Brian Hickey, former Director of Quality and Manufacturing at Ebonite International, has been promoted to the company's Vice President of Operations, effective immediately. His new position will add the areas of Materials/Purchasing, Scheduling and Distribution to his current responsibilities managing operations at the Hopkinsville, Ky., plant. Hickey has nearly twenty years of tenure at Ebonite. Over the years, Hickey was a crucial factor in brand acquisition, including Columbia 300 and Track, and the recent move of pin production from Mexico to Hopkinsville.
Kegel has announced the creation of its new division and product line, Kegel Pinsetter Parts, to be launched in spring 2012. Kegel may be known for lane maintenance, but their mission has always been to provide solutions for the bowling industry. Founded by master pinsetter mechanics and continuing to employ many mechanics as sales and technical staff, Kegel has decided to return to their roots, the pinsetter. The first example of their work will be a catalog of 40 common replacement parts for the A2 pinsetters. Kegel is targeting the launch of this new product line for spring 2012.Â
Storm Products, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Master Industries. Located in Irvine, Calif., Master Industries manufactures hundreds of performance bowling accessories including wrist supports, shoe accessories, and pro shop products. The manufacturing plant in Irvine will remain open and operate under the name Master Industries Worldwide. It will continue to produce and grow the current product line.
"I have no special gift - I am only passionately curious". Albert Einstein 
Storm has announced that long-time Ebonite staff member and 2011 U.S. Women's Open winner Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg (pictured with the green jacket and the trophy) is now part of the Storm staff of champions. Leanne joins a well-recognized women's staff that includes Diandra Asbaty, Shannon O'Keefe, Tammy Turner, and others. "I have known Leanne for a long time," commented Chris Schlemer, Storm's Tour Consultant. "It's great to have her and her family join team Storm."
At the end of the 2012 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour, Judy Soutar will be saying good-bye to her fellow bowlers, proprietors and friends after more than 50 years in bowling. In her 52 years in the sport, Soutar bowled as a Brunswick pro bowler for 30 years on the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) tour. She then extended that to 22 additional years as the Brunswick Senior tour representative, including five years on the PWBA tour. 
Storm Products, Inc celebrates twenty years of making bowling balls. High Score Products (HSP) was originally founded in 1985 to sell a cleaner called U Clean/U Score Urethane Bowling Ball Cleaner, but it wasn't until 1991 that an opportunity to make bowling balls presented itself to owner Bill Chrisman. HSP produced their first bowling balls in 1991. In 1994, the company name was changed to Storm Products, Inc. and the company just celebrated its first 20-year employee, Joe Hardy (pictured). 
Storm Products, Inc. and Dexter Bowling have announced an official partnership to create a new line of licensed Storm footwear. Under the agreement, Dexter, makers of the world's #1 bowling shoe, will design and manufacture a new line of performance and athletic footwear for Storm; the first-ever footwear line for the market-leading ball, bag, and accessory maker.
Ronnie "Country Boy" Russell (pictured) is ready to plow over the competition as the newest pro bowler to join the DV8 pro bowling staff. Russell, a right-handed bowler, who was ranked 15th on the 2010-2011 PBA Tour, is a native of Marion, Ind. Among his accomplishments, Russell had three top-ten finishes during the
2010-2011 season and cashed in 9 of 12 events. The 31-year-old joined the PBA in 2003 and has four PBA regional titles and seven career PBA 300 games.
Phil Hulst of the Netherlands will become the new face of DV8 bowling, the new bowling brand that was introduced by Valcke Services in August. The 21-year-old joins world and European champion Gery Verbruggen of Belgium, Dutch national team members Wendy Kok and Nicole Sanders as well as French international Thierry Sacco as Valcke staff player.
The United States Bowling Congress and Kegel agreed recently to extend their exclusive partnership for two additional years, making Kegel the "official lane maintenance provider" for all USBC tournaments through 2013. Kegel has provided lane maintenance equipment and supplies as well as technical and on-site support for all USBC championship events since January 2006. 
Bol Cariari, a 20 lane state-of-the-art bowling center (pictured right), has opened its doors in July 2011, in Heredia, Costa Rica, becoming the biggest bowling center of the country. Located 10 kilometers north of the country's capital, San José, Heredia is a city located in the Heredia province of Costa Rica and is the capital of that province. The 32,290 square feet facility set new standards for bowling entertainment in Costa Rica.
Ebonite International, Inc. has announced the appointment of X Shop Bowling S.R.O. of Prague, Czech Republic, as an Authorized Distributor for all Ebonite brands. X Shop will carry a large inventory of the entire Ebonite International line: "X Shop is the organization that we have been seeking in this exciting new bowling market to bring our brands to the market in the Czech Republic," said Mike Quitter, Vice President of Ebonite International.
Ebonite International, Inc, the world's largest manufacturer of quality bowling balls, has announced the appointment of a new Authorized Distributor to serve the growing bowling market in Poland. GeMax Bowling Company, founded in 1993, has become the largest force in Polish Distribution with services to include Pro shop supplies, new center construction, lane maintenance supplies and equipment, and service parts. GeMax currently distributes all major independent bowling brands.
In a dramatic come-from-behind victory, Miley Cyrus (pictured) has secured her induction into the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame. Thanks to overwhelming support from her fans, Cyrus secured 42 percent of votes cast during the month-long race to be voted into the Celebrity Wing of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. For the second consecutive year, fans were empowered to vote for their favorite celebrity nominee at GoBowling.com.
Kristina Frahm of Oswego, Ill., who helped the University of Maryland Eastern Shore win a pair of NCAA Women’s Bowling Championships and a USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships title as part of her four-year reign as a collegiate All-American, has been selected as winner of the Professional Bowler Association’s 2011 Billy Welu Scholarship. Frahm, who recently graduated from Maryland Eastern Shore with a 3.955 grade point average in earning her degree in accounting, is headed to Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md., this fall in pursuit of her MBA. 