Bowls International — November 2017

Aero Bowls UK to close

A

ERO BOWLS in the UK is closing.

UK CEO Ellen Falkner, Sales Manager

Alex Marshall, Sales Executive Jamie

Chestney and Operations Manager Chris

Falkner will no longer have roles as the UK

arm of the company becomes a distributor

model.

A press release issued by Aero Bowls said:

“Aero Bowls Limited was launched in the UK in

April 2013. The brand has gone from zero to

becoming a key player in the UK marketplace

where it has brought more colour and

innovation to the game as well as putting back

into the sport through being the title sponsor

of the Bowls England National Championships

and the sponsor of the Love Fisher Brown

Award. Aero remain the brand leader in

Australia where the bowls are made with ever

increasing sales.

“Recently Aero have announced a change

to the way they will operate in the UK

moving from having their own company to

a distributor based model. The distributor

based model is the model that Aero currently

use in the USA, South Africa, Malaysia and

Hong Kong markets.

“Importantly bowlers will not notice any

difference to how they buy Aero products. The

Aero range of bowls, bags, shoes, accessories

and clothing will continue to be available from

bowls shops as well as online at

http://www.aerobowls.co.uk. with the products

being delivered to your door and in 2018 as

usual ,we’ll be at Leamington with our trade

stand (already reserved).

“What is changing is how the bowls shops

buy the products, instead of buying from Aero

Bowls UK, they will, in future, be buying from

a distributor. They are currently interviewing

potential distributors to handle this very

valuable brand. AeroBowls CEO Walter Jacobs

explains: “For a distributor model to be

implemented, the UK company has to close.

Therefore it has been an extremely difficult

time for our employees.

"As with anything that affects peoples lives,

it is a very emotive subject and in such a small

community as the bowls community, I’m sure

there are a hundred different versions of what

has happened and why.

"All I can say is that I feel for everyone

involved and who worked so hard but I

ultimately have a responsibility to act in the

best interests of the whole business and not

the UK in isolation. The distributor model is

the right model for the UK to take the brand

to the next level and grow the business

further.

“Importantly for bowlers and our excellent

network of bowls shops they can still buy with

confidence and have the assurance that Aero

as a brand will continue to be a major force in

the UK.”

ENGLISH NEWS

20 BOWLS INTERNATIONAL November 2017 http://www.bowlsinternational.com

THE rink of Oxford City and County

bowlers Jan Gore and Philip

Warner and Watford’s Joy and

Brian Hamilton had to show real

determination when they won the

Warner Leisure Hotels Champion

of Champions title at the finals held

over three days at Lakeside Coastal

Village, Hayling Island.

Competing against winning rinks

of bowls breaks held at Warner

Leisure Hotels three indoor bowls

locations, the winners picked up

the £3,000 first prize presented by

Lakeside General Manger Damian

Skelton.

Having eased their way into

the semi final they faced a

formidable rink from Stratford,

skipped by former England Senior

international and over 60’s England

Singles champion Bill Ward.

True to form Ward stormed into

a 7-1 lead and was still ahead 9-

with two ends to play. There was

a glimmer of hope as Warner’s

rink picked up a three on the

penultimate end, and brilliant

leading by Jan Gore, superb

support by the middle two and

nerveless finishing by Phil Warner

saw them snatch a four on the final

end to seal their place in the final.

Waiting for them were twice

previous Champion of Champions

Bristol rink skipped by Gerry

Coffield, who had high hopes

of permanent ownership of the

trophy with a third time win.

Coffield’s easy 15-4 quarter final

win over a previous Champion

of Champions winning rink from

Ampthill was followed by a game

of changing fortunes. At 9-4 down

against a North Wilts team Coffield

played one of the shots of the

tournament when he took out

their shot bowl for a count of five.

Trading shots over the next two

ends they were all square going

into the final end before Coffield

picked up two shots to book their

place in the final.

A tense opening to the final saw

single shots over the first five ends

with Coffield looking the finals

favourite at 4-1 up. But showing

true grit the metronomic drawing

of Gore and skilled conversion

bowls Joy and Brian Hamilton

helped skip Warner turn the

tide and see them home to a

comfortable 10-5 victory.

“We are delighted to win what

is a great competition” said Philip

Warner. “It was a real team effort

and we had to battle through

against very good opposition.”

Warner Leisure Hotels Damian Skelton and Matt

Weston present the winner’s trophy to Brian and Joy

Hamilton, Jan Gore and Philip Warner.

TRUE GRIT WINS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TITLE

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