win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!  (Read 37479 times)

3835

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 736
Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« on: November 15, 2019, 06:25:56 PM »
No joke. Can’t believe it. More details to come. I heard it earlier and thought my friend had the info reversed. Made a call and I am floored.

 

hammerj

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 94
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #31 on: November 16, 2019, 05:03:48 PM »
I throw Ebonite and Hammer balls. But any company that that takes away American jobs is dead to me. Screw Brunswick !!  They will not get one penny of my money.

n00dlejester

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3354
  • The Dude Abides
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #32 on: November 16, 2019, 06:30:12 PM »
IT is what it is, but one note... NotClay, as an American worker whose position was outsourced to India along with my entire department of 192 shot down now to 8, and now forced into early retirement, may I offer a humble and heartfelt SCREW YOU to this global economy mantra. You certainly aren't saving money buying Brunswick, it's going into their profit margin at worker expense. So, from I and my family, get a clue.

For better or worse, American labor is expensive - especially with jobs that can be automated in some fashion. If you don't mind me asking, what did you do that got outsourced?
"This is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules."

waterboy276

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 54
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #33 on: November 16, 2019, 09:45:18 PM »
Can't find a 15 pound purple hammer online anywhere now...  one on Amazon marked up 30 bucks and a few auctions on ebay that's it.

Edit:  Looks like I missed a site or two but they are definitely getting harder to find over the last 48 hours.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2019, 09:59:58 AM by waterboy276 »
Current 'go-to's: 
- Badger Infused 50 x 5 x 30
- Truth Tour 70 x 4 x 70
- Black Widow Gold 35 x 5 x 30
- Eon 70 x 4 x 70

Coming soon:
Volt, Hyroad Nano, Flux

Impending Doom

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6288
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #34 on: November 16, 2019, 09:47:03 PM »
#900global

Come dip your toes in the water. I'll be your tour guide.

ignitebowling

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #35 on: November 16, 2019, 10:50:54 PM »
Can't find a 15 pound purple hammer online anywhere now...  one on Amazon marked up 30 bucks and a few auctions on ebay that's it.

Lefties everywhere are nervous…..
Ignite your game, and set the lanes on fire. www.facebook.com/ignitebowling  or @ignite_bowling

northface28

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3333
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #36 on: November 17, 2019, 06:49:53 AM »
I throw Ebonite and Hammer balls. But any company that that takes away American jobs is dead to me. Screw Brunswick !!  They will not get one penny of my money.

Can I come to your home? I want to make sure everything you wear, drive, and generally use in your day to day life is made in the good ole USA. I’d be willing to bet the very device you posted from is not made in the USA.
NLMB 150 Dream Team
#NoTalking
#HellaBandz

tkkshop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1173
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #37 on: November 17, 2019, 08:32:28 AM »
I believe some are confused on the Made in USA argument. Before this transaction, consumers had a choice of Motiv, Storm, Roto Grip, 900 Global, Hammer, Track, C300, Ebonite for USA brands and Brunswick, Radical, DV8, LaneMasters, Lord Field for non USA brands. Throw is a few private labels and those are our choices. So many choose the made in America option since we actually have a choice. Can you name a phone that is 100% made in the US? I can't, so we don't have a choice. So consumers are still trying to support Made in the USA while they have a choice. Very soon, Motiv, Storm/RG/900G, will be our only options for Made in the USA when it comes to a cheaply made bowling ball. So many will try to support that while we still have a choice.

don coyote

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 584
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #38 on: November 17, 2019, 08:46:35 AM »
Thank you Brunswick for saving the Ebonite umbrella of companies from the graveyard!

I look at things differently after Visionary closed their doors. I wish someone-ANYONE-would have bought them and continued making bowling balls under their name. I LOVED Visionary! I will continue to purchase Ebonite products because I like them. They work for me. The same reason I buy Motive, 900 Global, and some Storm products.

BowlingforSoup

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 391
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #39 on: November 17, 2019, 08:55:16 AM »
Not sure where Waterboy has been looking.Bowlerx.com shows they have 15lb Purple hammers.

bowling4burgers

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #40 on: November 17, 2019, 09:40:00 AM »
#900global

Come dip your toes in the water. I'll be your tour guide.
Thinking again about an After Dark Pearl if they're hardly going to oil the lanes outside 3rd arrow  :P Still wish I could walk into the local pro shop and say "Gimme one ADP, purple" though...
The Future of Bowling: Bowling is a once-popular tavern game played with a heavy ball and ten pins.

Impending Doom

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6288
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #41 on: November 17, 2019, 09:46:29 AM »
#900global

Come dip your toes in the water. I'll be your tour guide.
Thinking again about an After Dark Pearl if they're hardly going to oil the lanes outside 3rd arrow  :P Still wish I could walk into the local pro shop and say "Gimme one ADP, purple" though...

Show your interest! If there is interest, your PSO will stick it!

waterboy276

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 54
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #42 on: November 17, 2019, 09:58:49 AM »
Quote
Not sure where Waterboy has been looking.Bowlerx.com shows they have 15lb Purple hammers

Good catch, could have sworn I had looked there but I guess I missed it.  They are certainly moving quickly though.
Current 'go-to's: 
- Badger Infused 50 x 5 x 30
- Truth Tour 70 x 4 x 70
- Black Widow Gold 35 x 5 x 30
- Eon 70 x 4 x 70

Coming soon:
Volt, Hyroad Nano, Flux

ignitebowling

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #43 on: November 17, 2019, 06:25:36 PM »
If Storm has Tropicals made by Brunswick do you only boycott the ball or the brand?
Ignite your game, and set the lanes on fire. www.facebook.com/ignitebowling  or @ignite_bowling

avabob

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2779
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #44 on: November 17, 2019, 06:49:28 PM »
Apparently all regional sales reps were let go too.  We had a demo day cancelled for today

big_bg

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 131
Re: Brunswick has bought Ebonite!!!!
« Reply #45 on: November 17, 2019, 06:52:42 PM »
https://www.bowlersjournal.com/brunswick-ceo-corey-dykstra-on-ebonite-acquisition/

It is tough for the factory workers who are out of work no doubt. Unfortunately this isn't a made in USA issue it's a bowling popularity and economic issue.The bowling ball market has dropped 20+% while industry pressure to release ever growing number of new balls a year has increased.  So R&D and production costs go up and profitability goes down while the factories aren't operating at full capacity further increasing costs.

Bowling ball prices are relatively set, at all levels of the line the companies are within $10-$15 dollars of each other often at the exact same rate, to my mind there isn't a company that has tried to leverage lower costs to gain market share other than maybe brunswick going on closeout at a much higher rate. It's brutally competitive, how many new releases do people need.

While I get people are frustrated that the balls will be made in Mexico but Brunswick brought certain assets that they thought could add value which were the rights to the brand and some intellectual property. Maybe someone will buy some other select assets of Ebonite including the factory, but my guess is Ebonite had large liabilities that would have to be assumed if Brunswick were to buy the corporation. Why not just buy the aspects you want or have flexibility with rather then unprofitable assets and liabilities including potential debts or legals claims.