PLAY METER: How did you get started in the
business?
LAWSON: Well, I've been in this business since
1943. Actually, it was started in 19M by my uncle
who passed away in 1944. And I iV.lIerited, sort of
speak, half of the business. The ot.her half I had to
purchase at a later date. At that time, I believe we
had some 60 pieces of equipment. It was sort of a
two-man operation, with my wife doing the
bookkeeping, and so I had done a little of
everything from running the route to service to
whatever comes naturally in this business.
PLAY METER: What did you do when your uncle
had it?
LA WSON: Actually, I did not work for him
directly. I was in Jacksonville. We had an arcade
up there, and I was taking care of that. So when he
passed away, I flew down here and took over
running the route and whatever was necessary to
do.
PLA Y METER: So you got in a lot of experience
very early?
LAWSON: Yes, I did.
PLAY METER: Most of your equipment was
music?
LAWSON: That's correct, most of it was. I think,
if my memory serves me correct, probably 70 or 80
percent of it was music at that time. We always did
run heavy on the music end as compared to the
amusement pieces, though right now we're
probably running about 50/ 50.
PLAY METER: It was operated by you ... and your
wife at the time?
LAWSON: No, we had another employee. My wife
did the book work in the office, whatever book work
there was to do.
PLA Y METER: How many people do you employ
now?
LAWSON: We have twenty people on the payroll.
PLAY METER: Okay, and your business has
grown to what size?
LAWSON: We're operating about, oh, I think, a
thousand pieces of equipment now, plus a hundred
or so cigarette machines. About three and a half,
four years ago, we went into cigarettes. And that's
the only vending we're in.
PLA Y METER: How did you happen into the
cigarette business?
LAWSON: Well, really and truly for me, we had
competit ors here in the cigarette business that
were not in the entertainment business. It was
kind of a "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch
yours situation. You stay out of my cigarette
business, and I'll stay out of your entertainment
end." It was that kind of an understanding. We
didn't have a contract to that effect. And besides, I
didn't particularly want to get into the cigarette
vending business. I knew there were a lot of
headaches and a lot of extra footwork involved.
PLAY METER: There's a lot of difference, isn't
t here?
LAWSON: Yes, there is, quite a difference. But
then we had another competitor that came in, and I
lost a very good location. And according to this
competitor, it was allover a cigarette machine. So I
PLA Y METER, August, 1977
said this won't happen to us anymore because I'll be
in the cigarette machine business. At that time we
happened to purchase a very small operator who
had about seven or eight pieces, and then from
there , we just began gradually to move into the
business. We didn't go out and make a big splash.
The cigarette machine business, though, has
carried its own weight as far as purchasing
equipment and that type of thing. Of course, our
service is all intermingled; so I really don't know
what is involved there, but the cost of purchasing
this equipment and keeping up with the inventory
has carried its own weight.
PLAY METER:
Would you say it's been
profitable?
LAWSON: Yes, I would say it's been profitable. Of
course, if I didn't think it was, I would get out of it.
PLAY METER: And now that you're a thousand
pieces, what is your percentage of music to games?
LAWSON: Well, we're still running about 50
percent, 50 percent music. We run right at that. I
know that about 45 to 50 percent of my income is
derived from music.
PLAY METER: So you have a very substantial
music route then?
LAWSON: Yes.
PLAY METER: All different types of jukeboxes?
LAWSON: Yes, we operate Wurlitzer, Seeburg,
Rock-Ola, and Rowe-AMI. We have not purchased
any of the foreign -made phonographs, as of yet,
mainly because of the distributorship. We, of
course, depend on our distributors for service. If
we can get the service, then we're interested in
purchasing the equipment. I happen to believe that
some of these other manufacturers have very good
pieces of equipment, from the knowledge I have
been able to obtain throughout the country. But
the service is the only reason we haven't purchased
any of the other equipment.
PLA Y METER: And you buy, not just from one,
but several other distributors, is that correct?
LAWSON: Yes, I never purchase from just one
distributor. I like to buy from all the distributors
for a number of reasons. I believe you may be able
to get a little better price, if you've got a bargaining
point. Of course, when we buy now, we try to buy
in volumes so we can get volume discounts. So
many times it depends upon the distributor on what
phonograph we buy. That's not so true in the
games.
PLA Y METER:
The games you approach
somewhat differently?
LAWSON: Well, yes, to a point. Now, of course, if
you're buying in volume, there are also so many
occasions where you can get a discount. It depends.
The distributor is just like any other businessman.
If he is overloaded on a certain piece of equipment
and needs some ready cash, he is willing to discount
it. So we take advantage of that when the
opportunity presents itself.
PLAY METER: Okay, now what about your
Do you find that it is seasonal?
business.
LAWSON: Well, our year is seasonal, though not
nearly so much as it was five years ago. We are in
what I guess you would call a country operation to
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