E-dition No. 1,090 • Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
Brunswick Inks 3-Year, Big-Money Agreement With PBA
Brunswick Bowling Products has signed a three-year, multi-million-dollar sponsorship and product registration agreement with the Professional Bowlers Association.
The agreement ensures products for all Brunswick brands will be represented on the PBA Tour, including the Brunswick, Columbia 300, DV8, Ebonite, Hammer, Radical and Track ball brands, as well as Brunswick and Hammer bowling shoes and all of the accessories for the Ultimate Bowling Products and Powerhouse brands.
“The PBA sponsorship was one of our top priorities as a follow-up to the recent Ebonite acquisition,” said Corey Dykstra, Chief Executive Officer of Brunswick Bowling Products. “This multi-year agreement with the PBA confirms our commitment to all of our consumer brands and to growing the sport of bowling.”
The agreement also solidified Brunswick as the “Exclusive Official Capital Equipment and Lane Maintenance Supplier” to the PBA through 2022. As such, the PBA will use Brunswick MAX lane machines, cleaners, conditioners and cloth exclusively on the PBA Tour and the PBA Senior Tour.
In addition, Brunswick also will furnish the bowling equipment for PBA arena events conducted during the next three seasons, including pinsetters, ball returns, Sync scoring systems, and Pro Lane synthetic lanes.
Brunswick will supply MAX crown bowling pins to be used during televised PBA Tour competition, and will be named as the preferred bowling ball brand at PBA Tour pro-am events.
Colie Edison, Chief Executive Officer of the PBA, commented, “We are very excited to continue the long-standing partnership between Brunswick and the PBA. This relationship has been productive for more than 60 years, and we appreciate Brunswick’s tradition of supporting competitive bowling and look forward to continuing to deliver outstanding value to their brands.”
Added Dykstra: “Brunswick Bowling Products was born out of a love for the sport, and nearly 130 years later that passion is still at the heart of everything we do. We are thrilled that the best bowlers in the world will continue to compete using the best bowling equipment.”
Stephens Capital Partners Invests in QubicaAMF
In November 2014, Qubica legacy partners acquired full ownership of QubicaAMF. Since then, the company has significantly increased its annual research and development spending and invested more than $30 million to redevelop and extend its product line, including products such as the BES X Bowler Entertainment System, EDGE String, the Tech Wizard mobile app and HyperBowling.
On Dec. 17, the QubicaAMF ownership group added a new partner as Stephens Capital Partners officially joined the ownership team, investing in the company by purchasing a minority stake.
Stephens Capital Partners is the principle investment arm of Warren A. Stephens family and Stephens Inc., a full-service, privately-owned investment banking firm based in Little Rock, Ark., with offices across the United States and in Europe. Stephens has been in business since the 1930s and has been making private-equity investments for more than 60 years. Stephens seeks to be a passive and reliable financial partner to industry-leading management teams of growing companies.
“Stephens is excited to partner with QubicaAMF. We have spent significant time with [QubicaAMF CEO] Emanuele [Govoni] and the QubicaAMF management team and are impressed with the business and the company’s vision,” said Matt Dement, Managing Director, Stephens Capital Partners. “The passion and vision for product innovation and helping to grow customers’ businesses with new products and technology is unparalleled, and we are excited to support QubicaAMF’s next phase of growth through our long-term partnership.”
QubicaAMF’s recent investments positioned the company to grow revenues by more than 50% since 2014. The company’s workforce has increased from 450 to nearly 600 around the world during that same period. QubicaAMF said that the partnership with Stephens will unlock unprecedented research and development and capital investments so the company would be able to provide centers with the products and technology needed to take their businesses to the next level, helping to ensure their long-term success.
“The technology available today to manage and market entertainment centers and serve and entertain guests is the best we have ever had, but we are just scratching the surface of what can really be done to wow guests,” said Govoni. “Our investments in product innovation have paid off for the success of our customers and the results of our company, but we cannot stand still.
“We are extremely excited to enter this new phase with Stephens, ensuring even more financial strength and support to build the products of today and tomorrow. By investing their own family’s capital, Stephens is able to take a true long-term approach and has no time horizon or exit strategy for their investment in QubicaAMF. Stephens is an ideal partner for us — our cultures, visions and philosophies are so aligned. We are committed to innovate more than ever before, to constantly improve our products and services and to continue to fully earn the trust and support of our customers — continuing to build our futures, together.”
Added Pat Ciniello, Chairman of the Board of QubicaAMF and owner of the Bowland and HeadPinz Entertainment Center chain in southwest Florida: “As an operator, I know there are many challenges that our industry is facing today — a crowded entertainment space, remaining relevant to today’s consumers, providing the service and technology today’s consumers demand in a complex work environment.
“We at QubicaAMF truly want to address the current and future challenges faced by our customers better than ever before, to ensure they can deliver the experience that guests expect and deserve. To do this, we must invest much more in R&D to provide the technology for our customers to take their business to the next level. I am looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Briefly…
* Marianne DiRupo and Patrick Allen have been elected to the USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance. DiRupo and Allen were on the ballot of six men and two women voted on by a national panel of USBC Hall of Fame members, veteran bowling writers and USBC board members. Though each fell short of the required 70 percent of the votes cast, the USBC Hall of Fame Committee subsequently selected the two candidates for induction. More: https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622333998
* The PWBA Regional program will hold a minimum of 10 events during the 2020 season, highlighted by six regionals conducted in conjunction with 2020 PWBA Tour stops. The top 10 regional players will earn a season-end bonus as part of the BowlTV PWBA Regional Cup. Full schedule:
http://www.bowlersjournal.com/pwba-announces-10-event-regional-schedule-to-begin-in-january/
* K&K Bowling Services will be the official pro shop for the 2020 USBC Women’s Championships, part of a three-year agreement that includes having the company also manage the pro shop for the 2022 and 2023 events. The 2020 Women’s Championships will be held at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas from April 18 through July 6. Moe: https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622333995
* This is the final Cyber Report for 2019. We’ll be back on Friday, Jan. 3 with Report No. 1,091. From all of us at Luby Publishing Inc., Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
* 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. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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