USBC and Kegel agreed recently to extend their exclusive partnership for two additional years, making Kegel the "official lane maintenance provider" for all USBC tournaments through 2013.

Kegel has provided lane maintenance equipment and supplies as well as technical and on-site support for all USBC championship events since January 2006. This includes more than a dozen tournaments each year from the youth to professional level.

As part of the partnership, Kegel will provide USBC with its latest materials, including lane machines, cleaners, conditioners, cloth and spare parts. Both the USBC Open and Women's Championships will continue to feature the automated Kegel Kustodian Lane Walker.

"Kegel's products and expertise have become great assets to our tournaments, and we're looking forward to continuing that relationship," said Neil Stremmel, USBC Managing Director - National Governing Body. "We have similar goals in mind when it comes to providing a consistent scoring environment and protecting the integrity of the sport of bowling, and working together helps accomplish those goals."

While USBC will have final say on all USBC tournament lane conditions, Kegel will be trusted to provide equipment maintenance and technical support.

"We really feel like this is the perfect partnership, and we are excited about the role our equipment and products will play at USBC's prestigious events," said Kegel President Chris Chartrand. "Our commitment to the sport is to promote fair play and consistent lane conditions, and we hope our knowledge and experience in this area will help in the success of the USBC tournaments."

Kegel recently signed a similar agreement with the World Tenpin Bowling Association to provide lane maintenance for all WTBA World Championship tournaments through 2014. WTBA has been using Kegel equipment, chemicals and technical staff during its events since 1995.

Kegel was founded in 1981 with the primary goal of helping bowling centers operate with fewer problems. For more than two decades the company has been studying all the variables surrounding lane conditioning and expanded to several product divisions with more than 120 total employees.

The company's home base is a 72,000-square-foot facility in Lake Wales, Fla., where it does all of its manufacturing, quality control, software development, chemical production and packaging.