Gold Medalist Takes Silver in Retailer of Year Awards

Birmingham, AL – The Alabama Retail Association (ARA) in cooperation with the University of Alabama at Birmingham today recognized 12 outstanding Alabama retailers as “Retailers of the Year.” The presentations were made at The Club in Birmingham during UAB’s 2008 Retail Day Luncheon. This marked the ninth presentation of the Retailer of the Year Awards since 1999.

Homer G. Brown, president and general manager of BumperNets Inc. (bumpernets.com), a table tennis and game table sports store in Hoover, received the Silver Award in the “Annual Sales Less than $1 Million” category. Brown’s 19-year-old executive assistant, Joseph Cole, nominated his boss for this prestigious award.

In the worst year to date for the game table market, this Riverchase Galleria standout saw a 7 percent sales gain and showed a profit. In the past year, the store nearly tripled its square footage – 2,100 to 6,200 square feet – in its fifth move since the business first opened in 1999. Every move in the business’ nine-year history has been to a bigger location.

From L to R: Robert Linthout, Vice President Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce - Homer Brown, President Bumpernets - Bill Powell, Executive Director of Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce

The independent panel of judges who chose the Retailer of the Year finalists noted that BumperNets is more than a retail establishment; it is a destination and an experience. Customers can play games, take lessons with a professional or play in tournaments right inside the same store, where they can buy pool, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, shuffleboard or stick hockey tables. There is a table tennis tournament every Friday night and a pool tournament every Thursday night. According to the latest standings posted on the store’s Web site, the players don’t just come from Hoover. Most recently, they came from as far away as Montgomery and Tampa, Fla.

The fun doesn’t stop with table games, the store also has the latest arcade machines, jukeboxes, board games and even dart boards for sale. If you can play it, BumperNets sells it and Brown is right there helping customers find the product that’s right for them.

From L to R: Adam Brown, Homer Brown, Judy Brown and Joseph Cole.

"I'm trying to exceed the customer's expectations as much as I can," he told a newspaper reporter last year. "I'm a customer-oriented type of guy. I still have a burning desire every day to be in the store to meet and greet the customers."

Brown got into the business because he wanted to make a living doing what he loves, playing table tennis. He has been a National Senior Olympics gold medalist in table tennis for the singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories in his age group. Now, he encourages young players. BumperNets sponsors Cole in pool tournaments throughout the Southeast. He is ranked third in the country for billiards in the 19 and under age group. Brown's son, Adam, who co-manages the store with his dad, was a national table tennis champion at age 8.

What’s next? Brown’s goal is BumperNets franchises in malls throughout country and he is trying to bring the U.S. National Hall of Fame for the sport of table tennis to BumperNets.

“Homer Brown is a retailer of the year EVERY year to his employees and the Birmingham metro area,” said ARA President Rick Brown.

---

BUMPERNETS TO OPEN NEW STORE IN THE RIVERCHASE GALLERIA.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Homer Brown
President
BumperNets Inc.
Work (205)987-6262
Fax (205) 987-6262

BumperNets President and General Manager Homer Brown announced today September 14th that he has signed a new lease to take the former large Nascar Silicon store that is situated in the lower level of the Sears Wing.
The store is actually directly across from the existing BumperNets and projected plans are to close down Sunday September 30th and reopen in the new store within a day or two. BumperNets has been in this mall for about 7 years and in it's current location for over 5 years. Both the mall management and BumperNets felt it was a great opportunity to take this location because of the larger size and it has an outside entrance for the customers. BumperNets has outgrown it's existing location and is a very popular store because customers can play or buy in the store. Customers can play in tournaments, rent game tables, have a party or run a corporate team building event at BumperNets.
However, the best part of BumperNets is the fact that you can buy quality billiard tables, ping pong tables and other game tables at very competitive prices. BumperNets is there for the "Beginner to the pro" and it has professionals to help the customers buy or give them tips and lessons.

Mark Sullivan & Homer Brown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Homer Brown
President
BumperNets Inc.
Work (205)987-6262
Fax (205) 987-6262

BumperNets awarded the prestigeous 2004 Horizon Award

On Friday January 7th 2005, BumperNets was awarded by Sporting Goods Business Magazine with the 2004 Horizon Award for retailing innovation.
Sporting Goods Business has been the industry resource for comprehensive news and analysis for 31 years.

Sheri Pittman, USATT President & Homer brown

The award was presented to Homer Brown on January 17th at the annual Trendsetter dinner in Orlando. This award is given to an innovative retailer with annual sales of less than $10 million that is selected by a special Trendsetter panel of judges. Other 2004 award winners include; Dick's Sporting Goods, Asics, The Finish Line, and more.

Mark Sullivan of SGB said: "BumperNets has created an exciting retail environment that draws people into their store, and more importantly, into their activities. They have created an innovative concept and proven to be good marketers, as well. We applaud their innovation and are proud to recognize them with this award."

BumperNets was created in 1999 as America's 1st Table Tennis Store by Homer Brown, owner and three times National Senior Table Tennis Gold Medalist.
BumperNets is located in the Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Alabama and will be celebrating 6 years of business this August.

---

ARTICLE
PAUL BERGOFFEN & BUMPERNETS

Paul Bergoffen, “Ping”, at age sixty-two is picking up the paddle again and teaming up with BumperNets!
Ten minutes…thirty minutes…an hour? How long can you play ping pong without giving up? Roommates Paul Bergoffen and Robert Petrovic (Bergy and Pet), from Springfield College, pondered this question and eventually decided to test their abilities. However, they didn’t want to try anything without knowing what had been accomplished before them. The existing record was sixty-two hours of continuous play. After learning this, they decided on a goal of sixty-four hours, but at the time didn’t know how hard it would be. Twenty-one and up to the challenge, they began planning what needed to be done to make it official.

Many people were eager to help. The event was sponsored by World University Service while the school’s physiology department conducted tests along the way. From blood tests to urinalysis and even grip strength exams, everyone wanted to be sure Pet and Bergy were not only up to the challenge mentally, but held up physically as well. Staff members were in place for the entire event to retrieve and immediately replace any missed balls so that the boys didn’t get to stop. Even the school marching band offered to drop in occasionally to play for the crowd and to keep the boys excited and their adrenaline pumped.

To most people, ping pong is a game played in the basement no matter what your size. But to anyone taking the game seriously, it can become a sport and an excellent form of workout as well. In order to play with endurance and accuracy, the eager boys had a lot of work to do. Training required them to practice, loose weight, and get in shape. After hours of preparation, the big day finally arrived. Students dropped in throughout the day on Friday before heading home for the weekend. Many of them probably wondered if the enthusiastic boys would still be standing there when they returned (or if they would be quite so enthusiastic).
Time passed slowly, the only interruption being their periodic testing.

Every four hours privacy curtains were drawn around Pet and Bergy for quick bathroom breaks and more testing. The boys quickly began to feel the effects of the event. After thirty-eight hours Pet and Bergy each considered giving up, but remembered the many people that were counting on them. Even with the pain and swelling increasing in their legs and arms, the boys kept one goal in mind – to finish.


At 2:00 am on Monday morning, they heard the applause. The sixty-four hours had come and gone, and a well-deserved standing ovation greeted Pet and Bergy. Dark rings and wrinkles were evident around the now reddening eyes. Everyone knew that what these guys needed was rest. After sleeping a full fifteen hours, they silently decided not to touch a ping pong paddle for a long time, even though they couldn’t escape the nicknames, “Ping” and “Pong”.

Now over 40 years later, Paul Bergoffen, “Ping”, at age sixty-two is ready to pick up a paddle again. He’s teaming up with BumperNets, “America’s First Table Tennis Store”, to get back into the sport of table tennis.

BumperNets
2000 Riverchase Galleria
Birmingham, AL 35244
Phone: 205-987-2222

BUMPERNETS SPONSORS A WINNING TEAM
On the morning of May 1, 2004, the players and spectators of the 2004 Alabama State Championships of table tennis traveled to the Anniston Army Depot to participate in what turned out to be an amazing event. The event was sponsored by BumperNets of Hoover, Alabama. The sponsorship couldn’t have been more appropriate since BumperNets is "America’s First Table Tennis Store" which is located in the Riverchase Galleria mall.
Auburn graduate Adam Brown, sponsored by BumperNets, earned his way to number one for the second time. In 1999 at age 18, Brown became the youngest Alabama player ever to win the title. Now age 23 and five tournaments later, he still holds the record, but you can bet he struggled to keep it. This year he played seventeen year old David Landry in the finals to win the gold and take the state title.
"I knew David (Landry, 17) was gunning to be the youngest winner. But winning it myself was one way to ensure that record stands for at least another year," Brown tells us. "I was hitting it pretty good today. He seemed nervous and missed some shots he usually hits."
It comes as no shock that Brown plays so well. He has received personal, one-on-one training in table tennis as long as he’s been walking. His father, Homer Brown, currently holds the record for the most consecutive U.S. Open National Championships ever played – 35 and still counting! Homer and Adam both represent BumperNets when they attend tournaments around the country. Each of them come home with medals every time.
These players are only a few of the champions sponsored and coached by the professional staff at BumperNets. BumperNets in the Riverchase Galleria gives daily lessons to any player, whether the goal is to learn the rules of the game, to learn the proper techniques of playing, or to learn how to conquer your opponent. Either way, BumperNets goes the extra mile to ensure you play to your best ability.

Read the editorial about BumperNets in Sporting Goods Business Magazine.