Wally’s world is bowling and during a bowling industry career spanning six decades, Wally Hall has seen it all. Presently the proprietor of Annapolis Bowl (32 lanes) and Severna Park Lanes (32 lanes), both in Maryland, Hall was also President & CEO of Fair Lanes, Inc. and is a Past President of BPAA. Hall got rolling in the industry in 1958 when he joined Brunswick as one of its first employees in the United Kingdom.
“I like the fact we are all engaged in providing the families in our communities with happy times,” commented Hall. “The folks in the industry are wonderful people — warm, friendly and very supportive. The fact that bowling center operations are a cash business with no accounts receivable or inventories of any great magnitude, and once the business passes the break even point the pre tax margin is very good.”
Hall is also a firm believer in the importance of marketing today.”The successful operation of bowling centers requires that the proprietor always be focused on two primary activities — customer service (retention of existing business) and sales (Development of new business),” Hall remarked. “Marketing is a key component of both of these activities and is growing in importance as the business becomes less dependent on league play and more attuned to open play.”
Kaploe Marketing has been working with Hall and his team for six years. “Kaploe Marketing helps build our business by virtue of the regular meetings we have which enforce a marketing discipline so that we are constantly analyzing our business patterns, addressing the strengths and weaknesses indicated by those patterns and developing action plans to capitalize on the strengths and overcome the weaknesses.
Kaploe Marketing has taken a creative approach to marketing in the 21st century and they are constantly on the cutting edge of understanding trends,” stated Hall.
Wally and his wife Joyce have enjoyed 43 years of marriage.