Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 - (Page 54)

THE USBC MOVE profit associations, it became apparent that BPAA needed USBC and USBC needed BPAA if each was to prosper in the years ahead. "We've got two Boards that are trying their very best to do something good for the part of bowling that has been dying for 30 years — competitive bowling," Bojé says. "We can do that if we work together. It's not either of the organizations I'm most concerned about; it's competitive bowling." That may explain the sudden urgency behind the melding of the USBC and BPAA staffs, which is expected to begin within a few months and continue in stages into next year for the various USBC departments. As one industry veteran put it, "The longer we wait, the deeper the hole gets." But why was Arlington selected for that melding? Why not Greendale, or some other city? Some would say that Milwaukee typifies the image that bowling has been trying to shake for decades. At the same time, bowling typifies the image that Milwaukee — where the "3 Bs" are bowling, brats and beer — has been trying to shed by embracing such recent arrivals as the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the indoor Milwaukee Public Market and the massive Potawatomi Bingo Casino. Still, Milwaukee's governmental and tourism leaders didn't want to see the USBC go. And when Greendale (population: 13,900) offered "little, if anything," as Bojé puts it, the group known as Milwaukee 7 — representing the development interests of seven counties in the region — stepped in. So did Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who wrote to USBC in mid-February: "We cannot imagine the U.S. Bowling Congress locating its operations anywhere but in the metropolitan Milwaukee area." Added Milwaukee 7 Vice President Jim Paetsch in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report prior to the meeting in Atlanta: "The USBC is a valued regional asset We want them, we value them, and we understand the economic impact they have on this community. We understand the tie there is between bowling and our culture, and we don't want to lose that. And we have acted 54 bowlers journal international APRIL 2008 accordingly We've put together a compelling proposal to keep them here, one that reflects the high value we place upon them. We believe the USBC headquarters belongs in our region." According to reports, Milwaukee 7 offered USBC two proposals, one from the city of Milwaukee and the other from the suburban city of Cudahy, encompassing a total of three sites. > A NEW CEO FOR USBC? < BPAA President Joe Schumacker tipped his hat to the entire USBC Board for "having the courage" to approve the move to Arlington and begin the integration of USBC and BPAA staffing and projects. But he singled — or perhaps that should be "tripled" — out Jeff Bojé, Jim Sturm and Michael Carroll for their efforts "to make sure the USBC Board recognized how important this initiative is for everyone in bowling." Carroll, who served as the first President of USBC, has been the subject of some speculation in the industry. The whispers: that he could be in line to become the new CEO of USBC. "The Board hasn't talked about Michael Carroll or anybody else," Bojé said. "For one thing, you don't change horses in the middle of the stream, and [COO] Kevin Dornberger already has much of the authority of a CEO." Bojé then provided a glimpse into USBC's future when he added, "I'm not sure it's in the best interests of the USBC to even have another CEO. You always want the Board of Directors to be the highest authority, and when you have a CEO, there can sometimes be misunderstandings about who's in charge. The BPAA once decided to use a CEO, and you might recall that it didn't work out too well." The Milwaukee offer would have relocated USBC to a 70,000-squarefoot building in the Airport Commerce Center, with a $7.96 million selling price. The city offered $1.5 million in tax incremental financing assistance, plus $900,000 for site remediation. The Cudahy proposal involved constructing a new 70,000-square-foot building on either of two sites, which would have cost USBC $13.5 million. However, as part of the deal, Cudahy offered $8 million in TIF funds. Each city's offer also included a $300,000 forgivable loan from the state of Wisconsin. Also, USBC was offered a rebate of approximately $30,000 from Milwaukee's convention and tourism agency for hotel room nights that USBC generates in the region. Contrary to assertions that the USBC Board approached its decision with tunnel vision and its eyes focused on Texas, Bojé insists it took the hometown proposals seriously. "Milwaukee was not at all out of the question," he says. In fact, he adds, the Board's willingness to listen to the Milwaukee 7 proposals is what led to the Atlanta meeting. In Atlanta, Milwaukee Mayor Barrett and Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue were on hand, joined by other city officials. Bojé says Arlington and metropolitan Dallas had "similar representation" at the meeting. Call it enthusiastic lobbying or good ol' fashioned mud-slinging, there had been plenty of verbal jousting leading up to the meeting. Barrett took offense, in particular, to one BPAA official's description of Milwaukee as "not a first-tier city." The official says he meant no disrespect, that he was simply comparing the ease of travel into Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport to the more limited flight schedule at Milwaukee's Gen. Mitchell Field. (DFW serviced 699,733 flights in 2006, compared to MKE's 179,001.) "You can have somebody fly into town and criticize the city," Barrett says, "but I'm interested in economic development. To me, this is about 200 jobs." Ultimately, the USBC Board decided to move those 200 jobs to Arlington. In a joint statement, Mayors Barrett and McCue said, "The decision by the USBC to move their headquarters to Texas is a disappointing one. The USBC is a valued regional asset and, as a region, we rose to the challenge and made a compelling case to keep them here." Added Milwaukee 7 Executive Director Pat O'Brien: "The reality is that USBC wanted to join forces with the proprietors' association. It was an internal strategic decision, not just an economic one." Nobody at USBC or BPAA would

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 Contents Leading Off Letters Bowlitically Incorrect Calendar Par Bowling The Coach Frame of Mind Inside Line The Truth Be Bowled Tournaments Pro Bowling PBA Bayer Classic PBA Pepsi Championship PBA Don Johnson Classic Regional Roundup Cover Story Up Close Senior Tour The USBC Move USBC Convention Pattern Play Anniversary Flashback Time Capsule Media Beat No Holes Barred Shop Talk Spotlight Marketplace Hall Marks Profit Prophet Advertisers' Index Classified Advertising Intelligencer Business Calendar Business People Strikes Me

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

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