CONTENTS
VOL 22.4
6 ISSUE AT HAND
30 OPERATIONS
Apple’s Secret
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
Gusher The oil boom is bringing big changes to Williston, ND, and the key people at Million Dollar Lanes describe the new normal.
By Scott Frager
By Fred Groh
8 SHORTS • Pinstripes’ Glowing Opening in Georgetown • QubicaAMF’s CEO John Walker Steps Down • Christine LaValle on board at Intercard, Inc. • Ohio Proclaims ‘Kids Bowl Free’ Kick-Off
THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS Fred Groh Patty Heath Anna M. Littles Robert Sax
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher
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fisher@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
46 REMEMBER WHEN Pabst Blue Ribbon 1942
Compiled by Patty Heath
By Patty Heath
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
12655 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com
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18 CENTER STAGE An Invitation to ‘Play’! At the Broadmoor in Colorado, even the fanciest of guests can enjoy a game of bowling at the resort’s newest attraction.
HOTLINE: 888-424-2695 22
38 Showcase 39 Classifieds 45 Datebook
By Anna M. Littles
22 COVER STORY Good Fortune for Bowling in China With Frank Zhao as an ambassador of bowling in China, we predict good fortune for the industry. By Robert Sax
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On the Cover: Chinese characters on the black bowling ball, left of Frank Zhao, refer to one who is true, realistic and honest. They were handwritten by reformist politician Deng Xiaoping, who led China toward a market economy after the death of Mao Tse Tung.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders. POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, 12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2014, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
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THE ISSUE AT HAND
Apple’s Secret As we transition from winter to spring (for some of us in the West, it seemed like winter never arrived; for some of you in the Northeast, that it never left), the days are getting longer. Our centers are going through transitions, too. We’re welcoming back some of our favorite bowlers–kids. Yes, kids bring an entirely new dynamic, a kinetic energy, to our businesses. And kids, of course, don’t bowl alone. They bring their parents, grandparents and friends, too. Starting with these half-pint guests, we have some amazing opportunities to promote our centers as the place for sport, fun and celebrations! “Hope springs eternal,” according to Alexander Pope in his poem Essay on Man, but we should never rely just on hope as a winning business strategy. We have to have a plan. We have to be smart about converting our customers, young and old, into repeat bowling fanatics. Let’s take a page from computergiant Apple’s secret employee manual, their five-step philosophy on customer service: Approach, Probe, Present,
Listen, End. These five words correspond to five specific steps that employees are trained to lead a customer. By the last step, the customer should feel welcomed, empowered, happy, and eager to return. Any of us who ever walked into an Apple retail store has been treated to this service philosophy, whether we knew it or not. Have you ever seen an Apple employee with a frown? I’m sure plenty of Apple teammates have had bad days. They may feel ill, have had a fight with a friend or family member, but when they put on their pressed colorful shirt of the day, their guests would never know it. And that’s the way it should be. There’s one other important Apple employee trait to notice. Have you ever seen an Apple “genius” who wasn’t passionate about Apple? I can guarantee the answer is a resounding, “No!” These men and women can’t wait to learn more about the products they are selling. They proudly practice and hone their skills, share their knowledge, and strive to be the best at all things “Apple” they can be. Many Apple employees will decide to move on to other careers, and Apple is a temporary step on the ladder of their dreams. However, as long as they are wearing that Apple shirt, they stick to a personal and professional commitment to passionately represent the company and provide outstanding customer care. Every bowling center has an employee manual, too, but does it share the same “secrets” with our employees as Apple does? – SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
4THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com Check out IBI Online’s blog, “Lights Out on January 1st,” placed by NLFXPro. This is just one more way proprietors and mangers can keep abreast of those items that will directly affect their facilities and bottom lines. The phase–out of incandescent lights, based on the 2007 Energy Independence Security Act (EISA), is coming. This overview, including technologies that can span the gap, is a must–read. It is another example of IBI Online keeping people in the bowling industry informed and, hopefully, ahead of the herd. Go online and read this blog. Not a member? Well, become one now! Go to www.bowlingindustry.com and join and learn.
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SHORTS
CORPORATE CHANGES AT QUBICAAMF QubicaAMF Worldwide (QubicaAMF) announced in March that John Walker resigned as CEO, effective immediately. As quoted in a company press release, Emanuele Govoni, executive vice present and CMO, said, “On behalf of the board of directors and shareholders of QubicaAMF, I would like to thank John for his commitment John Walker and contributions to the company over the past 16 years. We appreciate all that he has done and wish him well in his future endeavors.” Walker shared, “This is an appropriate time for me to pursue other opportunities, so I can move forward and the company can
build on what we have already accomplished. I’m proud of the progress and accomplishments we’ve made during my years of service and the product leadership position we’ve taken.” Replacing Walker will be David Roys. Roys’ background includes 20 years of extensive experience in management and financial responsibility in manufacturing operations and high-tech product design organizations. He has a BA in finance and business administration. Pat Ciniello, president of QubicaAMF Worldwide, LLC, stated, “We believe David is poised to continue to deliver exceptional value to our David Roys named customers to grow their business.” new CEO.
FIREMEN AND POLICE BOWL FOR A ‘PRECIOUS CHILD’
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
This was the fifth year that the North Metro Fire Rescue District pitted its best against the Broomfield (Colorado) Police Department. While normally working in concert, on March 9, each attempted to bowl heads above the other, all for the charity A Precious Child. Britta Robinson, associate director of A Precious Child, shared that the bowling tournament is an important fundraiser that allows the organization to provide clothing, coats and school supplies to children living in homeless shelters, foster homes or who otherwise do not have access to basic needs. Last year, in the tournament dubbed ‘Guns and Hoses,’ a record-breaking $10,200 was raised, with the trophy going to the Broomfield Police Department. However, North Metro Fire Rescue enjoyed a two-year winning streak in 2011 and 2012. This year the event, held at Chipper’s Lanes in Broomfield, saw the police department maintain its winning streak and, according to Emily Simones, event coordinator, money collected was just shy of last year’s high. To add to the fun, zany challenges were thrown into the mix. Teams could purchase coupons to use to play tricks on other teams. For example, a coupon could force another team to bowl backwards or don costumes while trying to roll the ball. Police Commander Roger Plunkett said the competition helps strengthen ties between police and fire departments and also strengthens ties within the community. “We have a lot of fun. It’s an opportunity to meet members of the community and local businesses, and each year, we raise a little more money.” Fire Chief David Ramos said, Broomfield police chief Tom “It’s good-natured fun, and [police and fire] get Deland bowls in firefighter gear at Chipper’s Lanes in 2012. to come together for a charity event.”
Bruce Davis of Bowling Business Builders International (BBBI) in Florida has been nurturing the nationallybranded program, Kids Bowl Free, for six very successful years. In 2013, a record 2,086,692 youth were registered and participated in centers all across the country. In December, Davis had an idea to help get the word out to parents and kids that with summer right around the corner, it was time to sign up for the most nationally successful summer program. A request to proclaim the month of June as Kids Bowl Free Summer Kick-Off Month was sent to the governors’ offices in Ohio and Florida. Ohio wasted no time in doing just that. Governor John R. Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor signed the resolution, “whereas” and “therefore” making the KickOff starting June 1st as legitimate as possible. The sport of bowling has always been closely aligned to its cities and neighborhoods. Centers across the U.S. have used Kids Bowl Free to garner even more bowlers and help parents find a safe and fun summer activity for their kids. Jane Howard of BBBI stated that the Ohio request went very smoothly, and they were looking forward to hearing from Florida soon. Definitely food for thought for other state associations.
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Ohio Proclaims June as ‘Kids Bowl Free’ All Summer Kick-Off Month
GOODWILL CENTRAL
SHORTS
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Thunderbird Bowl in Grants, NM, in conjunction with the Grants/Milan Rotary Club, raised $10,000 for the Grants Community Food Pantry with a bowl-a-thon in January. Friends and neighbors in Endicott, NY, came together at Ideal Bowling Center to help a man with a rare type of cancer. In October, Todd Stempel underwent surgery to remove multiple tumors from his pancreas, liver and stomach. While the prognosis is good, travel expenses to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the inability to work have taxed the family. Raffles, a bake sale, face painting and bowling helped round out a great afternoon. Children and adults with disabilities in Illinois benefit greatly from HorsePower Therapeutic Riding Inc., which offers riding lessons. To help in its efforts, a sold-out fundraiser was held at St. Charles Bowl in St. Charles, IL. Proceeds, which reached $11,000, will go toward equipment and a scholarship fund. Seedlings Braille Books for Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the opportunity for literacy by providing high-quality, lowcost Braille books for blind children, held an event at Plaza Lanes in Plymouth, MI. The goal is to help place Braille books into the hands of blind children locally and around the world. Jeffrey Saulton, Parkersburg (WV) News and Sentinel, wrote, “Bowling and the symphony came together to make beautiful music at Emerson Lanes for the West Virginia Symphony LeagueParkersburg’s Bowling Ball IV fundraiser for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.” Concerts are paid for by donations and grants and are greatly helped by such activities. Wisconsin likes its community fundraising about as much as it likes its bowling, and it does a lot of each! Below are some Wisconsin center activities: As Amy Eswein, league coordinator at Bowlmor Lanes in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, says, in regard to the center’s fundraising, people like to bowl, especially when they’re bowling for something, and late winter is a very busy time for this community-involved center. Owners Jeff and Kathy Ruebl keep their 12-lane center jumping with local charity events. One of several is the Safe-Sleep program which raises funds for the purchase of safe-sleeping equipment for local children. This year, the Ruebls added a nationwide organization to the schedule, Rapid Search & Rescue. An 8-pin tap, 2-day tournament will direct proceeds to sending volunteers to become certified in search and rescue techniques, SARTECH, through the National Association for Search and Rescue and FEMA. Local crime-fighters assembled at Skipp’s Bowling Center in Stevens Point to aid Big Brothers Big Sisters of Portage County for the 33rd annual Bowl for Kids Sake. The superhero theme brought out hundreds of people dressed up as their favorite superhero. In late January, Strikes for Hope charity bowling tournament was held at Classic Lanes in Menomonee Falls. The proceeds will benefit cancer research. This is the sixth year the Ellenbecker brothers, Brian and Dave, have hosted the event.
April 2014
A MIXED BAG FOR THE COMMUNITIES OF MOORE AND NORMAN HeyDay Entertainment Center in Norman, OK, will be sprucing up its facility by about $9 million! The renovation will include 24 bowling lanes. There will be adult bowling on a new, 28,000-square-foot second level along with an upscale lounge. The downstairs, cafeteria-style restaurant will be transformed into Revolutions, a more intimate café setting. The employee count will go from 45 to 125. The Brunswick facility, designed by Shane LaBeth of Cornerstone Architecture in Moore, will triple the space and increase the seating capacity from 135 to 450. The anticipated opening is fall 2014. In neighboring Moore, 10 miles and 17 minutes from Norman, AMF Moore Lanes is being shuttered. Jon Fisher, former general manager, said, “I won’t cry—I’m too much of a macho guy, but it’s a sad feeling.” He noted that other businesses in the area were reopening or rebuilding. Bowlmor AMF, owners of the tornado-damaged center, decided not to reopen. The parent company sold the land to a group of investors. According to NewsOK writer Brianna Bailey, the deed to the property stipulates that a bowling center cannot be rebuilt on the land for at least 20 years after the sale. This is a common measure Bowlmor AMF takes to prevent creating new competition in the market. HeyDay co-owner Brad Little said he and his partner, Trey Bates, had been researching the bowling entertainment model for two years. When the tornado last May wiped out AMF Moore Lanes, their plans expanded. “We were thinking about building before the tornado but not to this scale,” Little said. Little is chairman of the board for the Moore Chamber of Commerce. He is hoping that HeyDay will bring the two communities of Norman and Moore together.
SHORTS
BOWL FOR THE CURE IS ONCE AGAIN A WINNER
SHORT SHORTS Scholarships
February was designated as Bowl for the Cure month. It is also a year-round fundraising and breast cancer awareness initiative sponsored by USBC and The Bowling Foundation in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Since Bowl for the Cure’s inception in 2000, people from across the country have hit the lanes to raise over $10,000,000. The foundation is the world’s largest grassroots organization of breast cancer survivors and activists.
Applications are now available for IBMA’s 2014 Chuck Pezzano Scholarship award. Up to three scholarships per year may be awarded to a high school senior, vocational or college student based on the applicant’s credentials. The requirements for eligibility and an application may be found on the website, www.bowlingmedia.org under ‘IBA Scholarship.’ The completed form must be returned and postmarked no later than May 21. For additional information contact Mary Lynly at lynlymary@surewest.net.
Bowland Centers and Susan G. Komen make a great team
30 States and Counting
Bowland Centers of Southwest Florida proudly presented a check for $19,300 to the local office of Susan G. Komen, the largest, nationwide fundraiser for breast cancer. The money was raised during the Feb. 9th Bowl for the Cure event staged at three centers: Lisa Ciniello, owner of Bowland Beacon Bowl, Naples; Centers; Patty Robinson, GM HeadPinz, Cape Coral; and at Beacon Bowl; and Charlie Myrick, E.D. of Susan G. Bowland Port Charlotte. This Komen of SW Florida. was the 6th annual event and was attended by more than 225 bowlers. Congratulations for efforts well done!
A Yummy Fundraiser
Louisiana’s Holiday Lanes Steps Up to Help “Roll to a Million” This was the third year that Holiday Lanes in Bossier City has participated in Bowl for the Cure. The center’s efforts, labeled “Roll to a Million,” not only supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation by netting $3,300 during the Saturday, Feb 15, event but created community fun in the form of raffles and a silent auction, which included bowling pin art from local artists.
GSLBA Rolls for The Cure Utah’s Great Salt Lake Bowling Association hosted its 12th annual Bowl for the Cure at Bonwood Bowl. Over the years, the association has donated more than $155,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Utah Affiliate. 12
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Natalie Savant, whose goal is to bowl in 48 states, hit number 30 in February while bowling in Little Rock, AR. Nine-year-old Natalie has been traveling and bowling to raise awareness for junior bowling. You can keep track of this young ambassador on Facebook at Natalie’s Striking Summer.
Mary Lynly, president of California Bowling Writers and chairperson of the IBMA Chuck Pezzano Scholarship Program, has recently published a cookbook—over 100 pages of tried–and–true recipes that her family and friends have used and loved for years. She is selling it to benefit the scholarship fund and honor Chuck Pezzano. A presale, $20, with pick–up at the USBC Convention in Reno, is now in progress. If shipped, add $7.50; for more than one book, add $2.00. For additional info or to send check, mail to: Mary Lynly, 403 Larkstone Court, Roseville, CA 95661.
PEOPLEWATCHING Intercard Inc., offering cash management solutions for the amusement industry, announced the hiring of Christine LaValle as sales and marketing manager. She brings 15 years of sales, marketing and real estate experience. In her new position, her responsibilities will include coordinating the efforts of Intercard’s global sales team and Christine LaValle directing the company’s marketing campaigns. “We’re very excited to welcome Chris to the Intercard family,” said Scott Sherrod,CEO. “Her wealth of experience in sales and marketing will play a critical role as Intercard looks forward to introducing new products and breaking sales records across the globe.” LaValle and her husband, Brian, reside in Millstadt, IL, with their four children.
SHORTS
IN MEMORIAM The BCA of Ohio shared the passing of Harry M. Wells, 85, on March 18. Wells was a stalwart supporter of bowling. In 1963 he opened Suburban and Gala Lanes and held the reigns until 1991. During his stint as a bowling proprietor, Wells actively promoted the bowling business, serving as president of BCA of Ohio and then BPAA president from 1982-84. While BPAA president, Wells oversaw the creation of a long–range–planning committee that had four major objectives: leadership, marketing, image and financial programs. In 1982, BPAA membership topped 4,006 centers with 86,089 lanes and by November, 1983, over 90,000 lanes. Wells participated in the ribbon-cutting for the National Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis in 1984. In 1993, he was honored with the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal and inducted into the BPAA Hall of Fame. He remained active in bowling throughout his life and was co-founder, past champion and director of the Bill Rahm Invitational Bowling Tournament. At the time of his passing he was involved with the Crawford County Humane Society. Wells is survived by his wife, Nancy Schaaf Wells, three children and eight grandchildren and numerous great–grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son David. With his love of animals, contributions to the Humane Society serving Crawford County would be appreciated. Cards and letters of condolence may be sent to: Ms. Nancy Wells, 621 Myers, Bucyrus, OH 44280.
DON LOWRY LANES Kokomo, IN (32 Lanes)
IT ALL COMES TOGETHER AT PINSTRIPES IN GEORGETOWN The newest attraction at the 33-yearold Georgetown Mall in Washington D.C. is another Pinstripes from CEO Dale Schwartz. The 32,000-square-foot complex provides a unique combination of bowling, bocce, and Italian bistro.
The opening was held in early February, and, although Pinstripes caters to all age groups, Paul Mazurski, one of the managers, said that opening weekend drew a solid crowd of college students and young professionals. Besides 14 lanes of bowling and six bocce courts, the venue is rounded out by live entertainment, a full restaurant, an outdoor patio and weekend brunch.
We congratulate David Small on his purchase of this fine center and thank Bob Colburn for trusting us to handle the sale. We wish David and Bob all the best.
Bowling’s Only Full-Service Brokers, Appraisers & Financial Advisors 28200 Southfield Rd., Southfield, MI 48076
(800) 222 • 9131 Check out our current listings at:
www.SandyHansell.com 16
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A very inviting entrance to Pinstripes is at the back of Georgetown Park mall and adjacent to the C&O Canal. Photo by Carol Ross Joynt.
CENTER STAGE
By Anna M. Littles
C
apacious ottomans and plush couches set the tone for a retro-lux six-lane bowling and restaurant addition to the historic Broadmoor Hotel. Built in 1918 by Spencer Penrose, an entrepreneur from Philadelphia and his beautiful wife Julie, the couple set out to create "the most beautiful resort in the world.� History tells us that they modeled the resort after the opulence and elegance they experienced in Europe. Today, that vision stands on nearly a hundred years of history. The Broadmoor Resort Hotel is beautifully situated on 450 acres in one of the most luscious landscapes in America, the breathtaking Colorado Rockies. It sits on the Cheyenne Lake, where three golf courses have been exquisitely designed and carved out in this amazing setting. The rooms in the resort are lovely and welcoming. And there are lodges and cottages for those in search of a longer stay. The best part is that it is all family-friendly. There are tennis courts, spa facilities, great
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CENTER STAGE
Spencer Penrose
Julie Penrose
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CENTER STAGE
Entrance to the lanes.
dining and most recently, the resort's first six–lane bowling alley appropriately named Play. The new addition is divided into three distinct sections. The bowling area and hi-top tables are sectioned off by a glass-enclosed fireplace. On the other side of the fireplace is a lounge area. On the farther side of the lounge are wooden pillars that define the dining room, and adjacent to the dining room is the game room. At first glance, you're impressed with the upscale and formal interior design, and in the context of the Broadmoor's history, the design is perfect. Yes, it's fancy, but comfortable and inviting. The bucolic grounds of The Broadmoor.
The accommodating six lanes can be booked from noon to one in the morning, and are open seven days a week. The restaurant offers a diverse menu ranging from Japanese cuisine to good old-fashioned comfort food. Play has been a great success providing families and children a much–needed place at the resort that invites them to relax and hang out. Even though the setting is formal, the atmosphere is toned down and causal. The gaming room includes brand-new gaming systems such as Xbox, Wii and PlayStation. A new music system provided by Muzak gives the place a cool vibe. Upbeat, pop and disco play during the day. During the dinner hour it changes over to 1950s and swing music. After 11 p.m., alternative music and rock dominate the night and are perfect for that retro-modern feel. The Broadmoor Resort Hotel is definitely opulent and elegant. And when guests need to loosen their tuxedo ties and hang up their gowns, there's a plush new place for them to come together with their friends and family, enjoy great food and have a lot of fun, all while they are at Play. ❖
Anna M. Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer and producer originally from the Bronx, NY, now resides in Santa Monica, CA. You can see her work on YouTube, IMDB, or on her website at www.alittleLA.com.
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COVER STORY
By Robert Sax
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COVER STORY
here were just a few bowling centers in China when Frank Ningbo Zhao got his first job in the business. So the entrepreneur and founder of Longmarch Bowling is as surprised as anyone that he has found success in a country where many millions of people are still unfamiliar with the sport. In 1994 a Taiwanese businessman came to the sports shoe factory in South China where Zhao, a former middle school English teacher, worked in R&D. He was looking for an English-speaking interpreter to work with an American crew installing lanes in his new bowling center. Zhao (pronounced “J-ow”) was hesitant to quit his job and agreed only when the businessman promised him another job if the bowling gig didn’t work out. Since then there have been many twists and turns in Zhao’s career, but he has never looked back. As the American crew built the businessman’s 14-lane center in the city of Dongguan, Zhao literally learned the game piece by piece. When the American crew moved on to Beijing he went with them, managing installation of bowling equipment sold to China by American Bowling Corp. Eventually Zhao started his own installation business, the Shanghai Tonglin Construction Company. By 2000, Shanghai Tonglin had set up more than 1,000 bowling centers in China as bowling boomed there. Zhao recalls that a Mandarin neologism for bowling, “bao ling,” helped promote the sport. The term can be translated as “protect your health” or “gives you longevity,” which attracted people interested in healthful exercise. But a few years later the Chinese economy faltered and the bowling fad headed for the gutters, forcing Zhao to shut down his company. He took two years off to study business in China and Scotland, earning his MBA from Napier University in Edinburgh. He then went to work as a sales manager for Zhonglu, a Chinese bowling product manufacturer. In early 2003 Zhao saw that the closure of so many Chinese bowling centers had created a glut of used capital equipment. He knew that there was demand for used equipment elsewhere, and decided to start a new company, Longmarch Bowling, to sell it in international markets. ‘Longmarch’ might seem an unusual choice of name for a company owned by a young entrepreneur in the less-restrictive economic system of post-Mao China. The “Long March,” one of the most significant events in modern Chinese history, was the two-year retreat of the Communist army during the civil war that began Mao's ascent to power. Although life during Mao’s Cultural Revolution was difficult for Zhao and his family, he finds personal inspiration in the Long March’s participants, who endured many hardships. “I admired the Long March spirit, which I believe is the indomitable and invincible
Zhao’s center in Chengdou.
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COVER STORY
Zhao getting things right in his center in Shanghai.
determination to succeed,” says Zhao. “I was determined to make Longmarch Bowling the best company in the bowling industry.” He would need great determination, because a month after he opened for business the SARS crisis began. The deadly disease originated in South China, where Zhao was located, and many of his prospective customers were unwilling to risk their health and life to check out his stock. The SARS pandemic was not declared over by the World Health Organization until a year later, making Zhao’s first year in business extremely difficult. Fortunately for Zhao, many of his friends and colleagues helped him survive that first year. “Dave Selzler, owner of American Bowling, purchased used equipment from me and introduced me to many people in the bowling industry,” recalls Zhao. Lane maintenance guru Remo Picchietti, whom Zhao assisted with seminars in China in the 1990s, also helped him make industry connections. John Hoge, president of Hoge Lumber, shared a warehouse with Zhao when Hoge was selling bowling lanes in China. Hoge says Zhao was able to see opportunities when the bowling market was collapsing in China. “When other people were taking out pinsetters, he bought them,” says Hoge. “He was conscientious; he would refurbish them and not just repaint them like some people did. He had a good reputation for being able to sell a product and stand behind it. I think that's one of the things that set him aside." Hoge is still friends with Zhao, visiting him at least once a year on business trips to China. Slowly but surely, Zhao built his new business, exporting used equipment to countries in Asia, Europe and South America. He also sent his own crews to handle the installation. John Topping, his teacher from the Napier MBA program, visited China to tutor Zhao’s workers on quality control and sales.
THE ROOF FALLS IN
In 2006 Zhao and a partner, Tom Tan, began a new venture. Tan had been a Brunswick technician and had some experience making bowling balls. They began manufacturing balls in a corner of their used–equipment warehouse, then moved into a larger space nearby. The business was slowly growing, and customers began to take interest. Then in the winter of 2008, just days before a scheduled visit from a major prospect, disaster struck. Due to 26
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an unprecedented heavy snowfall, the roof of the factory caved in, burying the ball-making equipment and two container-loads of inventory. It was time for Zhao and his employees to demonstrate their Longmarch spirit. In just three days they managed to salvage some of their equipment, moving it to a temporary building and restarting production. “When the prospects arrived, they saw the wreck of the original factory and the temporary headquarters,” recalls Zhao. “But I don’t think they really comprehended what we had accomplished.” That company ultimately became one of Longmarch’s customers, though it took a few more years to really crack the market. Longmarch now makes 200,000 balls a year, which represents about 10% of worldwide production. They sell around the world, and are OEM suppliers to such famous brands as Brunswick and Linds. Walter Maurer is the chief operating officer of Linds World Impex, which has been buying house balls and resale balls from Longmarch for many years. He believes Zhao would be successful no matter what he did. “Number one, he really cares about his customers,” says Maurer. “He is customer service personified. He does what he says, and his company makes a very good product." "Number two, Frank went to business school in the West,” adds Maurer. “He understands how business is conducted in the West. That's not always the case with Chinese suppliers."
BACK TO THE ALLEY
With the ball business established, Zhao decided to return to running bowling centers. In 2009 he built a 12lane bowling center in Shanghai, determined to do something different by experimenting with newer concepts he had seen in other countries. Longmarch Cosmopolitan Bowling Centre is located in a sports complex in the Minhang district. Zhao brought in the latest trends, including glow bowling, a light-andZhao’s workers stand outside the ball factory, where the roof collapsed in January 2008.
COVER STORY In 2011 he built an 8-lane center with a bar and billiard tables in Chengdu, the capital of his home province of Sichuan. He also installed a two-lane operation for the owners of a luxury weekend retreat in the countryside. Dave Selzler, co-founder of Bowl Mart, got to know Zhao
Zhao’s Longmarch Bowling Center in Chengdou.
sound system and bumpers, all added to bring in casual bowlers and families. Kids’ birthday parties have become very popular, with parties almost every weekend. More serious bowlers came because he developed a reputation for well-maintained and oiled lanes, not always the case in other Chinese bowling centers. In a particularly bold move, Zhao made the center smoke-free. Chinese consumption of cigarettes is high, and limits on smoking in public places were rare at the time. “I believe it was the first nonsmoking bowling center in China,” says Zhao. Business was good at the center, and in 2012 Zhao expanded it to 24 lanes. When he’s there, he somehow manages to bowl a little himself, enough to maintain an average he says is “a little over 180.” Zhao is also experimenting with several other center concepts.
The concourse at the Longmarch Bowling Center, Chengdou.
while running American Bowling Corp. during the Chinese bowling boom. "He learned the business from the ground up. He loves it,” says Selzler. “When he got back from Scotland with his business degree, he said, ‘I think I want to go back in the bowling business.’ I said, ‘Frank, go get yourself a good job.’ But he didn't pay attention to me, lucky for him."
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COVER STORY China currently has just 6,000 lanes, compared to 9,000 in Korea and 29,000 in Japan. With its huge population and strong economic growth, Zhao and others believe that there is again great growth potential for Chinese bowling. That’s why Zhao has become perhaps the #1 booster of bowling in China. Zhao sees education and organization as the two keys to making bowling a bigger sport in China. He wants to help more people in China learn to bowl and to organize leagues and tournaments. He would also like to train more people to manage bowling centers. Zhao is already doing his part to make the Chinese better bowlers. In 2012 he invited Jerry Norris, a USBC Silver Level coach, to give classes at the Longmarch centers. In December 2013 he brought seven-time Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. to China to hold clinics for 40 top Chinese bowlers including the national team. Williams also played in a tournament against some of those bowlers. “Frank really wants to help with professional bowlers in China; they do have
Zhao (left) with business partner Tom Tan at the ball factory.
because China lacks organizations that could build a strong voice for a bigger bowling business there. He is also working with the Chinese Bowling Association to set up a PBA tour stop in China, and perhaps a China Cup competition inspired by the Japan Cup. Yao Ming, the first Chinese basketball player to become a star in the NBA, is one of Zhao’s inspirations. “Someday a bowling Yao Ming might be born,” says Zhao. “What would the impact be on 1.4 billion Chinese then? And what might a fastgrowing bowling population in China do to the world of bowling?” Zhao’s ultimate dream is to see a Chinese bowling team win medals at the Olympics. Bowling is not
Zhao invited PBA champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. to hold a clinic for China's top bowlers.
some very good bowlers there,” says Williams. “I think he's probably the best vehicle for professional bowling in China. Frank has a passion for bowling and wants to see bowling prosper in China. If they do the right things, bowling could become a huge presence in China, which would be a great thing for the sport of bowling worldwide.” To date, no Chinese bowlers have competed on the PBA tour because there were no PBA bowlers in the country. So in January 2014 Zhao hosted his Pioneer League in which participating bowlers bowled 36 games over three days. Zhao assisted all tournament bowlers who averaged more than 200 with their applications for PBA membership. As a result, the PBA recently accepted membership applications from 13 Chinese bowlers, the first players from their country to join the PBA. China becomes the 27th country represented among the PBA's more than 3,000 members. "Chinese bowlers are very excited about this," Zhao said on BowlingDigital.com. "They are so proud of being a PBA member. They will soon come to play in PBA tournaments. They know they are not isolated any more and some may start to dream to be the first Chinese to win a PBA title." Among Zhao’s other projects is setting up a Chinese equivalent of the BPAA, 28
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Zhao leads a ball production meeting.
currently an Olympic sport, so it’s a big dream. But given enough time and the Long March spirit, Zhao seems capable of accomplishing anything he sets his heart and mind on. ❖
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.
OPERATIONS
A town talks about changes with North Dakota’s oil boom, and a bowling center listens. By Fred Groh
A
ll around the town stretches the vastness of the Great Plains. You drive 112 miles to reach a place with as many people as Minot, 43,000. Half an hour to the nearest human settlement, Tioga or Watford City, 1,400 and 1,800 folks respectively. Williston is in the middle of nowhere, as they say. It is also at the epicenter of the North Dakota oil boom. The average annual wage in Williston is $71,000. If you run a retail or service business and want to be competitive, be prepared to offer $15 an hour to start. Unemployment— what’s that (under 1%)? Restaurants in town close early because they can’t hire enough people to serve the customers, and Wal-Mart is so short-handed they can’t keep the shelves stocked; shoppers buy off the pallets. Think caked dirt, huge pale sky, pumpers and combines, prairie and Main Street, homes going up everywhere. The population inside the city limits was 18,000 in 2012 and three years from now it will be 44,000. Williston, ND, is great copy if you’re in the news business. Ask the writers at The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and many other outlets. 30
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Town and area photos courtesy of Williston Economic Development.
Bryan Goehring is delighted. Not so much because of the news coverage but because business is hot these days at his Million Dollar Lanes, a 24-lane house in town. There isn’t too much to do in Williston, he says, and the nearest bowling center is 45 miles away in Sidney, MT. “We’re damn near as busy now during the summer as we are in the winter,” Goehring reports. “We never used to open the bar until 4 o’clock. Now we open at noon. Open bowling has gone crazy. I’ve had days in the summer before this where we did zero dollars. Open at 10:30 in the morning, close at 10 at night and did zero dollars. Now at any given time there’s 10, 12 lanes going.” nnn
“I would say it started [five] years ago—’08, ’09, right in there,” Goehring tells us from the road in Minnesota, where he’s on a combined business-and-pleasure trip. “We watched it happen. When we moved there in 2000 there were 15,000 people. We had hardly any business. “I’m an old-school bowling guy, and bowling guys just don’t give up, right? So we just built the business, built the business, and took care of bowlers. I knew that if your lanes are empty you’re going to go broke. So we got bowlers in, got people back in, made ’em happy, kept ’em bowling, built the business. The first time I really noticed it [boom] was when I couldn’t find anybody to work our places because the wages started climbing so high we couldn’t afford them.” Goehring employs close to 60, including the bowling center and two other businesses he owns, a 4,500-square-foot liquor
OPERATIONS
Bryan Goehring and daughter Susannah, eight years old.
store and a video store. He is also the owner of four small apartment buildings in Williston and one in Bismarck, the area where om inhe got his start.those years ended with a b At 16, he went to work at Midway Lanes in Mandan near Bismarck. The owner and Goehring’s mentor, Jim Mellon, also owned Million Dollar Lanes 220 miles distant in Williston. In 2000, when Goehring was 26 and Mellon wanted to trim his inventory, he made Goehring a deal for Million Dollar Lanes. “Bismarck and Mandan, that’s a pretty nice area,” Goehring remembers. “Williston was rundown, dirty. I thought, ‘What did I do? Why did I move here?’ I moved for an opportunity to work for myself and run a bowling center and I was hoping that another boom would happen.” He means the ’80s—but preferably with a better outcome. An oil boom in those years ended with a bust in which 5,000 people exited town “almost overnight” even leaving behind their furnished homes, Goehring says. The current boom is frequently dated from 2000 when the Elm Coulee oil field opened in eastern Montana. Williston was well positioned to tap into the same geological formation and the largest town in the vicinity of the best drilling sites. It was the logical place for oil people to settle in, Goehring ventures. Locals, too, got in on the oil rush. Jese Sickler, the mechanic at Million Dollar, grew up in Williston and worked in the oil field for four years. He started as a worm—a go-fer—for $24 an hour in 2006. He moved up fast, transferring to the derricks in three months. “The money here is great. The good side to it [boom] 32
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is people are making money. I grew up in a town of 12,000 before this oil boom. I love that the town is finally growing. I just wish it wasn’t such a mess.” Sickler means, of course, the growing pains. Like traffic. “We’re a town built for 12-, 15,000 and now,” in the city and its service area, “we’ve got 30,000 people.” Draw your own conclusion, as one might say. Or as Sickler does say: “Our traffic sucks.” The new folks come from Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho—especially Idaho, says Goehring. “I think the whole state is there.” Locals sometimes call Williston “the new Idaho,” according to Sickler. The city’s Williston Economic Development office claims 190 new residents a month. “A lot of people are making 6, 12, 20 grand a month,” relates Alex Evanson, manager of the bowling center, who has lived in Williston for eight years. “A lot of them are working 100-plus hours a week in the oil field. A lot of oil field jobs start out at $25 an hour; when you work 100 hours a week, that’s 60 hours of overtime. [I hear that] a lot of people are doing really well because they have low house payments [and] they’re making money hand over fist what they did before.” “The families [of oil workers] aren’t there yet,” Goehring adds. “That will come, I think, in the next few years. The problem is you can’t find anywhere to live, and if you do find somewhere to live, it’s really expensive. You’re talking $1,000 a bedroom now. I want to say 1,500 apartments are going to come on line in the next 30 to 60 days. They’re big complexes, which is a good thing; it needed to happen.” New business at the bowling center slants accordingly. Most of it is from construction workers.
OPERATIONS Likely they escape the Williston prices for groceries and other consumer goods, going the same way as housing. “It comes back to wages,” Goehring says. “I charge way more than I used to. I cannot hire anybody on the lanes for under $12 an hour. Three-and-a-quarter a beer—which probably seems cheap to everybody else, but we’re still in a small community here; we were $2 in 2000. As far as any mixed drink, there’s nothing under $3.50; the top-shelf stuff is $5.50-$7. $3.75 for a game [bowling], $2 for shoes.” Sickler says he hears few complaints about the prices. nnn
“They’re the ones that have the time; they get off at 5 o’clock.” Many oil workers put in as many as three weeks on the job, but then take two or three weeks off and leave town to spend them back home.
A few newcomers in town are less than welcome. “There are a lot of really good people moving in,” says Goehring, but not the “hoodlums,” his word. “Guys who think they can just show up [in town] and they’re going to get a job, and they’re unhireable. They’re drinking way too much or they can’t pass a drug test. They sleep in the park. I’ve had guys walking around our bar taking people’s beer off their tables.” He hired a bouncer a couple of years ago, who evicts four
THE RUSH FOR THE (BLACK) GOLD Williston, ND is 20 miles from Montana and 70 miles from Canada, tucked into the northwest corner of the state. Three miles under the town lies the Bakken Formation of sedimentary strata, including oil shale, which spreads across 200,000 square miles of North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The formation was named for a Tioga, ND farmer, Henry Bakken, after drilling on his land about 30 miles from Williston discovered oil in the formation in 1951. Estimates of the volume of oil (and natural gas) in a field are based on geological discovery and recovery and processing technology. As technology makes deeper recovery or recovery from lower-grade sources possible, estimates rise. As processing know-how grows more sophisticated, estimates can rise again. In a literal sense, technology creates natural resources. In April 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the Bakken at 3.0-3.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil. In April 2013, it upped the estimate to 7.4 billion. In 2011, Continental Resources, Inc., a major developer in the area, projected an ultimate yield as high as 24 billion barrels. Oil companies work the Bakken shale using horizontal (directional) drilling in combination with hydraulic fracturing. Both techniques have been used regularly in the industry 34
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since the 1980s. Popularly called fracking, hydraulic fracturing uses a high-pressure stream of water and sand to crack the oil- (and gas-) bearing rock. The stream opens tiny fissures, up to several tenths of an inch wide, that allow the oil (gas) trapped in the rock to flow back through the pipe and up to the surface. “When directional drilling is combined with hydraulic fracturing some rock units which were unproductive when drilled vertically can become fantastic producers of oil or natural gas,” notes geologist Hobart King (Geology.com). “Examples are the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin and the Bakken Formation of North Dakota.” Fracked wells in the U.S. date from the late 1940s. Currently about 35,000 wells use the technique, reports EnergyFromShale.org. In June 2012, 4,141 producing wells were operating in the North Dakota Bakken, according to the state’s Department of Mineral Resources. An animated map showing the installation of Bakken wells from 1985 through 2010, and their concentration in the Williston area, is posted at http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/images/2011.1 1.02/Bakken.gif.
OPERATIONS people in an average week. Crime statistics for the town vary considerably depending on the source but aside from numbers, some locals feel less safe than they used to. Sickler is among them. “Just last week, we have a laundromat that is just across the street two buildings down. Some guy stabbed the guy there, ran over here, hid his weapon in some guy’s truck, and ran into our bar. “The police got him, [but] we can’t let our kids go outside and play anymore without being worried about them getting stolen. We’ve got creepers— you know, people that when you see them you know they’re not right. We can’t even let our wives go to Wal-Mart by themselves.” Sickler hangs on because he has a family of eight, “so I can’t really pack up and leave.” And because he figures that Williston has a future for him. He wants to run Million Dollar Lanes someday. The pace of life has picked up in the town. Between 10 and 30 business jets and other private aircraft use the local airport on an average day, according to manager Steven Kjergaard. Delta and United started daily service last year. Streets are being widened and the city wants to renovate and “revitalize” the downtown. “I hear a lot of people complain, ‘Oh, I want our town back’,” Goehring reflects. “Well, it’s just what happens. It’s how you look at it, and I’m a fan of looking forward, not back.” He thinks the drilling would be shut down “if fracking becomes an issue,” but
says neither preservationists nor environmentalists have a significant presence in the area. “I don’t know about that, all I do is give ’em some bowling, some movies or some beer. The growth can stop, but I don’t see the town going back to little, tiny, 15,000 people that it was.” That’s not resignation speaking about the changes in Williston; it’s optimism. “The state gets a big bunch of money out of this oil. I understand that the last time the bust happened, Williston got stuck with some pretty large bills and this time they really lobbied at the state and said, ‘We need more of this money back so we can build our infrastructure and get this town to where it needs to be.’ “The more people the merrier,” Goehring announces. “It’s going to bring in more retail and turn [Williston] into a community. Now they [will] have the funds available to make the parks nice for our kids, get the streets up to where they need to be. It’s going to make it a really nice place to live.” ❖
Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
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SHOWCASE ENTERTAINMENT LIGHTING
The new Inno Spot Series of LED Moving Heads from American DJ offers a variety of brightness options to fit customers’ needs. All models include 4-button digital DMX displays and 3-pin DMX In/Out, IEC In/Out power daisy-chaining (except INNO Pocket Spot). With four models to choose from, there are applications for any budget. The Inno Spot LED works well in bowling centers for corporate events and mid-size parties. For more info or to order, contact distributor NLFX Pro @ NLFXPro.com or 888-660-6696.
Summit Strategies offers expense reduction solutions. With difficult economic times, guidance in the process or evaluating and restructuring existing leases with your landlords is vital. Let the experts at Summit Strategies help you! Call Andrew Nadler at 240-821-6900 email: anadler@summit-strategies.com or visit www.summit-strategies.com to learn more.
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK FOOTWEAR
BALL RACK & HOOD SYSTEM
Expert Hosiery is a leading specialist in custom-logo and glow-in-the-dark socks. What better way to enhance a birthday party! Orders placed between March 1 and June 25 will automatically be entered in the Expert Hosiery iPad Giveaway to be held at Bowl Expo in June. Check out the website www.funtimefootwear.com for details or call 336-495-9100.
KIDS BOWL FREE MOVEMENT
Summer is around the corner. Bowling Business Builders International, dba Kids Bowl Free®, offers centers a kids’ program for growth and business–building. 1,044 centers registered a record 2,086,692 youth in The Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program in 2013. This program now provides a wide array of year-round marketing help for center operators. To get info on this nationally-branded program call 800-720-0410 or email Jane@KidsBowlFree.com.
HARMONY IN DESIGN
QubicaAMF’s new Harmony Infinity Collection features a series of preconfigured, modular sofa arrangements. Only Harmony allows for onlane re-configurability, allowing centers to transform their settee area at a moment’s notice. Centers will be better able to accommodate different consumer segments by reconfiguring the furniture layout across multiple lanes for small or large groups, parties and special events. Go to www.bowlinginnovation.com to watch the video. 38
OPTIMIZING CASH FLOW
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US Bowling Corporation highlights its Reflections Ball Rack and Hood System. This unique design system holds up to 21 balls, has a durable powder coat finish with optional colors for the hood and rails, and has 2 full inches of clearance for cleaning under the lower rack. It is compatible with all standard power lift systems. For this and other products, visit usbowling.com or call 909-548-0644.
ATM FEE ALTERNATIVE
Buy an ATM and now you’re stuck with higher fees? There is an answer. Credit Card Industry can help you reprogram your ATM. With just a few quick keystrokes, you can save money and receive CCI’s amazing service. Just ask Pismo Bowl in Pismo Beach, California! Call Sargon Givargis and have him walk you through it. CCI has been helping bowling centers for over 15 years. Let them help you today. Call (800) 528-1782.
BIG SUMMER PROFITS
GKM International’s patented Profit Platform® is a modular, portable and storable platform system that is lane friendly and allows bowling centers to stage special events. Last summer, Scores Fun Center in Painesville, OH, showcased local talent using its Profit Platform®. The community bonded, F&B profits soared, new customers were found and all took place during the slower summer months. A crowd of over 400 had a great time and a new business platform was created. Summer is almost here! For more info, email info@profitplatform.biz or call 310-791-7092.
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Automatic Scoring Systems: Steltronic SuperElex w/ flat screens & AMF Excel w/ flat screens. Used lane panels. ZOT reconditioned Gloss Boss. Parts. (719) 2511616 or knotritellc@gmail.com. NEEDING A NEW VENUE? Nightclub entertainment bowling is HOT. COMPLETE 4, 6, & 8 (+) bowling packages with install. See tenpinartisans.com for custom ideas or call (970) 946-9933.
AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
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SEL L
Danny & Daryl Tucker
Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767
Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com
www.tuckerbowling.com
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FOR SALE: 24 wood lanes & approaches in excellent condition; AS-90 scoring system w/ 27 overheads, B/W lower monitors, cameras, front desk POS & back office command network system; Brunswick FrameWorx masking units; 8 Brunswick 2000 ball returns; and 18 AMF 82-70 pinsetters (single board chassis). (419) 227-7231 or email: Westgate@wcoil.com.
CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE See redline-products.com for replacement foul lights. Home of bowlingtrader.com.
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.
MANAGER WANTED Don't miss your chance to grow with an Industry Leader! Looking for Experienced, Service-Oriented General Managers for our U.S. bowling retail center locations. Please check us out at www.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.com for more details on our current openings. Act Now! Apply Today!
POSITION WANTED Seeking GM position or consulting work. Personable entrepreneur with 40+ years experience. Award–winning mechanic, manager and owner. Certified TIPS trainer, ServSafe–certified. Training background in all areas of the business. Resume available upon request. Email: robertedwards56@icloud.com. Phone: (805) 217-9864.
PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair! A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List
Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576
For FLORIDA CENTERS Call DAVID DRISCOLL & ASSOCIATES 1-800-444-BOWL 3800 Lake Center Loop, Suite B1, Mount Dora, FL 32757-2208 AN AFFILIATE OF SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN IBI
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CLASSIFIEDS POSITION WANTED Accomplished District Manager with unique Operational, Team Building/Leadership and Marketing skills seeking comparable position. Very organized, self-motivated, multi-task master with a “can do” attitude. Open to relocation. Johnmillen@optonline.net or (201) 657-4684.
MECHANIC WANTED Full-time Brunswick mechanic for busy center. Must have proven track record. sgroce@nationwidebowling.com.
SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter. 202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
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CENTERS FOR SALE NEBRASKA: 8-lane Brunswick center with bar, game room and restaurant. Active leagues. Call (402) 335-2095. ALABAMA: 30-lane, well-established, profitable center with kitchen, lounge & pro shop. Real estate included. Located in thriving Huntsville. Russ Russell Commercial Real Estate (256) 536-7777. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One of the top five places to move! Remodeled 32lane center. Good numbers. $3.1m gets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828) 253-0362. GEORGIA: Busy 32-lane center, real estate included. Great location in one of fastest growing counties in metro Atlanta. 5 years new with all the amenities. Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.
•One week turnaround on most orders. •New locks All types
AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchange your tired or damaged chassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted and ready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround. Lifetime guarantee. References available. CHASSIS DOCTOR (330) 314-8951.
NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluth w/ large bar, dining room, banquet area. Two large State employment facilities nearby. High six-figure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com. EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-lane Brunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thru liquor store in small college town. Also, 3 apartment buildings with 40 units, good rental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701) 430-1490.
CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE LARRY DOBBS APPRAISALS. (214) 6748187. Bowlingvaluations@yahoo.com. NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s, Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game & pool rooms. See pics and info @ www.visitcolby.com or contact Charles (785) 443-3477.
CENTERS FOR SALE EASTERN OKLAHOMA: Newly remodeled & upgraded 20-lane center with laser tag, large game room and thriving lounge. Option to purchase shopping center available. Owner financing possible. (719) 251-1616.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full-service restaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables, karaoke machine & DJ system. Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 351-5152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net.
SOUTHWEST KANSAS: Well-maintained 8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant. Includes business and real estate. Nice, smaller community. Owner retiring. $212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828. 16-lane center in Southern Colorado mountains. Great condition. 18,000 s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge. Paved parking 100 + vehicles. Established leagues & tournaments. $950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.
ARE YOU A FAN OF BOWLING? www.Facebook.com/BowlingFan
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CLASSIFIEDS
SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849
291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com
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SELL YOUR CENTER
(818) 789-2695
CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE MICHIGAN: Houghton Lake—resort, recreation area. 12 lanes, bar, restaurant, pro shop & liquor license. 17,000 s/f. Contact Ruth Clemens at Coldwell Banker Schmidt, (888) 843-7469 or email: ruth.clemens@coldwellbanker.com. INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMIZING CASH FLOW
Expense Reduction Solutions • • • • • AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@earthlink.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
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DATEBOOK 1-6 PBA Tournament of Champions Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis www.pba.com
28 – May 9 A-2 Pinsetter Training Program Moline, IL Frank Miroballi 540-325-7684 Frankm1441@aol.com
13-15 72nd Annual BBIA Convention Loews Ventana Canyon Tucson, AZ www.billiardandbowling.org
MAY
APRIL
22 QubicaAMF Webinar Series Drive Open Play with Mad Games (NEW) 2:00 p.m. Eastern https://www1.gotomeeting.com/re gister/271995793 22-25 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting Silver Legacy Resort & Casino, Reno www.Bowl.com/convention
1 QubicaAMF Webinar Series Marketing to Teens and Young Adults – BES X 2:00 p.m. Eastern https://www1.gotomeeting.com/re gister/621049192
7 QubicaAMF Webinar Series Better Guest Management with Conqueror Pro (NEW) 3:00 p.m. Eastern https://www1.gotomeeting.com/re gister/780871329
13 QubicaAMF Webinar Series Smart Lane Care. What Every Proprietor Should Know. 3:00 p.m. Eastern https://www1.gotomeeting.com/re gister/749417808
19 Illinois State BPA BOD Meeting Landmark Lanes, Peoria Bill Duff, 847-982-1305 billduff@bowlillinois.com
20 QubicaAMF Webinar Series Drive More Corporate & Group Events – BES X 1:00 p.m. Eastern https://www1.gotomeeting.com/re gister/733612577
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REMEMBER WHEN
1942 I
n 1942, there was an assumption in marketing that people had time to sit, thumb through a magazine, and read the copy. Well, Pabst Blue Ribbon thought so! In this frame-by-frame Pabst Blue Ribbon scenario, that 200 game was right around the corner for Bill once the gang convinced him to relax, enjoy Pabst’s “33 to 1,” and partake of yummy finger sandwiches. Zowie! Bowling, beer and good advice! That’s a Blue Ribbon performance!❖
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