Bowling
Shifting Pin Production to Contract Manufacturer Offers Market Advantages for Brunswick Bowling
LAKE FOREST, Ill., Jan 14, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
announced today that it is shifting bowling pin production from its Antigo,
Wis., facility to a contract manufacturer, resulting in the immediate closure
of the Antigo facility. Brunswick Bowling & Billiards is a unit of Brunswick
Corporation (NYSE: BC).
"The marketplace has evolved, and the industry has more capacity to
provide pins than it can support," explained Warren N. Hardie, president of
Brunswick Bowling & Billiards. "By utilizing contract manufacturing,
Brunswick will be able to better focus its efforts on serving customers in the
global bowling products market."
Brunswick has chosen QubicaAMF to make Brunswick's full line of bowling
pins at the manufacturer's plant in Lowville, N.Y. "As such, we will continue
to provide our customers with a dependable supply of high-quality pins built
according to our exacting specifications," Hardie explained.
Hardie added that Brunswick Bowling & Billiards expects that this action
will be largely transparent to customers, as Brunswick will continue to offer
both its Brunswick and Vulcan brands to the worldwide bowling center market.
It also will continue to offer a full line of equipment for bowling center
construction and upgrades as well as full lines of consumer and aftermarket
products for the bowling industry.
The closing of the Antigo facility will result in the elimination of
approximately 70 positions. Antigo employees were informed of this action
today, and will receive severance and other benefits. The company will be
meeting with local union bargaining agents to determine those benefits for
union members. Further, Brunswick will continue to pay employees for the next
60 days, even though the plant will be immediately closed, allowing employees
to focus their energies on finding their next job, if that is what they so
choose.
Closing the Antigo plant is expected to result in charges of approximately
$4.5 million in 2008.
About Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Brunswick Bowling & Billiards is one
of the largest operators of full-service bowling and family recreation centers
in North America; is a full-line supplier of bowling equipment, supplies and
consumer products, and designs billiards tables and accessories. For more
information, visit our Web site at http://www.brunswickbowling.com.
SOURCE: Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
http://www.brunswickbowling.com
