220:, when AMF automated bowling equipment and bowling centers became profitable business ventures, and in subsequent years into many other manufacturing businesses. Aging production facilities and increasing quality control problems in some product lines caused sales declines in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company's vast diversified output proved difficult to efficiently manage, and the company began to experience losses. Bowling remained quite profitable, however, so the company began a campaign of expansion in this area, spending nearly $ 100 million on acquisitions of bowling centers in 1984 and 1985. In 1985, corporate raider
335:), making it the largest owner and operator of bowling centers in the United States. In the three years prior to the reorganization, AMF Bowling had closed nine owned US centers and 33 leased US centers due to "declining operating performance, unattractive options to renew leases, or an attractive sales opportunity." That left 257 AMF bowling centers in the United States and eight in Mexico passing to Bowlmor AMF at the time of the reorganization.
278:
323:, in 1998 the nation’s three largest league bowling organizations had over 4.1 million members. Just a decade later, membership had declined by 36% to 2.6 million.” To respond to the change in the average bowling customer, AMF constructed nine upscale 300 Centers with “high-end bars and lounges designed with a modern décor” that drew “significant business through group events.” However, the
319:. Today’s typical bowler comes from a broader swath of the middle-class, and is unlikely to bowl in a league. Non-league bowlers bowl less often. And when they do bowl, they expect nicer amenities – automatic scoring, a variety of food and beverage options, and more attractive facilities.” As evidence of the shift, the company noted that, “according to the
521:"Declaration of Stephen D. Satterwhite, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc., in Support of the Debtors' Chapter 11 Petitions and First Day Pleadings (Document 24), Case No. 12-36495, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division"
248:
to bring it out of bankruptcy. The transaction was financed in part by a $ 254 million sale and lease-back of 186 bowling centers to iStar
Financial. Shortly after, the company began shedding its “non-core, foreign assets” to focus on improving the operations of its remaining centers. Fred Hipp, the former
308:
When
Goldman Sachs acquired the company in 1996, its strategy was to clean up purchased properties and create a national chain of amusement complexes. That year, the company bought Bowling Corporation of America from closely held Charan Industries, adding 50 more bowling centers. In that same year it
247:
for the first time in April 2001, stating that it had “overextended itself by acquiring 260 additional bowling centers that it had struggled to manage,” and that the demand for bowling products had decreased. Private equity firm Code
Hennessy & Simmons bought the company in 2004 for $ 670 million
252:
top executive who became
President and CEO in 2004, said the strategy would now be to “bring as much focus as possible to the management of our core U.S. center and bowling products businesses." In 2005, AMF Bowling's products division and Italian-based Qubica Worldwide formed a 50/50 joint venture,
327:
eroded AMF's ability to maintain and enhance its 262 existing US bowling centers and meant that people were bowling less often. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, AMF owned 27 bowling centers, leased 186 bowling centers through agreements with iStar
Financial, and leased 57 under agreements with
260:
AMF Bowling went into
Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in November 2012. In its filing the company cited the challenge of adjusting to “the marked shift in the average bowling customer”. In 2013, AMF Bowling was brought out of bankruptcy through its merger with Strike Holdings LLC (doing
285:
At the formation of AMF Bowling in 1986, Commonwealth
Ventures acquired the 110 AMF-owned bowling centers in the United States and abroad, as well as the 22 centers owned by one of the partners in Commonwealth Ventures, Major League Bowling Corp. Commonwealth then spent nearly $ 500 million
305:, which the year before had been through a leveraged buyout, filed for bankruptcy, and then emerged from it as it struggled to get the cash needed to renovate its centers. The addition of Fair Lanes's 106 bowling centers brought AMF Bowling’s total to 205 centers in the US and 79 overseas.
309:
purchased 43 centers from
American Recreation Centers. In 1997, the company acquired 15 centers from Conbow Corporation. By the start of 1999, AMF Bowling operated 421 centers in the United States, 46 in Australia, 37 in the United Kingdom, and 41 in eight other countries.
129:
393:
In
December 2014, the Qubica original founders acquired the 50% interest held by Bowlmor AMF (Bowlero), bringing the manufacturing and marketing of AMF-branded bowling equipment under the full control of QubicaAMF Worldwide.
356:
used in quantity in the bowling industry. When
Commonwealth Ventures acquired the bowling center and bowling equipment divisions of AMF, Inc. to form AMF Bowling in 1985, its new company was already a major manufacturer of
239:
in November 1997. In 1998 its stock price plummeted as losses mounted, so expansion plans were put on hold. In 1999 the decision was made to downsize. By 2000 the company was more than $ 1 billion in debt and was delisted.
990:
985:
132:
Logo used by newer Bowlero-owned, AMF-branded bowling centers since 2013. Many older AMF centers still use the 1970 "red triangle" AMF logo, sometimes with a bowling-related motif on the triangle.
315:
When it entered bankruptcy for the second time in 2012, the company observed, “In the 1960s and 70s… the typical bowler was a blue collar factory worker who belonged to one or more bowling
606:
544:
196:. Because many of the AMF-branded bowling centers were acquired from other parties, some centers may use bowling equipment manufactured or distributed by other companies such as
231:, paid $ 225 million in 1985 to purchase the bowling center and bowling products divisions, forming AMF Bowling Companies, Inc. (later known as AMF Bowling Worldwide). In 1996
778:
639:
386:
With AMF Bowling's exit from bankruptcy in 2013, the 50% interest in the QubicaAMF joint venture was brought under the control of Bowlmor AMF (now known as
849:
817:
383:
with the AMF logo. In February 2014, the principals of bowling ball manufacturer Storm Products, Inc. made a significant investment in 900 Global.
970:
376:. The partnership combined Qubica's expertise in automatic scoring technology and AMF Bowling's technology in lane equipment and pinsetters.
265:), bringing all remaining bowling centers and the 50% interest in the QubicaAMF joint venture under the control of Bowlmor AMF (now known as
192:
centers where bowling may be purchased per game, per hour, or as part of a birthday party or corporate event package. Many locations support
687:
723:
552:
705:
669:
197:
647:
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320:
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After emerging from bankruptcy in 2005, the company sold its centers in Australia and the United Kingdom in 2004 and 2005.
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The 2013 merger brought the remaining US and Mexico centers under the control of a new entity, Bowlmor AMF (now known as
344:
213:
51:
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235:
paid $ 1.4 billion to buy the company from Commonwealth Ventures. AMF Bowling went public with its listing on the
201:
980:
249:
975:
856:
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488:
236:
940:
406:. In 2017 the company changed owners and was renamed Zone Bowling, or Xtreme Entertainment in New Zealand.
372:
In 2005, AMF Bowling's equipment division and Italian-based Qubica Worldwide formed a 50/50 joint venture,
294:
executive Mark Willoughby to head the bowling center business. Willoughby set out to make AMF Bowling the “
403:
87:
614:
244:
640:"QubicaAMF Poised to Bring in a New Era of Bowling with Fully Invested Qubica Legacy Partners Owners"
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72:
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The company became the largest owner of bowling centers in the US in 1995 with the acquisition of
228:
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184:(some customized AMF-branded bowling balls separately manufactured and marketed by 900 Global).
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427:
366:
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revitalizing the bowling center business with a focus on expanding the appeal of bowling to
111:
437:
324:
221:
189:
796:
316:
287:
193:
170:
964:
779:"AMF Bowling Worldwide Completes Acquisition Of Conbow Corporation's Bowling Centers"
352:, developed in 1951 and first marketed in 1952, was one of the first fully automated
295:
262:
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155:
144:
380:
362:
224:'s Minstar, Inc. bought AMF Inc. and began to sell its various business divisions.
217:
107:
277:
17:
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432:
379:
In 2007, a new company, 900 Global, purchased the rights to sell customized
358:
353:
348:
269:). Bowlmor AMF sold its QubicaAMF joint venture interest to Qubica in 2014.
103:
906:
291:
41:
216:(known after 1970 as AMF, Inc.) moved into the bowling business after
159:
881:
950:
127:
945:
935:
281:
A typical US AMF-branded bowling center that uses AMF pinsetters
227:
Commonwealth Venture Partners, a group of private investors in
545:"AMF Signs Agreement to Sell Its Bowling Centers in Australia"
180:
Worldwide, for bowling equipment manufactured and marketed by
955:
150:
The AMF brand continues in use by the following companies:
402:
For the history of AMF bowling centres in Australia, see
991:
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012
986:
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001
414:
For the history of AMF bowling centres in the UK, see
290:
and casual bowlers. In 1991 the company hired former
797:"AMF Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998"
162:, for the AMF Bowling centers owned or operated by
118:
99:
65:
57:
47:
37:
27:Bowling center operator and equipment manufacturer
907:"Storm Announces Global Investment, New Titles"
458:"AMF Agrees to Offer By Jacobs of $ 24 a Share"
743:"The Big Name in Bowling Is... Goldman Sachs?"
147:and major manufacturer of bowling equipment.
8:
32:
607:"AMF Bowling completes merger with Bowlmor"
539:
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31:
483:
481:
479:
882:"Development of the Automatic Pinsetter"
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511:
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261:business as the bowling center operator
122:Bowling center management and operations
449:
173:, for the AMF bowling centres owned by
850:"FY2013 Audited Financial Statements"
818:"FY2012 Audited Financial Statements"
601:
599:
597:
7:
706:"Fair Lanes emerges from bankruptcy"
634:
632:
578:"The History of QubicaAMF Worldwide"
688:"Fair Lanes to file for Chapter 11"
741:Goldblatt, Henry (March 3, 1997).
646:. December 1, 2014. Archived from
551:. October 19, 2004. Archived from
204:instead of AMF-branded equipment.
61:Assets sold off to other companies
25:
724:"AMF gains control of Fair Lanes"
198:Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
369:, and other bowling equipment.
365:, ball returns, lane surfaces,
110:, ball returns, lane surfaces,
941:Timezone Entertainment website
911:Bowler's Journal International
613:. July 2, 2013. Archived from
321:United States Bowling Congress
1:
936:AMF Bowling Australia website
971:American Machine and Foundry
761:"AMF to Buy Bowling Company"
345:American Machine and Foundry
214:American Machine and Foundry
202:Switch International Bowling
52:American Machine and Foundry
956:QubicaAMF Worldwide website
489:"AMF Bowling, Inc. History"
367:automatic scoring equipment
112:automatic scoring equipment
1007:
114:, bowling center furniture
951:Hollywood Bowl UK website
143:) is a major operator of
250:California Pizza Kitchen
188:The bowling centers are
611:The Wall Street Journal
328:various other parties.
325:Great Recession of 2008
237:New York Stock Exchange
946:AMF Bowling UK website
404:Zone Bowling Australia
282:
133:
88:Zone Bowling Australia
767:. September 12, 1996.
712:. September 21, 1994.
670:"Bowled Over By Debt"
280:
245:Chapter 11 bankruptcy
141:AMF Bowling Worldwide
131:
650:on December 14, 2018
416:Hollywood Bowl Group
243:AMF Bowling entered
175:Hollywood Bowl Group
78:Hollywood Bowl Group
913:. February 24, 2014
676:. February 4, 1994.
493:fundinguniverse.com
388:Bowlero Corporation
374:QubicaAMF Worldwide
333:Bowlero Corporation
267:Bowlero Corporation
255:QubicaAMF Worldwide
182:QubicaAMF Worldwide
164:Bowlero Corporation
83:QubicaAMF Worldwide
73:Bowlero Corporation
34:
785:. October 1, 1997.
765:The New York Times
730:. January 1, 1995.
549:edgewaterfunds.com
462:The New York Times
283:
229:Richmond, Virginia
134:
18:AMF Bowling Center
728:The Baltimore Sun
710:The Baltimore Sun
692:The Baltimore Sun
674:The Baltimore Sun
555:on March 13, 2014
339:Bowling equipment
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16:(Redirected from
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361:, bowling pins,
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222:Irwin L. Jacobs
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915:. Retrieved
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864:. Retrieved
857:the original
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615:the original
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886:Old Bowling
802:February 1,
137:AMF Bowling
48:Predecessor
33:AMF Bowling
965:Categories
783:PRNewswire
644:TalkTenPin
444:References
359:pinsetters
354:pinsetters
349:Pinspotter
303:Fair Lanes
296:McDonald's
104:Pinsetters
92:900 Global
747:CNN Money
433:Pinsetter
398:Australia
66:Successor
422:See also
119:Services
100:Products
38:Industry
917:May 29,
891:May 29,
866:May 25,
834:May 25,
654:May 29,
621:May 29,
559:May 29,
498:May 29,
468:May 29,
317:leagues
292:PepsiCo
208:History
169:In the
154:In the
42:Bowling
288:league
160:Mexico
860:(PDF)
853:(PDF)
828:(PDF)
821:(PDF)
581:(PDF)
919:2018
893:2018
868:2014
836:2014
804:2014
656:2018
623:2018
588:2013
561:2018
528:2014
500:2018
470:2018
343:The
212:The
200:and
158:and
58:Fate
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139:(
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