Brunswick Bowling Rolls Out New Website
“After more than a year of planning and development, I couldn’t be more excited to unveil our new website,” said Jen Waldo, Brunswick Bowling’s Marketing Manager.
“As the industry’s only comprehensive supplier of bowling products, supplies and equipment, it is crucial that we deliver an online experience that exceeds the expectations of each of our unique audiences, while authentically communicating our passion for the sport and business of bowling. Our cross-functional team was able to achieve this by researching consumer trends, embracing the latest technology, and leveraging the Brunswick brand.”
Brunswick’s new website features simpler navigation, easier access to support, an improved mobile experience, and a clean, fresh design that better showcases the breadth and depth of the Brunswick product line.
“We are excited about our new website launch and the robust information it provides for customers, potential investors, distributors, vendors and media to better understand our complete product line and the diverse markets we serve,” said Corey Dykstra, Brunswick Bowling CEO.
The new website speaks to the wide variety of markets Brunswick serves, including bowlers, bowling centers, family entertainment centers, cinemas, resorts and hotels, casinos, and restaurants and bars, among others.
“We’ve redesigned the new website to align with the customer journey,” said Brandon Meigs, Senior Director of Product Management and Marketing. “The hierarchy navigation, site structure, imagery and content underscore the fact that everything Brunswick does enhances the consumer experience.”
According to the company, the website reflects Brunswick’s commitment to developing cutting-edge, best-in-class products and services that continuously re-imagine what the bowling experience is and can be, and solidifies Brunswick’s position as the industry leader.
Visit www.brunswickbowling.com to experience the new website.
Cancer Fund-raiser to Feature HyperBowling
Former Heisman Trophy winner Michael T. Rozier will host a fund-raising event today (Friday, Aug. 31) from 1-5 p.m. at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.
Sun Valley is the first bowling center in the world and one of three locations in the United States to feature HyperBowling, the new bowling experience that has been unveiled by QubicaAMF.
HyperBowling combines all the fun of bowling with video game-like action to deliver exciting entertainment. It features four different games that players can choose to customize their bowling experience.
“One lucky attendee will even win $500 in the HyperBowling Challenge,” said John Losito, owner of Sun Valley Lanes. “This event will be an exciting, fun day benefiting a terrific organization.”
Rozier was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1983 while playing for the University of Nebraska. His charity, the Mike T. Rozier Cancer Foundation, raises funds to support patients and families receiving care at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, part of the Nebraska Medicine Health Network.
The “Help Make a Difference” benefit is open to the public and has a cost of $25 per person to attend. Supporters will have the opportunity to meet Rozier, take a picture with him and the Heisman Trophy, and even bowl with some former Nebraska sports letter winners.
Event goers also are being asked to bring some non-perishable donations to support patients going through treatment. Those who do will be entered into a raffle for prizes.
For event information, contact Sun Valley Lanes at 402-475-3469.
Regional Schedule Set for USA Bowling Championships
The opportunity for teams to earn spots in the 2019 USA Bowling National Championships Presented by Sixlets starts in October with the first of 16 regional events.
Each USA Bowling Regional event will have two divisions, 12-and-under and 15-and-under, with the champions at each regional advancing to the national tournament, which will take place in the Detroit area next July.
The CBS Sports Network once again will televise the title matches.
For a look at the regional schedule, click here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/usa-bowling-national-championships-starts-16-event-regional-schedule-in-october/.
USA Bowling Leagues share a team-based structure, similar to other youth sports, wherein young athletes receive instruction, have regular practice with a coach, and then compete against other teams during a short eight- to 12-week season.
USA Bowling is a product of the Youth Education Services Fund, a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress, and supported by Bowling.com, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.
BVL Will Benefit from PBA Player Fines
The Professional Bowlers Association has announced that the PBA will donate all proceeds from player fine money collected from Go Bowling! PBA Tour and PBA50 Tour competition to the Bowlers to Veterans Link.
Founded in 1942, BVL grants provide arts and crafts programs, music and sports activities, reading materials, board games and much more to help boost spirits and improve morale for veterans while also speeding recuperation for those in V.A. Medical Centers, Vet Centers and State Veterans Homes.
BVL also assists recuperating veterans, veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and aging veterans by giving them an outlet for the joy, freedom and friendship that recreation and sport can bring. Since its inception, BVL has raised almost $50 million for America’s active-duty service members and veterans.
“The genesis of this new annual charitable donation came from conversations with the PBA Players Committee,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “Fines happen. No player wants to be fined, but from now on everyone will know that money goes directly to support the BVL.”
“We’re very happy that the PBA and PBA Players Committee thought of us for this kind gesture,” said John LaSpina, BVL Board of Directors Chair. “The BVL is very appreciative of PBA’s generosity to our efforts because nothing can be greater than supporting the men and women who serve our country.”
PBA incorporates a policy of levying fines for various rules violations. Players can be fined for a number of rules infractions which range from an improperly filled-out recap sheet to unsportsmanlike conduct. PBA will donate funds beginning with those collected during the 2018 season.
PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia, a 14-time PBA Tour and eight-time PBA50 Tour champion, is a spokesperson for BVL and often visits V.A. hospitals throughout the country. After having already started his professional bowling career, Petraglia was called to duty and served in the Army during the Vietnam War from 1967-68.
For additional information about BVL, visit: www.bowlforveterans.org.
CDE Releases Software for 2018-19 Season
CDE Software has announced the latest version of its BLS bowling league software for the 2018-19 bowling season. BLS-2019 provides improvements, enhancements and customer-driven features along with support for USBC, TNBA and CTF for the new bowling season.
BLS-2019 is available in three editions: BLS-2019 Standard and BLS-2019 Professional for league secretaries and league treasurers, and BLS-2019 AutoScoring for bowling centers to integrate with electronic scoring systems.
BLS-2019 supports Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2008.
BLS-2019 software supports uploading league standings and backups to LeagueSecretary.com for the 2018-19 bowling season for free, as well as user websites and Bowl.com. BLS-2019 also can import partial data from the discontinued Perfect Secretary league software, as well as Bowl 101.
Wisconsin State of the Industry: The News Is Good
After bringing four centers into BPAA and BCA of Wisconsin membership in a single week, BCA of Wisconsin Executive Director Yvonne Bennett felt compelled to send a memo to the state association’s leadership and others in the industry.
The memo included Bennett’s view on the evolving industry, and detailed what can be accomplished when a membership development plan is backed by an association.
The addition of those four centers brought BCA of Wisconsin membership to 208 centers.
“Prior to 2017,” Bennett wrote, “the last time our association had 208 members was 1992, when there were probably 100 more bowling centers and bars with bowling lanes across the state.”
The statistic becomes even more impressive when one considers that Wisconsin has lost 14 member centers over the past four years due to the centers closing.
The newcomers to BCA of Wisconsin membership are:
* Bruce’s Bar & Bowl, Valders, four lanes.
* Baugniet’s Badger Bowl, Mishicot, four lanes.
* Lodge 57/ModTruss (a former Elks Lodge), Fond du Lac, four lanes.
* Court Lanes Mill, Milwaukee, 12 lanes.
“The road ahead will not be easy as we continue to see centers close and bowling lanes being removed from bars and taverns,” Bennett cautioned. “But I do see a bright future as new owners come into our industry with renewed passion, energy and money to invest. This year alone, six of our eight new members are new to the bowling industry, having just bought an existing business with bowling lanes.”
To read Bennett’s entire message, click here: https://bcmmag.com/2018/08/25/wisconsin-state-of-the-industry-news-is-good/.
Business Briefs…
* Entries are now being accepted for the 34th annual BJI Bowling Center Architecture and Design Awards. The competition honors both new and renovated centers. To download an entry form with complete guidelines, click here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Bowlers-Journal-International-Design-Awards-2018.pdf.
* A new tenant has been found for the space formerly occupied by a bowling/bar concept called The Goodnight in Austin’s North Shoal Creek neighborhood. The Goodnight closed in May, citing an increase in competition and the inability “to find a solution with the landlord.” Replacing it will be a second local location of High 5, with chef David Hedger handling the menu. Expect chicken fried steak, burgers (both meat and veggie versions), barbecue bacon-wrapped jalapenos with shrimp or chicken, and more. A November opening is planned. Read more about the project here: https://austin.eater.com/2018/8/29/17795994/high-5-bowling-alley-restaurant-bar-west-anderson. Owners Scott and Jennifer Emley also operate the bowling entertainment center at the new TBK Bank Sports Complex in Bettendorf, Iowa, which was featured in the July issue of Bowling Center Management.
* A Woolworth’s department store used to be the place where one could grab a grilled cheese sandwich and a slice of pie after shopping for Brillo pads, six-packs of Orange Crush, sewing goods, toasters and just about anything else you could think of. Today, a former Woolworth’s location in Birmingham, Ala., has been transformed into an entertainment center featuring eight duckpin lanes, The World’s Largest Pac Man, bumper pool, table tennis, arcade games, a photo booth, a creative food-and-beverage program and more. The facility, appropriately enough, has been named The Woolworth. More: https://bhamnow.com/2018/08/30/have-a-ball-playing-duckpin-bowling-at-birminghams-new-social-hotspot-the-woolworth-on-20th-street-south/.
* Speaking of duckpins, Shenandoah Bowling Lanes in Mount Jackson, Va., has reopened with a new owner, Tina Bowman. The former owner, Roland Walters, had operated the center for more than 50 years, and Bowman said she wanted to preserve “everything he had put into this place… and bring it back.” That meant investing primarily in infrastructure, including new electrical kitchen wiring, plumbing and painting. The renamed Tina’s Kitchen will offer finger foods and more upscale selections, as well as beer once the proper license has been granted. “I would like people to step back into time,” Bowman said. “I want you to put your cellphones away. I want you to sit down with your family and talk to each other. I think we’re losing that.” Read more here: http://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/duckpin-bowling-returns-to-reopened-shenandoah-bowling-lanes/article_b2c69921-6188-547c-b461-5bfa156edc7b.html.
* The major storm that hit the Madison, Wis., area earlier this month caused an estimated $1 million in damage to Schwoegler’s Park Towne Lanes. Eating and drinking at the 36-lane facility is scheduled to resume next week, but the bowling lanes will not be ready to go until mid-November, according to the center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/schwoeglers/. “Don’t go looking for another Badger/Packer bar,” one post noted. The storm had the opposite impact on Black Earth Lanes, which has been serving the community of the same name since 1947. The center’s eight lanes and machines emerged unscathed, but the beer coolers and thousands of dollars in liquor and food were destroyed. But by Monday of this week, a limited food menu was available thanks to the time and effort of local residents, which you can read about here: https://www.facebook.com/blackearthlanes/?rf=120859661264407.
* Monday also was re-opening day for Reidsville Bowling Center in Reidsville, N.C., which also suffered storm damage earlier this month. You can view photos of the damage and the cleanup here: https://www.facebook.com/reidsvillebowling/.
* Twin Oaks Lanes in Toledo, Ohio, was destroyed in a fire earlier this month, and a cause has yet to be determined. Threats to burn down the center had been made after the owner, Jeff Kuhnle, had made racist remarks against Muslims on social media. The ensuing uproar culminated with Kuhnle meeting with local Muslims at the center and apologizing. Report: http://www.wtol.com/story/38913030/twin-oaks-lanes-bowling-alley-destroyed-by-fire-cause-under-investigation.
Other News You Can Use…
* Stefanie Johnson captured her first career major championship Saturday by winning the 2018 QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship. Johnson defeated Kelly Kulick, 230-200, in a tightly contested title match at Plano Super Bowl in Plano, Texas, to claim the $20,000 top prize. The finals of the tournament, the third major of the 2018 season, was broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network. Report: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/stefanie-johnson-bags-first-career-major-title-with-players-championship-win/.
* Bowler’s Ed kits, containing curriculum and equipment designed to introduce students to the lifetime sport of bowling, have been awarded to 15 schools and organizations based on submitted applications to International Bowling Campus Youth Development. For a list of recipients and more on the program, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/ibc-youth-development-awards-21-bowlers-ed-kits/.
* Champions have been announced at the 2018 Bowling.com Youth Open Championships, which recently welcomed United States Bowling Congress Youth members to the Dallas area as part of the Junior Gold Championships presented by the Brands of Ebonite International. Details: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/champions-crowned-at-2018-bowling-com-youth-open-championships/.
* The Professional Bowlers Association has announced its 2019 schedule of Go Bowling! PBA Tour events airing on FOX Sports will be open exclusively to PBA members. The exception to the policy will be the USBC Masters, an event that traditionally has included USBC members who may or may not be PBA members. “The return to members-only status for PBA Tour competition is a return to the rules that applied to PBA competition for most of the organization’s 60-year history,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Kirk von Krueger in announcing the policy. “It’s a privilege to be able to compete with and against the best bowlers in the world, not a right. Restoring the original policy is simply a matter of restoring one of the building blocks of the PBA.” More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/pba-tour-tournaments-on-fox-to-be-open-to-pba-members-only/.
* Jakob Butturff, a 24-year-old left-hander with an unorthodox delivery, inserted himself into the PBA Player of the Year conversation Sunday when he defeated Tom Daugherty, 217-182, to win the PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic at Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater, Ohio. Report: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/butturff-enters-player-of-year-conversation-with-fourth-pba-tour-title/.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is pro shop operator Trace Chamberlin. To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2018/8/28/trace-chamberlin-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.
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