Operator opportunities
abound, Collins believes
CO L UMBIA, S.C. - Background
sounds of tanks blasting each other off
a video screen and Japanese " pinballs"
pink·clinking down a butterfly greeted
the over 200 visitors to this year's
South Carolina Coin Operators Associ ·
ation here, the group's most successful
annual meeting yet, according to new
Presiden t· Treasurer Mrs. Helen Sikes
of Galloway Music Co .
"We were really pleased with it,"
Mrs . Sikes, formerly secretary·
treasurer commented after the Feb .
7-9 "Survival '75" business gathering
and trade exh ibition.
Fellow South Carolinian and na-
tional Music Operators of A merica
President Fred Collins Jr. of Greenville
was the guest speaker at the group's
Sunday luncheon, along with MOA
Executive V ice President Fred
Granger. Co llins shared some of his
views about the prospects for the coin
MADAM PRESIDENT, Mrs. Helen
Sikes, manager of Galloway Music Co.
in Columbia, S.C " accepts the con-
gratulatory wishes of outgoing presi-
industry in 1975, noting that the
opportunities to improve technical ser-
vice, equipment stocks and profits are
great this year .
" We can take adversity and turn it
into stepping stones for success," the
youngish Coll i ns told the operators
and distributors who know him best .
The future of the business is not
gloomy, he offered, even though some
parts of the nat ion's economy are
weak . " Business may be soft in some
areas, but we're still making money,"
he added .
"We have an opportunity now that
we haven't had for quite some time,"
he told the coinmen in South Carol ina.
" Right now is an excellent oppor -
tunity to hire people that weren't
available before. There's a lot of good,
ca pable people look ing for stable jobs
out there who want to get on your
dent Kenneth C. Flowe of Greenwood
Music Co., Greenwood, S.C., as she
becomes president· treasurer of the
active South Carolina association Feb.
9.
payroll. I don't know of any layoffs in
the coin machine business. It might be
contrary to what ' s go ing on in the
country in other Industries, but when
it comes to operat ing, we've got a cash
flow.
"So right now is the time to hire
men and train them . I'm talk ing about
taking men who don't know the busi ·
ness and bring them into the business
and don 't go h ire my mechan ics be·
cause I need all I've got," Coll ins said.
A man with little or no knowledge of
the industry, but interested in learn-
ing, can be started at the bottom and
trained in the matter of a year or two
to be a good mechan ic, he said .
" Now 's the time to make our own."
Coli ins also told the conventioneers
that President Gerald Ford's income
tax reform proposals for corporations
could mean a w indfall for operators
"which will turn loose money for
equ i pment replacements." Some of
the equipment pr ices are beginn ing to
trend downward , he added , and if tax
proposals become law, operators may
be able to turn their attention toward
new replacements, rather than repair-
ing old pieces."
The Saturday session of the conven·
tion f eatured a trade exh ib ition w ith
major d istributors from the Georgia-
Carolina area showing their latest
games and phonographs and a few
manufacturers exhibiting the ir new
products .
Off icers for 1975 were selected at
the Sunday bus iness session . B. B.
Baxley of Baxley Music Co . in Barn·
well was chosen first vice president ,
Joel A. Hendrix of State Amusement
Co. in Columb ia is second vice pres i-
dent, and J. B. Broughton of Sumter
Amusements Inc. in Sumter is th ird
vice president . New sergeant·at-arms is
Earl B. Glover Sr . of Connell 's Amuse·
ment Co . in Langley . Outgoing pr es i-
dent Kenneth G. F lowe of Greenwood
Music Co . Inc., Greenwood , became
the chairman of the board and out ·
go ing cha irman A. L. W itt o'f Wi tt
Music Co. Inc., Greenv ille, became
secretary. Both Flow and Witt are also
MOA directors.
We sell strong because
we have a lot to sell
with
KIDDIERAMA.