVic Dunlop and the magician-mind-reading mystery ofBornstein Experiment fromSouthern California roundedout the closing banquet forthe convention.

IBI has been the official magazine ofthe show since 1996.

WRAPPING UP

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office(PTO) has issued a formal notice that it iscanceling all 15 claims on which Fred Borden,Jimmy Mansfield and Jeri Edwards wereissued a patent on glow bowling in 1998.

The cancellation, received by BPPA’sgeneral counsel on Oct. 1, nullifies the patent.

The notice cites the failure of Borden,Manfield and Edwards to respond to atemporary suspension in June of their claims.The suspension was the outcome of a re-examination of the patent requested by thegeneral counsel, Michael Best & FriedrichLLP of Milwaukee, WI.

In last month’s cover story, Borden toldIBI that he had decided as of August “tojust put it [the patent] to sleep” rather thanpursue patent infringement actions againstproprietors. He settled with Brunswick andQubicaAMF in lawsuits of 2005 and 2007,respectively.

BORDEN PATENTIS NULLIFIED

Scholarships up to $1,500 may be wonby young writers in this year’s ChuckPezzano Scholarship from the BowlingWriters of America.

Eligible applicants must maintain aminimum 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA or equivalent; beinvolved in the field of communications; performcommunity service; participate in the sport ofbowling; include at least one reference letterwith application; write a 350-word essay; andprovide school transcript.

Applications, downloadable at www.BowlingWriters.com, must be postmarkednot later than June 1, 2011. Winners will beannounced at Bowl Expo.

The scholarship is named for esteemedbowling writer and IBI contributor ChuckPezzano.

PEZZANOAPPLICANTS’A L E R T

Jody Urquhart’s keynote presentation onhaving fun in the workplace was...well, a lot offun. Show chair Jack Moran was still enjoyingit when he congratulated her afterwards.

“Strike it rich,” proprietors in 17Eastern states were told in the themeof the East Coast Bowling CentersConvention, Oct. 11-13 at the TrumpTaj Mahal in Atlantic City, and they did.

Show organizers were pleased,too, with attendance up sevenregistrations and booths up 30,

according to show chair Jack Moran.A first-timers’ reception segued into the traditional Welcome Reception on

the first evening, while the concluding reception and dinner were the settingfor a special farewell celebration for BPAA past-president Jim Sturm, whostepped down at Expo.

Education seminars, bracing a two-day trade show, included the future ofthe youth game (BPAA’s Chad Murply), riskmanagement (North Pointe Insurance),and the long-run for bowling business(Joe Schumacker).

For the 14th year, IBI was the officialmagazine of the convention.

WRAPPING UP

10 IBI November 2010

SHORTS

Show chair Jack Moran (right) presents a thank-youto QubicaAMF’s Jay Buhl for sponsoring the keynoteron the second day of the show. Anne Obarski talked

about conversation and customer service.

Bob Reid, Ebonite’s Vice President/Marketing(left), accepts the Landgraf Award of Excellencefor former Ebonite president Bill Scheid.Honoring Scheid for elevating the sport ofbowling, the award was given by theMetropolitan Bowling Writers and is presentedby veteran scribe and IBI contributor ChuckPezzano (right). The writers held their annualmeeting, organized by president DanMcDonough, in conjunction with the convention. During the trade show, attendees gathered ‘round

Bruce Davis, principal of the Kids Bowl Freeprogram, for a detailed look at how the promotionworks. ‘3,913,102’ on the banner is the number ofkids who have so far signed up with the program.

Later, Davis gave a seminar presentation onimproving business in the tough economy.

Women’s Turn atBowling MuseumWomen’s Turn atBowling Museum

Top women bowlers of the past 50years will have their permanent niche atthe International Bowling Museum andHall of Fame come Bowl Expo next year.

Bowling writer Jim Goodwin ischairing a committee to develop thecontents of the exhibit and to raisemoney to build it. Committee membersinclude former LPBT and PWBA TourDirector and Historian Fran Deken, PWBAowner John Sommer, and public relationsspecialist Joan Romeo.

How much of Tom Shannon’s majornew venue in New York’s Times Squareis being financed by his AmericanExpress Plum Card, we don’t know.Bowlmor Times Square will cost

millions, after all. But the principle isplain in this ad from the credit cardcompany: cardholders get longerpayment periods or an early-paydiscount. And it’s also clear that bowlinggot some nice light in this full-page ad wefound in The Wall Street Journal recently.

CREDIT THE MAN

11IBI November 2010

CENTER STAGEMain entry. A major mall is next door.

The reception counter

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BOWLING CENTER...


CENTER STAGE

That’s official. “World’sbiggest” is the Guinness

citation for Inazawa GrandBowl in Inazawa City,

Japan – 116 lanes in line.

It reopened in the springafter major renovation by

Grand Bowl Co., Ltd.,operator of 15 centers in

Japan. QubicaAMFsupplied the scoring,Brunswick the lanes.

Inazawa used to be evenbigger. When it opened

March 24,1972, it took uptwo floors. Each floor had

116 lanes. ❖

The members-onlylounge adjoiningthe locker room.

13IBI November 2010

CENTER STAGE


his is where it pays off: on a stage 14 feet wide by 10 feet deep, minimum,with a backdrop and space behind it for costume changes. It is in a diningroom or an auditorium or lobby.

Half the time, the performers are appearing at state fairs and the like – theyperform this season for a USBC local in Nevada – for money. It goes into the

SONGSMY FATHERSTAUGHT ME

With this issue we begin a series on the Bowlers to Veterans Link, bowling’s arm forsupporting America’s men and women in combat and combat support, in and out of uniform.

We will be writing about what BVL is doing, for whom, and the impact it has. We don’t thinkit’s necessary to explain why its work is important. We can’t think of a more fitting month forlaunching this series than November.

T

Bowlers to Veterans Link reachesfurther than vets.

other half of their time, shows they put onwithout charge at Veterans Administrationmedical centers and state veterans’ homesin all 50 states.

“I have changed in a lot of ways,” saysJennifer Lutz, 20, member of the all-singing,all-dancing, all-energy troupe of college-age performers called Re-Creation.

“More appreciative of life. Realize howprivileged I am, how blessed I am not tohave...you know, have all my limbs, beemotionally stable. It’s crazy the amount ofthings that people have had to go throughfor the freedom of our country. Theseemotions are running through you as youare singing.”

Lutz joined in 2008, just out of highschool. A former member of the troupethought she was good material, and Lutzduly went off and auditioned.

Raw recruits start with six weeks at atraining camp near Harrisburg, PA, where JayMuller, a member of the troupe about 25years ago, presides. As president of Re-Creation, he also picks the 8-10 singer/dancers and two technicians, selects thetours, writes, choreographs and directs theshows. He’s been known to performoccasionally as well.

“A lot of kids will say they want to sing,”Muller remarks. “What you really need,though, is a kid who’s willing to understandwhat the mission is, because a lot of themhave not been in a long-term care facilitybefore they do this, and that’s alwaysinteresting, always interesting to see theimpact on them. Plus, they have to leaveschool, leave their families. So we’re lookingfor [the] kind of person who not only has thetalent but has the heart for the people inthese places. It’s not an easy thing to do toprepare yourself emotionally every day to

Jennifer Lutz and one of the pictures.

15IBI November 2010

be in a nursing home-type situation.”The training camp isn’t boot camp,

but it is serious. The kids will have toadapt to a wide range of performingconditions and they will always have tolook and sound absolutely professional.

“They’ll be in here like at 8 in themorning,” Muller relates. “They’ll havethree hours of voice, then a lunch break,then two more hours of voice, thenthey’ll have costume fittings, then havedance, then they’ll go to bed about 10.But sometimes you train all day and godo a show at night.”

On the road, they do almosteverything themselves – take turnsdriving, unload the stage equipmentand set it up, repack everything after theshow. They learn new material to fitparticular venues when they pull in forthe night or have spare minutes duringthe day and maybe a piano one of themcan use to plunk the tune. They’reconstantly in training, Muller reports.

They ply the roads in two 15-passenger vans and a 24-foot trailer.They usually stay in hotels paid for by theElks, another underwriter, but sometimesin local private homes.

Around 10 in the morning on mostperforming days, they arrive at “theVA,” set up, get into costume, and go onwards to invite the vets to the show.

Some are reluctant. Few say no, in theend. “All the girls put on a smile and flirta little bit and say if you come, we’lldance with you,” says Lutz.

Which the girls indeed will do after theshow. It goes on at 2, an hour or so ofmusic, song, dance, and lighting effectsthat would be familiar to anybody whohas ever run a glow bowling event. As tothe music, whadda you want? FromGershwin and the 1920s to Sister Sledgeand the ’00s (all burnished by residentarranger Dave Kazee), you got it.

Visiting afterward with the vets, Lutzsays, is tied with the performing itself asthe most rewarding part of a tour stopfor her.

Jennifer performing a Sister Sledge song in Milwaukee this summer.

“The reactions that the men and women have during the shows are amazing. Iremember one VA where a guy literally stood up and started dancing, in the middleof the audience, just dancing around. The staff told us after the show that thisveteran was very calm, kept to himself, didn’t really talk to people. We brought thatout of him. But also, after the show, we get to hear their stories, heroes that we justgot the privilege to perform for – that’s amazing.”

The troupe goes campaigning armed with pictures of themselves in costume. Thepictures were provided by BVL. Not infrequently they turn hesitant theatergoers inthe right direction. “Hey I’m coming if there’s this many pretty girls!”

“That’s a huge way that BVL helps – those pictures,” Lutz says. “After the showwe go and visit with the veterans and thank them more and say how much weappreciate them and sign the pictures.

FairlanesGrandville, MI (44 lanes)

Check out our current listings atwww.SandyHansell.com.

Bowling’s Only Full-Service Brokers,Appraisers & Financial Advisors

28200 Southfield Rd., Southfield, MI 48076

(800) 222 • 9131

We congratulate Jim Hoobermanon his purchase of this fine centerand thank Community Bowling

Centers for trusting us to handle thesale. We wish Jim and CommunityBowling all the best in the future.

The group gives about 300 performancesa year, including 150 shows at veterans’facilities. Muller says he gets requests frommore than 220 in a year, but that number isn’tfinancially possible. Re-Creation pays its ownway except for the underwriting by BVL, theElks, Help Hospitalized Veterans, and TheVeterans Fund, all private non-profits.

And Re-Creation doesn’t pay the kids.They are full-time volunteers who livetogether 24/7 and get four days off atThanksgiving, 10 at Christmas and about aweek between the year-long seasons.

Like Lutz, who retired in August, most of theperformers stay two years and return to school.After de-compressing, she wants to attendLoyola or Notre Dame to major in managingnon-profits. She’s also auditioning for DisneyWorld and other performance venues.

“I remember seeing veterans smiling orsinging along. And especially at our patrioticcloser. A lot of veterans sang along to ‘GodBless America’ and a lot of them werecrying. I remember seeing them crying andI started crying. You don’t realize the impactyou’re making until you see it first-hand.There is so much work and practice thatgoes into Re-Creation, the months andmonths. We do two months of fullpracticing; we don’t perform or anything.You put in so much work; it is so exhaustingand you wonder why you signed up for this.I mean, it’s fun but exhausting and thenthe first show and you see the veterans andyou see why all that was worthwhile. Allthe work and late nights [were] so worth it,because you’re really changing lives.” ❖

Closing number re-enacts famous Joe Rosenthal photo of flag-raising on Iwo Jima.

“Sometimes, if we made a special connection with a veteran, [we] sign thepicture with their name. Sometimes if you’re just remembering their name it meansso much to them. Some just don’t feel loved or appreciated at all. That humanconnection helps them so much.”

Then the kids pack and leave – although not before the last girl or guy hasfinished talking with the last vet who wants to talk.

“There’s no set time,” says Lutz. “You try to get to all veterans and at leastsay hi and ‘thank you for your service.’ But there will be times when nine of ushave changed and are packing up and there’s still one girl out there talking toa veteran. We’re there for them, so [nobody’s] mad. I’ve had half-an-hourconversation with someone and the group was completely packed up exceptfor me changing.”

Re-Creation was founded in 1976 by Penn State University professor HughBrooks. It sang as part of the national veterans program of the USO until 1983,when USO discontinued the program. Brooks wanted to retire, but pitched Muller,a friend after Muller’s two years with the group, on taking over the troupe andpicking up where USO was leaving off. Muller agreed. BVL became a partner thesame year – Re-Creation’s longest-running sponsor.


hings can go terribly wrong at a bowling center and not necessarily throughany fault of the owner’s.

Suppose you buy a center several hundred miles from your home. You’regoing to move into the new town and be a hands-on owner, but then the economygoes into a tailspin and you can’t sell the house you’re living in. It’s impossible todrive back and forth twice those several hundred miles to be at the center everyday. You need somebody to run the place for you. You hire, after doing your duediligence, new management. They turn out not to be the best hires ever, to saythe least. They don’t keep the place up, and one day they run off with the leagueprize funds.

It’s not your fault, but your place suddenly has a bad rep anyway. Very bad.Overcoming a reputation when the customers know you is one thing, but

why would anybody choose to walk into such a situation? Why would anyonebuy a center like this, knowing its rep? And how would he turn the public’sthinking around?

❖ ❖ ❖

“I think what is helping us overcome the bad memories people have is a fewthings,” says Dave Backstrom. With partners Jeff Warren and Bill Slusarczyk, hebought an Indiana center they have re-named Lakeshore Lanes. The name changewas one part of their strategy for rehabilitating the business.

“People loved the place in the past. People have a lot of good memories beforethe collapse,” Backstrom says, “so we had a lot of loyal people come in to giveus a chance.”

Warren and Slusarczyk have owned and operated another center, 40 minutesaway and in Illinois, for six years. Slusarczyk it was who spotted the vacant center,passing it several times as he drove through town.

“As far as discussion of the center, as wegot into it more, we discovered the pastissues,” Slusarczyk says. “I did not know,”Warren says about the reputation of thecenter at the start of the closing process,but “as we got more into [it], we werefinding out what happened.”

The partners could have walked away.“We took it on as a challenge,” says

Warren, at first feeling “kind of shocked,kind of nervous, thinking ‘What did I getmyself into here?’ But I didn’t get too crazyabout it. I figured I already had a successfulcenter and I know what I’m going to do toget it straight. The second reason [theydidn’t walk] is that the property taxes outthere are a lot cheaper than Illinois, so itenabled [us] to make more improvementswithout having to worry about paying abig property tax bill.”

“Bowling centers are something I’vedone all my life,” says Slusarczyk. “Itseemed a good town, worthy of getting[the center] re-opened. Expense muchlower than in Illinois; huge benefits to acenter like that,” he adds, referring to the

OPERATIONS

T

They knew thecenter had an

unsavory reputationwhen they bought it.Were they nuts?

Taking the rap for a rep

Sign of new times.


OPERATIONS

property taxes.“I felt there was value here,” Backstrom says. “It’s a nice little

place. It was just sad to see this place go down. [It’s been] herefor 50 years. It’s been the place in town.”

And the three partners were heavily experienced. Warrenwas a pinsetter mechanic for 10 years, who also knows HVACand finance. Backstrom owned a pro shop for five years andknows finance, too. Slusarczyk, a pinsetter man, is “a genius”with A-2s, according to Backstrom. The three men split theoperational responsibilities, with Backstrom stationed at thenew center.

❖ ❖ ❖

The first thing Warren wanted to do was get the word outthat the center was open again. It had been shuttered forabout seven months, spring to fall 2009.

“I dealt with Kevin Malick,” he recollects. “He does mycenter here [Illinois]. That’s the first thing we did. We hammeredprobably 140 merchants in the area and got the buzz going thatwe were open. Within a matter of two weeks, we had the centerfilled with open bowl. Weekends were packed. We had 24 lanessolid with a waiting list.”

The tally is about 300 open players a week. Quite animprovement. An inspection of the computer archive revealedthat the center was lucky if it rang up four games of openplay a day.

They turned to the physical plant. “We have done a lot ofsmall, ‘facelift’ things such as paint, new trim, replaced somewindows, a new road sign, as well as a sign on building,’”Backstrom says about the summer’s occupation in 2009,before they re-opened. Theyreplaced some doors and ceilingtiles and upgraded the restroomswith new tile, stall doors, toilets,vanities, and hand dryers.

Thirty thousand dollars went intoan electrical upgrade for thebuilding. When the utility finally shutoff the power because the billsweren’t being paid, the bad hiresran power in from generators in theback of the center, destroying theelectrical panels there.

In the kitchen, the three partnerspurchased a new flat grill, char grill,fryer and freezer. Potholes in theparking lot (numerous) werepatched, and the surface was seal-coated and re-striped. They boughta new Kegel Kustodian lane machine.

On the A2s, they replaced olddeck shields, bent and broken, re-

painted them and put on new A2 decals. They did the samewith the rakeboards. Slusarczyk and Warren did all the workthemselves.

Old bowling pins out, spanking new pins in. “Unusable” lanes began running as good as new,

Backstrom states.They bought the center in October 2009. Lakeshore Lanes

opened for new business that December 20.The partners decided they would work the new center as

much as they could during the first year, to save as much onpayroll as possible, and build up staff once fall leagues (2010)started. The three are not all at Lakeshore on most days, buttwo of them usually are.

❖ ❖ ❖

Four leagues had been robbed of around $25,000. This hadnot made them happy.

“We put out a huge promotion,” Warren reports. “Radio ads,the open bowl promotion [Malick]. The leagues already wentout to another center. We got in contact with the people[league bowlers] that left their phone numbers and askedthem to come down and talk with us, and let them see we arelegitimate people.”

Of course great customer service would be essential towinning them back, and the partners had the businessphilosophy that would deliver it, as it has for many a proprietor.“To me,” Backstrom says, speaking for the three, “this is thecustomers’ place. We’re just here to show them a good time.”

But treating customers well from now on doesn’t necessarilymake amends for the past. The Friday night league had been

Bill Slusarczyk, the pinsetter “g” -man; Dave Backstrom, who handled the ire; and Jeff Warren, who had the right impulse.


OPERATIONS

hardest hit – in the range of $12- to $15,000. Other leagueshad been stiffed around $5,000. If the league had been burnedonce, why shouldn’t it be twice shy?

Warren says he would be nonplussed if the question wereput to him point blank, but his impulse sounds right. “All youcan do is apologize to them, even though you had nothing todo with it. Try to calm them. Ask them, ‘How come you didn’tgo to the USBC and try to get your money back? Was yourleague bonded? Was your league insured?’

“I don’t want to make them feel like they’re idiots becausethey got ripped off, but I try to talk to them in a manner ofhelping them understand that what happened should nothave happened and what they can do to prevent it. When itcomes down to talking to people you’ve got to respect them.Once you talk to someone in that manner, things seem to calmdown and they start talking to you on a normal level.”

❖ ❖ ❖

Re-opening in December2009, the house was half-way through the season.Backstrom put a couple ofshort-season leagues on thefloor, “just to get the peoplein the place.”

Summer 2010 was aseason of suspense. Foursummer leagues werefloored, “which I don’t thinkis too bad for our firstsummer here,” he adds.

But the test, the three partners figured, would come thisfall (2010).

When they met with the leagues before they were floored,“we gave our little pitch – ‘give us a chance’,” Backstrom relates.

The house having been beloved by its league players beforethe bad management came in, bowlers were not hesitantabout stopping by to see what the new owners were up to.Warren says that by talking to bowlers individually, the partners“put a little bit of a calm in a lot of people. ‘Hey, these guysare really in the bowling business.’ They could tell right away,just by talking with us.”

They had two other little pieces of luck going their way. Thecenter you bowl at in the town is “almost a Cubs-and-White-Socks thing,” according to Backstrom. You bowl at Lakeshoreor at the other house, not at both. “So when people heard wewere coming back, the loyal people who used to bowl here said,‘Let’s get back over there.’”

And one of their mechanics was a bowler in the Fridaynight league. “He kind of rah-rahed us. He knew a lot ofpeople in the league so he was kind of our link. He reallypitched it. Knew everybody in the town. He really talked us up

and took the lead in getting that league back together.”As summer turned into fall, six leagues took the floor at

Lakeshore Lanes. A year and a half before – under old ownershipbut before the bad management – the house had hostedabout 11 leagues a season. So Backstrom judges Lakeshore’sperformance, again, “not too bad for our first year.” In particular,the Friday night league returned with 10 teams compared toa recent past of about a dozen. “Ten,” says Backstrom, “is ahuge percentage of what they were.”

❖ ❖ ❖

It’s too early to say Lakeshore Lanes is back on an even keel,according to Backstrom.

“I’m feeling we’re doing a little better than I thought wewould be at this point. When we started putting the Friday nightmen’s league together, we were hearing ‘Six teams are goingto come over here and give you a chance.’ So to get 10 out

of it, I’m real happy with that.“A lot of teams were just

skeptical. And what seems tome is they want to give it ayear. They want to make surewe’re okay. They want to getfeedback from the guys.”

But the signs are good.The first week of league, alot of the bowlers went to thebar to hang out afterward andthree or four teams from thecompetitor center in towncame over to join them. “That

was really cool,” says Backstrom.The partners seem to know the right formula.Backstrom by mutual agreement with Slusarczk and Warren

has been handling most of the customer relations problem. Hepulled up in front of the shuttered building one day and sawa man looking at a notice on the wall announcing the imminentreturn of bowling. The man turned out to be the president ofthe Friday night league.

“At the beginning of the conversation, he had a very upsettone, to say the least,” says Backstrom. “I could have been ruderight back at him, but I sat down and had a long conversationwith him. At the end he was a really nice guy. He [understood]our situation. We’re new people. We had nothing to do withwhat happened, and he realized we’re going to do the rightthing and treat people right.

“He said, ‘I can’t promise you I’m going to bring the leagueback here. I’m going to come in and have a few beers and seewhat you guys are doing, and I’ll give you guys a chance.’” ❖

What’s the best way to win back customers? Shareyour insights on www.BowlingIndustry.com.

[ ]THE NEW HIRES HADLET THE CENTER FALLAPART. AND THEN

THEY HAD RUN OFFWITH $25,000 IN

LEAGUE PRIZE MONEY.


andy Hansell went to Harvard law school. That was amistake. The whole episode was – Harvard 1958 to1961, then four years with a Wall Street firm inbankruptcy law and general corporate work.

“Kind of boring,” the bowling industry observer and veterancenter broker says, “but I did it.”

His life was flowing in a different direction, swift and clear,before all that, and there wasn’t a bowling ball in sight.

■ ■ ■

Salem, OH was a great place to grow up 60 years ago, hesays. “It was safe, of course. Everybody [knew] everybody.There was a good, positive feeling in town.” The populationwas around 12,000 then, and hasn’t changed very much.

The man as well as the town can bring Norman Rockwellto mind – at a very fast glance and at some considerabledistance – but when he graduated from the high school inSalem, Hansell had no bamboo fishing pole to chuck out. Hehad already become, at 16 or 17, the sports editor for The SalemNews, circulation 15,000, published six days a week.

He would go in about 7 in the morning, edit the headlinesand make up the paper’s one or two pages of sports. He’dreturn at 4 o’clock after school and write a few stories, usuallyabout the local teams.

He put a Salem News license plate frame on his car, “not thatit meant anything.” Not at the time, but could it have madethe difference when he drove to Cleveland to be interviewedfor admission to Williams College?

The director of admissions saw the license plate and a lot ofthe interview focused on Hansell’s work at The News. “If I hadn’thad the license plate, that probably wouldn’t have happened.

COVER STORY

S

The of

Want to be anindustry pundit?

A chat withSandy Hansell

about how hehas done it formore than

25 years.

SouthfieldBY FRED GROH

25IBI November 2010

COVER STORY

Cover and storyphotography by BettsPhoto Industries.


COVER STORY

My grades weren’t all that good, considering this was a highly selective college.”At the Williamsburg, MA school, he went to work on the college newspaper and

became its editor in his senior year. Summers, he returned to Ohio and moved aroundfrom town to town for the Youngstown Vindicator. The paper reported the news ina half-dozen towns surrounding the steel city, and Hansell’s job was to fill in for thebureau chief on vacation in each of those towns. It might be two weeks in Warren,OH followed by two weeks in Sharon, PA or Niles, OH.

These many years later, Hansell is not positive but he thinks the man was aWilliams alumnus. He definitely was a senior editor for Time-Life. Apparently he gothold of the college paper, saw Hansell’s work and liked it.

And so, approaching the end of his undergraduate years, Hansell had a spot waitingfor him in the editor’s training program for Life, pioneer in photojournalism and oneof the very top national magazines of the day.

Or should he go to law school instead? His mother wanted that. “I think it wasthe prestige of being a lawyer,” he says. “She was an immigrant, first generation,and like many immigrants my father and mother wanted to make sure their childrenwere ‘established.’ I think she felt as a lawyer, you have a certain status.”

It was a hard decision, he says. He started Harvard law school and stoppedwriting. He says it was the wrong decision.

■ ■ ■

Hansell recalls more about the Time-Life editor than he does about meeting JohnL. Brown. Which is ironic, since Brown was the principal of Great Lakes Bowling Corp.,owner of 11 bowling centers in metro Detroit and a listing on the New York StockExchange. The prospect of joining Brown in business brought Hansell into bowling.

“Someday you’ll be president,” Brown told him in effect, and it certainly seemed

plausible. The young lawyer didn’t likeliving in New York anyway. It was achance to get back to the Midwest. He“took the plunge.”

As it happened, circumstanceschanged in Brown’s family, whichchanged the prospects for Hansell, andthe company fell short of hisexpectations, “but I did learn a lot aboutthe bowling business.” That includedone very memorable occasion.

“After about a month there, hewanted me to take over as manager ofa 56-lane bowling center. I had no ideawhat to do. He said, ‘Well, I’ll give youyour first clue. The ladies’ room is dirty.’I said, ‘How important is [that]?’ ‘It’s[expletive deleted] important!’ Thatmade a big impression.”

Great Lakes Bowling Corp. was fouryears of learning for Sandy Hansell. Thatimpressed Roger Robinson. Robinsonand a partner owned one bowling centerin the Detroit area but wanted to ownmore. Hansell proved to be the man of

27IBI November 2010

COVER STORY

the hour, and the three men proceeded to tuck four morecenters into the portfolio over the next five or six years, all ofthem around Detroit.

“I was the operations guy,” Hansell explains. “He [Robinson]did the office work, and I was out in the centers every day. Ihired and fired and did the promotions. There were managers;they all reported to me.”

■ ■ ■

After ten years working together, they came to a parting oftheir ways. Not unusual and not acrimonious, but Hansell wasout of a job for the moment.

He looked in the mirror. “‘Now, what am I going to do? Fortyyears old, have some kids to feed, have a law background, 15years operating bowling centers...’

“There were some chains just emerging in the industry atthat time and they were beginning to look around foracquisitions. There were also quite a few proprietors who hadbeen in the business for 20 years or more and were gettingready to retire.

“What the world needs,” he announced to his mirror, “is abroker of bowling centers.

“There wasn’t any animal like that around. So I hung out ashingle and went to work.”

The shingle read “Sandy Hansell and Associates.” That wasJan. 1, 1979.

■ ■ ■

He became the frequent flyer, Hansell says. On the road twoor three days a week for “probably 20” years.

He covered the entire country, personally visiting centersfrom coast to coast and tasting the business around thecountry, “not in every state,” he corrects, “but in many.”

He put up his banner and manned the booth at industryconventions, too. He was a regular at the East Coast show, gotto as many Midwestern states as he could, and even did theWest Coast show a couple of times.

Writing, where his future once seemed to lie, appeared athing of the past.

Then, two years after he opened his brokerage, he wascontacted by the editor of Bowling Proprietor, a BPAA magazine.Would Hansell be interested in writing a regular column? Hecould draw on his law background and his experience runningbowling centers. He could write about the business andfinancial aspects of operating a bowling center – financialplanning, tax planning, estate tax law, keeping the right books,that sort of thing. Interested?

He was, and it was “fun” for more than ten years, Hansell says. “Hansell Financial Report” debuted in November 1981

with his reflections on the tax act of that year. It ended – titled


COVER STORY

“Hansell Report” in its last two years –in April 1995.

The same month, his byline appearedfor the first time on a new column, “TheInside Track,” in a new publication,International Bowling Industry.

“I think,” he says of IBI founder AllenCrown, “he wanted a column thatwould look at the industry from abroader perspective than the stuff Iwas writing for BP. He wanted to talkabout industry trends anddevelopments, something no one waswriting at the time, and somethingdifferent than what had been donebefore. All the columns that had beenaround were much more detailed andoperationally oriented.”

The column in BP had spread out asHansell went along. In the last few

installments, he was writing about changing demographics, home entertainment asnew competition for bowling, and the smoking issue. But Crown wanted an even widerview of the business side of bowling.

Hansell was flattered by the offer. He also figured it would be good exposure forhis brokerage business, although Hansell made it an absolute rule that he would notpromote his business in his column. Mostly, perhaps, “I thought it would be fun becauseit would give me a chance to pontificate.”

Which he proceeded to do in 177 consecutive issues of IBI.■ ■ ■

His method as a columnist never changed.“When I got within a week of the deadline, I’d say, ‘Geez, I’ve got to do something.’

Like every other columnist.”He’d look around for an idea and often find something in one of his daily reads:

The New York Times (every day), The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Inc., or Fortune. “I tried to look for new ways to approach traditional problems, and maybe some

insights that wouldn’t be obvious from inside the bowling center.” He’d start withan interesting idea and ask himself how it would apply to bowling. Other times, he’djust be out walking or running an errand and spot something he thought bowlingbusiness people might find intriguing.

At its maturity the IBI column had three themes, although not necessarily in this order,says Hansell: keep the restrooms clean; be willing to change your operation as

conditions warrant; “stay close to your customers – listen to them,satisfy them.”

That last was by way of Salem, OH,where his father and mother ran asmall ladies’ clothing store. It wasdefining experience in 1,200 squarefeet of retail space.

“As a kid I worked there. I made

First and last columns for BP.

COVER STORY

boxes and ran errands and swept the floor, but what I learnedwatching them was: they personified what we have come tocall today customer service.

“They wouldn’t have understood that term, but for themnothing was more important. If they had to work late one nightand alter a dress and deliver it at 11 o’clock at night becausethe woman had to wear it first thing the next morning, that’sjust what they did. When my mother would go on buying tripsto New York City she would spend hours looking for one dressfor one customer, trooping up and down the garment district.

“That lesson stuck with me: that damn it, whatever it took,you satisfy that customer that day!”

His first “Inside Track” was prompted by talk that a majorcompany was about to appear with bundles of money forbowling. It never happened, but in that premiere columnHansell addressed people who were spending too much timeand effort looking at the horizon instead of their own businesses.

“I quoted Pogo: ‘We have met the enemy and he is us.’ Thetheme of the first column was ‘Get down to work, Mr. Proprietor.We can’t rely on anyone else to come solve our problems. Rollup your sleeves and deal with your problems.’ It was like a peptalk to the industry.”

He never swerved from that part of his mission.“Cheerleading for the industry,” he usually calls it. “I always triedto be upbeat and encouraging and spread good news. We’reall in this together. We all rise or fall together. And [I] tried tobuild the feeling that you may have one center but you’re partof a bigger picture.”

He wrote about bowling’s place in society, why it’s importantthat bowling survive and thrive, and the industry’s contributionto America. Bowling centers provide jobs and they “buildcommunity – very important in this age.”

These two aims were wrapped up in a bigger one. Hansellwanted to be helpful to people who own bowling centers.

“I didn’t care about anybody else. When I would write, I hadin mind the typical proprietor: what could I say to him that wouldgive him a new insight, maybe some inspiration, enthusiasm,and specifically something that would help him run his or hercenter better?”

That sounds like writing about operations but “except for‘keep your restrooms clean,’ I never got into operational detail.I focused on changes in society, changes in customers, [trying]to see what was going on in other industries or society orgovernment and relate that in a way that would apply to atypical bowling center in Keokuk, Iowa.”

As the IBI years went on, Hansell’s view grew “broader,”“more focused on ideas outside the four walls of the center.Bowling is not an island,” he says. “We live in the same societyas other industries, government and so on. I tried to focus moreon broader themes.”

Broad or narrow, the issues Hansell addressed extendedfurther than his own experience. His associates contributed:Ken and Marty Mischel, who cover the Western U.S. for thebrokerage; Marcel Fournier, the Northeast; David Driscoll,the Southeast; Pat Bosco, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri.Splitting the country provided better customer service for


Premiere “Inside Track” (1995) and the final installment (2009).

31IBI November 2010

COVER STORY

brokerage clients than Hansell could possibly offer all byhimself, but it also put him indirectly in closer touch withproprietors around the industry than he could manage alone.That was good for the column.

For his own part, the boss spent most of most days talkingwith proprietors (and still does). It is the only way he could havelearned about one of the column’s major topics, he says.

“That whole transition from a traditional league center toa more casual, open play, quasi-FEC-type of business. That’scomplimented by what we have to do to get the casualbowler in, and that led to more emphasis on the food piece.That also [led] to, ‘as long as we’re bringing in non-traditional-league bowlers, maybe we should have some non-bowlingactivities around here.’ You only learn about that as you talkto individual proprietors who are living that every day, with thepluses and minuses.”

■ ■ ■

That contact fills what Hansell says is the first requisite if youaspire to be the observer of an industry. In bowling, the contactis “hopefully over a broad geographical area of the country, oneadvantage I had because of my business as a broker.

“Then because I was on several industry committees, I wasalso close to suppliers, BPAA and state association people.”He has served on a half-dozen or so BPAA committees includingthe Benchmarking and management school committees. Hewas tapped for a task force formed this year to re-educatelenders about the industry, and he has spoken at several BowlExpos and state conventions.

“You’ve got to be enmeshed in the industry and second,you’ve got to keep your eyes open to what’s going on in therest of the world so you see how trends in society, trends inother industries impact bowling, and then find a way to meldall that together.”

It also helps to have the rest of Hansell’s equipment: areporter’s nose, a lawyer’s discernment, an avid reader’smemory, an affable manner, and a penchant for writing.

He believes it would be “presumptuous” to claim thatthe column had a significant effect on the industry. Heacknowledges that he has become a go-to man for Inc., TheWall Street Journal, The New York Times, Associated Press andother national outlets that have quoted him on bowlingbusiness, but says the feedback through the years frompeople inside the industry was his “greatest satisfaction” inwriting his column.

On the other hand, you can run a business in useless circlesif you don’t have a good direction-finder. For more than aquarter-century, one of the industry’s best compasses hasbeen Sandy Hansell. And the track he has traced is the shortestone to the finishing line, the inside track.❖


pstairs from the bowling,Irvine Lanes in the SouthernCalifornia city of Irvine has

always done good special eventsbusiness. So much so, the 4,000square feet of meeting rooms has itsown marketing, executive chef, andname: Back Bay Conference Center.

But old business has beeneclipsed by a boom since the upstairswas gutted and re-done about twoyears ago with corporate events inmind. Sliding walls now can turn arow of four rooms into three, two orone; and a bank of three can becomeone or two rooms. A non-convertibleroom and a conference room roundout the space.

Almost all the birthday parties at

OPERATIONS

A “speed networking” meeting.Sliding walls were moved to turnthree rooms into one that canaccommodate 200 diners.

S P E C I A L

EDITIONMeeting rooms aren’t done byhalves at Irvine Lanes.

The separate entrance. Entry to the bowling centeris on the left side of the building in this photo.

U

33IBI November 2010

Irvine Lanes have moved downstairs,where they are staged behind the 40 in-line lanes. Upstairs, major health carecompanies, accounting firms, BNInetworking meetings, real estatecompanies, dance clubs and bar mitzvahs– you name it – from all over SouthernCalifornia run the tally at the conferencecenter to an average of 300 events permonth. About two-thirds of them includebowling in their event package.

The room rate is $100 to $800

depending on the length of time andnumber of people booked, accordingto general manager Stephanie Maurer.The full catering service can provideany meal. And parking, as at mostbowling centers and unlike mosthotels, is free.

“Once we get them in here,” saysMaurer, “the word-of-mouth goes.[They] find out what an impeccablejob we do.” ❖

OPERATIONS

About 65% of special events upstairsinclude bowling downstairs.

A meeting room prepared for a classroomsession with continental breakfast.

A luncheon for Kaiser Permanente staff.

“The Board Room.” It seats 10.

How do you promote meetings atyour center? Share your successon www.BowlingIndustry.com.


PROFILE

Jim Hooberman. “Deep” organization for a classic, old-school business.

he bowling business is stagnant.This is not a growth industry.You have to reinvent yourself

constantly in order to make bowlingexciting for a new generation of people.”

Then why buy a bowling center ifyou’re a go-getter young entrepreneurwho already has 750,000 square feet ofcommercial property in the portfolio –and in Michigan, at that?

“The bowling business isn’t like thegreen technology business,” JimHooberman agrees. “The greening ofAmerica is a place to be, one of manyplaces to be. I don’t know that business.I do know the bowling business.”

Five years as proprietor of Royal OakLanes in the Michigan town of the samename paid his dues. Five years ago, hesold it. He was out of the bowlingbusiness until he bought again this yearin Grand Rapids.

�•�Hooberman grew up around

architects and real estate developers.His father was a structural steelcontractor; an uncle was in industrialreal estate in Southern California; cousinsowned apartments.

“I knew I wanted to be in the realestate business,” but six years as a realestate broker, working for other people,failed to set his sail. “I never really found

THECHARMOF BOWLING

After five yearsout of the

industry, realestate developerJim Hooberman

returns bybuying a center

in Michigan.

T“

35IBI November 2010

PROFILE

my place in the world working forothers,” is how he puts it, “and I wasn’talways treated fairly, so I decided tostart my own business.” That was TheHooberman Companies, in which hepartners with his father, Paul.

The younger Hooberman never hada mentor, but he did work for a Detroit-area developer who liked the idea offamily entertainment centers. There werefew of them around Detroit in thosedays, 20 years ago.

“He must have seen a concept [that]was part bowling center and part otherthings. He came to me and he said, ‘Allright, Hooberman, we’re going to builda bowling alley with all these otherelements.’ He gave me no direction, noguidance, just said, ‘Go figure it out.’

“I started going to bowling centerstrying to figure out, where do I start? Iknew the real estate market. You builda building somewhere, and there’s landand building cost, but what goes in it?”

One day, walking into a bowlingcenter, a light went on in his head, hesays. The sound of the pins...the smell ofhamburgers...he liked it.

Nothing ever happened with thedeveloper’s plan to build an FEC, butHooberman remembered it. In 1999,his own company having gotten off theground, he was driving around Detroitone day and stumbled on Royal OakLanes. He wanted it, but not to knockdown and put up a Rite-Aide. He wantedto run a bowling emporium. He haddecided he liked operating businessesthat interested him. Which bowling did.

“As sophisticated as technology gets,and as the world is getting,”Hooberman reflects, “there is stillsomething charming and refreshingabout an old-school activity that’s notthat expensive and relatively easy tobe okay at. I’m somebody that walksinto a movie theater, a skating rink, abowling center and I like those sort ofclassic, old-school businesses. I don’tknow why, I just do.”

�•�

As a business proposition, Royal Oak was less romantic. Hooberman says hecould have continued to run it hands-on and made a living, but he was holding onto his real estate business, which required a good chunk of his time, and that requireda different business model if he was going to continue running bowling centers. Hewould need managers, whom he would manage – “depth” in the organization, ashe calls it.

“I bought something that was small, a mom-and-pop business, [but] you just don’tseem to have economies of scale with a smaller center. It’s not going to gross as much.In the larger center, assuming you get a certain amount of sales, you can afford tohave some depth to your organization.

“As a semi-absentee owner, I need that. I need to be able to manage a managerand know that if the manager is on vacation or takes ill, there’s an assistant manager.And in a smaller center that’s really designed for a one-man-band owner, there’s justnot that kind of flexibility.”

So in 2005, after five years with Royal Oak, he sold it. The moment was fortuitous.Not too long after, property and business values in Michigan began free-falling. Forthe next five years, Hooberman sat on the sidelines, “in a defensive mode, just tryingto keep my head above water. I wanted to focus on keeping what I have leased andin good shape, and that took a lot of my attention.

“The opportunities that might have been out there over the last five years I didn’tthink warranted investing in. I [hadn’t] been looking in the Detroit area, but whenI saw the opportunity come up in an area that I consider to be more stable than


PROFILE

Detroit, in an area that wouldn’t causetoo much pain for me to go to, I jumpedon it. I sort of see stability, and yetprices have come down, so I saw whatI hope is an opportunity.”

�•�Hooberman was talking about

Fairlanes, a 44-lane house in a GrandRapids suburb, Grandville. The dealclosed in September.

Fairlanes had been one of manypossibilities broached by center brokerSandy Hansell in conversation when thetwo would meet at the gym they belongto. Sandy Hansell and Associates hadbrokered the Royal Oak Lanes transaction.

The seller was Mark Voight, whoseCommunity Bowling Centers units hadthe “deep” management structureHooberman was seeking. “Mark is reallymanaging a manager, only he has aregional manager and a general manager.I went with the Mark Voight model.”

Fairlanes was also valued asHooberman himself would do, “basedon a financial statement that had allthe stuff in it that I would have. One ofthe issues I’ve had as I’ve looked atcenters over the years [is where thecenter is] run by someone as a managerand they don’t have a salary expense forthat. Here, because I bought from achain, all the people that need to be onsalary are in.”

Unlike some experienced proprietors,however, Hooberman buys on cash flowrather than gross income.

“I look at current seller incomestatements with a high degree of relianceon net income. I will buy it as a multipleof net income. That’s how I look at allbusinesses. There’s incoming coming in,there’s expenses going out, what’s left?”

Proprietors usually “seem to askdifferent questions during their duediligence than I do. Fred Kaplowitzseems to analyze centers differently. Iconsulted with those people and that’swhy I know we’re not all on the samepage on how to value a center.

“They ask, ‘How many league bowlers

are there? I want to know the league bowler count the last three years, and laneavailability, pricing of the game.’ You could ask me specific questions about what mypricing is today, per game, per leagues, and I couldn’t tell you because I focusmainly on gross income, gross expenses and how those compare to industry trends,and what’s left at the end of the day.”

There was an element of risk here when he bought Fairlanes, Hooberman knows.“The risk that I was slightly less knowledgeable than others that really, reallyunderstand the bowling business because they’ve been in it so long.”

�•�We talked to Hooberman three days after he had added Fairlanes to his portfolio.

Though he plans on being a “semi-absentee owner,” he also thinks 75% of hisworking time will be devoted to the new center for a while, “thinking about, worryingand being at Fairlanes.” He won’t be cutting back on the real estate business; he willbe adding working hours.

He plans on the two-hour drive from Detroit to Grand Rapids several times a week,to start. “There’s a lot of ‘getting to know each other’ that needs to happen betweenme [and] the staff, me and the customer, and me and the physical plant,” Hoobermansays. “If I went there four or five days a week for the first couple of months, I’ll probablybe going three days a week for a period of time, and then maybe it’ll be two.Between Skype and video cameras and email and computers, I think it will be okayto not be there, assuming everything is running smoothly, on a daily basis.”

He has long- and short-run goals, including a sweeping upgrade of the center.A master plan is being developed to add redemption and improve the snack barand bar.

He expects the Hooberman brand – his effect on the patron’s experience – willlie in getting “closer to the ears of the consumer.” That echoes Voight, who has toldus on various occasions that an independent center can always be run better thana chain unit.

Says Hooberman, “I think the level of customer service will be a little betterunder my stewardship because the boss sometimes has a different opinion than thestaff from their own experiences, and I’ll be much closer and have much morepersonal access to that.”

He thinks he has a good future in bowling. He knows the business from his fiveyears at Royal Oak and he believes his temperament gives him a strategic advantage.

“In general, bowling centers seem to have been built in another era where if youbuild them, they will come. A lot of second-generation bowling center owners stilloperate that way. And that leaves the playing field open for someone who’s goingto market themselves a little smarter and work it a little harder than those that arejust sitting by and waiting for customers to come in the door.”

League bowling may be down, but the market isn’t going away. People still liketo go out and have inexpensive entertainment with the family, he says.

“As much as it may have changed with some of the graphics on the scoring system,it’s still basically the same game. I think people, especially in Grand Rapids, like cleanfamily fun. So I think it’s a solid business. It just isn’t something that everybody does,like they might have done in the ’40s and ’50s.”

Could bowling become more popular as the world becomes more technologicallysophisticated? He doesn’t know but people won’t chuck bowling for bowling videogames. “I hope not, at least. I think there’s a niche for it. Maybe too many lanes outthere, but people still want to go out and bowl.

“I’m open to opportunity. Assuming that the stars align and this [Fairlanes]becomes a profitable investment, I would like to add to the portfolio.” ❖

37IBI November 2010

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USED BRUNSWICK PARTS, A2 parts andassemblies. 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!

Buy or Sell @www.bowlingyardsale.com; one-stopshopping for bowling equipment — fromlane packages to dust mops!

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

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

FOR SALE: 40 lanes Brunswick Frameworxtables & seating; 13 back Frameworxtables, ½ ball racks & shelves; 16 lanesBrunswick Frameworx lower sectionmasking units. All equipment in very goodcondition & in storage. Call Mike C (802)655-3468 for pricing.

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM


CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT WANTED

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

AMF AccuScore XL or BOSS scoring(712) 253-8730.

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.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Complete AMF bin assemblies, 4 years old,all component parts—30 available for$225/each; 2 for $425 each; 3 for $600 each.Call for details. Also 32 BOSS touchscreentable mounted monitor assemblies in goodcondition. (248) 318-3020.

41IBI November 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

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.

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

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.

SE WISCONSIN: 12-lane Brunswickcenter including building, real estate & 7acres. Raised dance floor, grill, pro shop,arcade, tanning room and more.Reasonably priced. Owner retiring.(920) 398-8023.

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.

The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments

Ken Paton(503) 645-5630

[email protected]

I could not have gottenI could not have gottenmy loan without him.my loan without him.

Scott SeachScott SeachBeech Grove BowlBeech Grove BowlBeech Grove, INBeech Grove, IN

ForFLORIDA CENTERS

CallDAVID DRISCOLL& ASSOCIATES

1-800-444-BOWLP.O. Box 189

Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737AN AFFILIATE OF

SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES

FAX YOUR ORDER TO US AT:530-432-2933

Orange County Security Consultants10285 Ironclad Road, Rough & Ready, CA 95975

•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.

•One weekturnaroundon mostorders.

•New locks -All types•Used locks1/2 priceof new

All keysdone bycode #.

No keysnecessary.

LOCKERKEYS FAST!

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEYINTʼL 530-432-1027

818-789-2695SELL IT FAST IN IBI


CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHERN NEVADA: 8-lane center.Only center in town of 15,000. 30minutes from Las Vegas. AMF 82-70s,newer Twelve Strike scoring. R/E leased.Will consider lease/option with qualifiedperson. REDUCED TO $175,000. CallSteve @ (702) 293-2368; [email protected].

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.

43IBI November 2010

CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

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.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: 8-lane centerwith AMF 82-70s, full service restaurant,pro shop. Plus pool tables, Karaokemachine, DJ system. PRICED TO SELL.Includes RE. (217) 351-5152 [email protected].

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.

CENTERS FOR SALE

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.

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.

CENTERS FOR SALE

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.

(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



CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM

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.

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.

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.

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 November 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.

MECHANIC WANTED

Mechanics – AMF 82-70s in Kentucky &Indiana. Call Dennis (502) 722-9314.

"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


46

REMEMBER WHEN

ope! Heartache!Triumph! And youthought bowlingwas undramatic!

With 1,360,000 bowlersin ABC membership and363,000 in WIBC, the gamemust have provided manymore high feelings thatseason, 1948-49.

The bowlers cavortedfor a seven-page specialon bowling in the April 12,1948 Life that included theinevitable sections onbetter technique andchamp bowlers. Life calledAndy Varipapa the bestbowler in the world. ❖

H

1948-49

IBI November 2010

Documents

IBI November 2010