Brunswick Corporation started life in 1845 when John Brunswick decided to form a company that would make billiards tables. Today, Brunswick Corporation owns and operates 105 bowling and entertainment centres and employs over 25,000 people worldwide. Helen Fletcher spoke with Warren Hardie, president of Brunswick Bowling and Billiards and Brent Perrier, president, Brunswick Bowling Products to find out more

JOHN Brunswick moved to the US from Switzerland at the age of 14 and started the Cincinnati Carriage Making Company in1845, with the product line expanding beyond carriages to include cabinets, tables, chairs and then billiards tables.

In1890, Moses Ben Singer joined the company, saw the potential in the then disorganised sport of bowling, and began making wooden lanes, pins and bowling balls. He also played an important role in establishing the American Bowling Congress in 1895.

Instrumental in development

The company then went on to introduce the rubber bowling ball in 1906 and, at the same time, officially changed the company name to Brunswick Corporation. From that day on, Brunswick was instrumental in the development of the bowling sector - it launched the automatic pinsetter in 1956, which not only changed the face of the sport, but the face of the company and also introduced the automatic scorer in 1967.

At the same time, Brunswick entered the bowling retail operations business by taking physical possession of 131 bowling centre as payment for bowling equipment, meaning the Bowling Centre Operations Division was born. Brunswick currently owns and operates 105 bowling/entertainment centres in the US (94), Canada (3), Germany (6) and Austria (2) and serves customers with product in over 60 countries.

Having been involved in the bowling business in one way or another for over 160 years, Brunswick has seen many changes, with the most significant change being the transition from league and organised sport-based bowling to more of an entertainment-based activity. As Brunswick’s Warren Hardie explained: “In the US, league versus casual play went from65 per cent league versus 35 per cent casual in 1984, to a 60 per cent league versus a 40per cent casual split in 1993. Then to a 50per cent league versus 50 per cent casual split in 2000, and to a 40 per cent league versus 60 per cent casual split today.

“Back in the 60s and 70s most leagues were very competitive and people were truly involved for the sport aspect with many participants also bowling in local, state and national tournaments,” Hardie continued. “Today, many people bowl in leagues just for fun and social activity.”

During the 90s, the bowling industry began to re-invent itself, diversifying beyond the traditional bowling alley or bowling centre that most people were accustomed to. Many existing bowling centres added new or upgraded venues, including larger arcades rather than game rooms, sports bars and restaurants rather than lounges and snack bars, adding upscale billiards areas and replacing old meeting rooms and children’s nurseries with modern meeting and party rooms, as well as adding new entertainment options such as laser tag and go-karts.

“Today this transformation can be seen and experienced around the world,” said Hardie. “The traditional bowling centre can, however, still succeed in the right location, but the real growth of the industry consists of multi-venue family entertainment centres, location-based entertainment centres and upscale boutique bowling centres.

“The new businesses we help build today, and the existing centres we help to update, are generally very modern and attractive. As a result, group events, corporate events or parties, and birthday parties are very high growth segments in the bowling industry.”

Cosmic experience

The 90s also saw some significant breakthroughs for Brunswick as a company with the advent of Cosmic Bowling and introduction of Frameworx, an entirely new equipment line for modernising and building new centres. Cosmic Bowling took the game to a different dimension, attracting younger audiences and creating an entertainment/party environment.

"With Frameworx, we were the first manufacturer to recognise the shift from league to open play/entertainment bowling and also the first company to help customers adapt and take advantage of this shift,” said Perrier. “We view Frameworx as the beginning of the industry’s widespread transformation to what it is today.”

Technology has also inevitably brought with it change and developments to the sector and has played a major role in the development of many of Brunswick’s recent products, including Virtual Bowling, which combines the proven popularity of bowling with today’s hi-tech video and simulation games.

“With Virtual Bowling, you still get the fun, physical aspects of real bowling, but when the ball rolls down the shorter lane and enters the virtual world, the reaction and impact of the ball and pins is simulated on a large down-lane screen complete with realistic sounds,” said Brent Perrier. “This is due to advanced technology and no actual pin setting machine, which also makes Virtual Bowling a low maintenance alternative allowing many different businesses to add the attraction of bowling.”

Thanks to advances in technology, Brunswick has also been able to develop the Vector scoring and management system, providing ‘revenue producing solutions’ to bowling centre proprietors and has also been able to improve the technology behind bowling balls and lane maintenance. “We continue to be one of the leaders in bowling ball innovation,” said Perrier. “Resulting in one of the most comprehensive lines of performance balls available. Innovative research has led to many significant advances in cover-stock technology, core designs, manufacturing processes and lab instrumentation."

In 2006, Brunswick brought online, state of-the-art urethane casting and manufacturing equipment to ensure the best performing, most consistent, most durable balls offered. And as for lane maintenance, the Authority22 lane machine provides the accuracy and consistency bowlers expect. The direct-to-lane conditioner application provided by the Authority22 conditioner injectors, leverages fuel injection technology from Brunswick’s Mercury Marine division.

Zone XL

The line between bowling and amusement is, as we know, blurred – so it will come as no surprise to learn that all of Brunswick’s locations include an amusement arcade. The arcades at the Brunswick Zone XL locations consist of approximately 50-70 games, of which redemption makes up 55 per cent, video makes up around 25 per cent, followed by laser tag at around 20 per cent of the total games revenue. Brunswick’s traditional bowling centres offer a smaller version of the arcade with 20-25 games, on average.

“One reason redemption games do so well is due to the Prize Zone redemption stores, which are very popular with our guests,” said Hardie. “Not only can they enjoy the fun of competing against themselves, they have the chance to winsome great prizes by accumulating points on their cards and redeeming them in the stores. We offer anything from bracelets to crock-pots – something for every age.”

In the Brunswick Zone XL locations, the company currently operates all of the arcade machines itself with the exception of two centres, which due to their geographical locations, it works with an outside operator. Companywide, Brunswick operates the machines in approximately 45of the 105 locations.

And for the future?

With this in mind, InterGame asked Hardie what he sees for the future of the bowling industry in relation to the amusement sector. “The two sectors are already benefiting from each other,” Hardie said. “As bowling centres have advanced to FECs and other new business models, the amusement business has done the same. Stand-alone arcades and game rooms are primarily a thing of the past.

"The amusement industry today consists of some of the same business models as bowling – primarily FECs, such as Dave and Buster’s or Gameworks. Therefore, in many ways, we’re becoming one leisure and service-based entertainment segment, where it is just a matter of whether a facility includes bowling as an anchor attraction or not.

“Beyond bowling, the business model is very similar, if not the same. This is evident at the various respective industry tradeshows, with many of the same exhibitors and educational seminar topics offered.

“Bowling centres provide a built-in customer base of families who visit the bowling centre for an overall family entertainment experience,” continued Hardie. “Traditional amusement operators rely on the customer traffic flow of the businesses where they place their games. The FECs and other facilities that offer bowling generally offer exceptionally high traffic flow and in the US, more than 70million people bowl annually and more than 100 million people bowl annually worldwide, which is why at Brunswick Bowling and Billiards, we will continue to provide the leadership that we have for over 160 years, working to help our customers achieve success in their business.”