IBPSIA Spotlight
Mark Buffa with Buffa Distribution, Canada
August 2022
By Matt Cannizzaro / Josh Blanchard
As IBSPIA continues to grow, we have members all over the globe and are excited to be adding new members to our organization.
Every month, we want to feature one of our members and hear more about life and business in his or her part of the world.
August brings us one of our most loyal and tenured members, Mark Buffa from Canada.
He is the CEO of Buffa Distribution, which is based in Quebec, and a graduate of Wichita State University.
Buffa gained his passion for bowling from his father, Frank, who started Buffa Distribution in the early 1990s. Before that, Frank Buffa opened his first pro shop in the basement of his home to help serve members of the Canadian bowling community who needed a bowling ball drilled.
Fast forward 30 years, and Buffa Distribution is the largest distributor of tenpin and candlepin products in the entire country of Canada.
The younger Buffa also has enjoyed success on the lanes as a nine-time member of Team Canada, and his resume includes a coveted 300 game at the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
His wife of 10 years, Caroline Lagrange, who also works for Buffa Distribution, is a nine-time Canadian national champion, five-time Canadian Female Bowler of the Year and a two-time QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup winner.
Q: What does being an IBSPIA Member mean to your business?
MB: We have become who we are in this industry thanks to the knowledge we’ve gained from IBPSIA. Through training, seminars and network of top pro shop operators worldwide, we have been able to learn a ton over the years.
Q: What is your favorite part of being in the bowling industry?
MB: The fact that bowling has so many hidden features. Not too many people know the intricacies of bowling – from the physical game to the mental side to the technical side, with balls and layouts. It is a very “underground” type of sports, and that is what I love explaining to the non-bowlers. It gets them interested every time.
Q: In your free time outside of bowling, what hobbies to you enjoy?
MB: Today, it is “dad time” with my kids. Either going to events with them, learning new sports, learning instruments or just spending quality family time. Also, Spectre Bowling has grown substantially over the years, and it is a great side project that helps keep me busy.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best tool invented that has moved the pro shop industry forward and helped you most in your line of work?
MB: I’m biased on this one, but our application, Spectre Bowling, has really helped so many pro shops worldwide. The future is bright because we are just getting started!
Since I teach HOTS classes, I made sure to include a lot of automation in the software. My favorite is the oval calculator and the auto-suggestions. It makes teaching the classes that much easier and also makes data entry that much quicker.
Q: What is one tip you can give future bowling coaches/instructors that can help them become better?
MB: Learn as much as you can from the best in the business. The bowling world is very inclusive. The top professionals in their space will make time to help you and already have a class scheduled you can attend.
Every time there is a trade show in your area, go, ask questions!
If you have the luxury of going to the ITRC (International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas), Kegel (Lake Wales, Florida) or other training facilities, squeeze in time for a lesson. They are not that expensive.
If you are attending Bowl Expo, add a class to your schedule. It’s worth the extra three days, trust me.
We want to thank Mark for his time in answering this month’s questions.
We also want to thank Mark and Buffa Distribution for all they do for IBSPIA and the sport of bowling.
We are proud of our members and encourage them all to work together to share knowledge. It will help make their businesses AND the industry stronger.
To learn more about Mark’s Spectre Bowling Application, please head to IBPSIA Spotlight
Mark Buffa with Buffa Distribution, Canada
August 2022
By Matt Cannizzaro / Josh Blanchard
As IBSPIA continues to grow, we have members all over the globe and are excited to be adding new members to our organization.
Every month, we want to feature one of our members and hear more about life and business in his or her part of the world.
August brings us one of our most loyal and tenured members, Mark Buffa from Canada.
He is the CEO of Buffa Distribution, which is based in Quebec, and a graduate of Wichita State University.
Buffa gained his passion for bowling from his father, Frank, who started Buffa Distribution in the early 1990s. Before that, Frank Buffa opened his first pro shop in the basement of his home to help serve members of the Canadian bowling community who needed a bowling ball drilled.
Fast forward 30 years, and Buffa Distribution is the largest distributor of tenpin and candlepin products in the entire country of Canada.
The younger Buffa also has enjoyed success on the lanes as a nine-time member of Team Canada, and his resume includes a coveted 300 game at the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
His wife of 10 years, Caroline Lagrange, who also works for Buffa Distribution, is a nine-time Canadian national champion, five-time Canadian Female Bowler of the Year and a two-time QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup winner.
Q: What does being an IBSPIA Member mean to your business?
MB: We have become who we are in this industry thanks to the knowledge we’ve gained from IBPSIA. Through training, seminars and network of top pro shop operators worldwide, we have been able to learn a ton over the years.
Q: What is your favorite part of being in the bowling industry?
MB: The fact that bowling has so many hidden features. Not too many people know the intricacies of bowling – from the physical game to the mental side to the technical side, with balls and layouts. It is a very “underground” type of sports, and that is what I love explaining to the non-bowlers. It gets them interested every time.
Q: In your free time outside of bowling, what hobbies to you enjoy?
MB: Today, it is “dad time” with my kids. Either going to events with them, learning new sports, learning instruments or just spending quality family time. Also, Spectre Bowling has grown substantially over the years, and it is a great side project that helps keep me busy.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best tool invented that has moved the pro shop industry forward and helped you most in your line of work?
MB: I’m biased on this one, but our application, Spectre Bowling, has really helped so many pro shops worldwide. The future is bright because we are just getting started!
Since I teach HOTS classes, I made sure to include a lot of automation in the software. My favorite is the oval calculator and the auto-suggestions. It makes teaching the classes that much easier and also makes data entry that much quicker.
Q: What is one tip you can give future bowling coaches/instructors that can help them become better?
MB: Learn as much as you can from the best in the business. The bowling world is very inclusive. The top professionals in their space will make time to help you and already have a class scheduled you can attend.
Every time there is a trade show in your area, go, ask questions!
If you have the luxury of going to the ITRC (International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas), Kegel (Lake Wales, Florida) or other training facilities, squeeze in time for a lesson. They are not that expensive.
If you are attending Bowl Expo, add a class to your schedule. It’s worth the extra three days, trust me.
We want to thank Mark for his time in answering this month’s questions.
We also want to thank Mark and Buffa Distribution for all they do for IBSPIA and the sport of bowling.
We are proud of our members and encourage them all to work together to share knowledge. It will help make their businesses AND the industry stronger.
To learn more about Mark’s Spectre Bowling Application, please head to www.spectrebowling.com
