Page 43 - BCM May 2024

Tyler Jensen Graeme Rose Paul Sylvia
Alex Funk Hans Krol Roberto Simeone
but some are still trending higher, and manufacturers and distributors alike.” bowling business: the proliferation
they are responding to the amount of Sylvia describes the last four years of string pinsetting machines.
business by reinvesting in their centers as “a rollercoaster for bowling, with e number of men and women
in many ways.” 2020 and 2021 devastated by COVID seeking careers as pinsetting machine
at trend was mirrored in Europe and 2022 and 2023 seeing record sales mechanics is dwindling. e average
where, Krol says, “bowling centers are volume.” But that comes with a caveat: number of lanes being installed in
busy and, more importantly, customers “I don’t believe 2022 and 2023 repre- new builds is decreasing, which lessens
are spending money — more revenue sent a sustainable market… so we are the need for full-time mechanics. e
per visitor.” focused on getting back to more tradi- number of parts required to keep free
Adds Krol: “ e recovery after COVID tional sales trends prior to COVID.” fall machines running is much higher
has been remarkable in all European than the number of parts used in
markets, some stronger than others, of The String Era Arrives string machines. It’s a math problem
course. As a result, bowling proprietors Sales trends are all about numbers, that adds up to string machines
started to spend some serious money and an array of numbers are contrib- becoming the choice of more and
in 2023, resulting in a very good year for uting to “the next big thing” in the more proprietors.

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