Bowlers Journal International - February 2008 - (Page 92) STRIKESME BY BOB JOHNSON IS THERE A FUTURE FOR A CRAFTSMAN? For Andy Westenberger, bowling probably won't support his father's lane resurfacing business. AMONG YOUTH-OBSESSED BABY BOOMERS, 50 IS THE new 40. Among fashionistas, red is the new black (this week, anyway). And when it comes to bowling lanes, synthetic is the new wood. Actually, synthetic lanes aren't exactly new. They've been around for three decades, and now outnumber traditional wood lanes by a wide margin. But there are certain pockets of the country where wood continues to hold its own, which is good news for those who make their living in the lane resurfacing business. "In Wisconsin, I'd say the [synthetic-to-wood lane] ratio is about 50:50," says Tom Westenberger of Bowl-Rite Resurfacing, a company based in the tiny town of Butler, northwest of Milwaukee. "We've even done a few wood-lane installations in the last few years, but there's no doubt that the trend is toward synthetics." For Westenberger, that's sobering but not distressing news. In recent years, he has diversified his business to include capital equipment production and installation. So, he and his two full-time employees are busy year-round, not just during the summer resurfacing season. But resurfacers who have not diversified are slowly being drained of their livelihoods. Most new centers being built are equipped with synthetic lanes, and most centers closing their doors have wood lanes. That paints a bleak picture for the wood-lane specialists, and Westenberger, for one, believes it's a shame. "Lane resurfacing is a craft," he says. "I even like to think of it as fine art. But it's also heavy, physical, brutal work. It's something like cabinet making; there are cabinet makers who build cabinets out of just plywood, and there are cabinet makers who use fine-quality hardwoods. I like to think that we're among a select group of elite lane resurfacers because we pay attention to the smallest of details to get the lanes as smooth and consistent from gutter to gutter and foul line to pindeck as humanly possible." That's not ego talking. It's pride. It's a quality Westenberger gets from his father, Herb, who co-founded the company as a retail ball, bag and shoe business in 1958. Herb had been working as a salesman for the Miller Brewing Company, and his partner convinced him that bowling — which was booming at the time — provided a good opportunity to grow a busi92 bowlers journal international FEBRUARY 2008 ness. Herb, who had some carpentry skills, also dabbled in lane patching and board replacement. Sanding was added to the mix when the elder Westenberger bought out a local lane refinishing business from Leonard Gill, who was retiring. Tom Westenberger began working alongside his father at the tender age of 10. "I loved it because I got to spend time with my dad," he recalls. "It was mostly pushing brooms and mops, but I also helped with patching. It helped us develop a relationship that was unbeatable. It was more than just following in his footsteps; it was about being with him." Westenberger left the family business for a short period to pursue a career in aviation mechanics. But when he learned that he'd ultimately have to relocate in order to make a career out of it, he changed his mind. "I'm one of those people who has roots that are too far in the ground to pull out," he explains. He has not regretted the decision. This year, Bowl-Rite Resurfacing turns 50, and through a combination of good craftsmanship and good geography, business remains good. "We have a high volume of bowling centers in a relatively small geographic area," Westenberger says. "We have only a few customers who are more than a two-hour drive away. Some of my friends in this business cover four or five states and drive hundreds of miles from job to job. They might not see home for three or four weeks at a time. We're fortunate that we don't have to do a lot of driving, and we're almost always home on the weekends." During the resurfacing season, Westenberger supplements his full-time crew with a bowling center employee who gets laid off after each winter league season. He also recruits from local high school and college campuses. "We look for people with carpentry skills and a good work ethic," he says. "I go through a little stress each spring when we are trying to find these people, but it always seems to work out pretty well." It helped to have a skilled crew around in 1990 when Westenberger decided to follow in another set of his father's footsteps and build his own home. The centerpiece of the two-story house is a freestanding, spiral staircase that required the bending and curving of laminated wood. One could say it's the very definition of craftsmanship. And speaking of footstep following, Westenberger's 10year-old son, Andy, now joins the resurfacing team on some of its assignments. "He has shown real interest in the work," Westenberger says. "It's kind of like history repeating itself." History is one thing, but is there a future for a 10-year-old interested in lane resurfacing? "I think there will always be a need for tradesmen, no matter what field you're in," Westenberger says. "The summer lane refinishing work will probably continue to diminish a bit each year, and there probably will come a time when the numbers won't justify a full-time approach. But if someone like my son is aggressive enough and willing enough to adapt and expand his skills, then I think there will always be opportunities." For Andy Westenberger, a much more diversified company offering a lengthy menu of services figures to be the "new lane resurfacing business."
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.