posted 07-10-2004 02:29 PM                    

quote:

---

MANITOWOC — Joe Bauknecht believes his $2 million purchase of the downtown Strand Theater Friday is good news for his company and Lakeshore area movie fans.

“Now, the distributors won’t be able to play me off against Bob (Johnson). Everything in this business is driven by dollars and the movie companies want every dollar they can get,” said Bauknecht, who with his wife, Sally, also owns Family Cinema on Dewey Street as the initial business entity of the Bauknecht Corp.

Now, Bauknecht owns all 10 first-run screens in Manitowoc County.

Lance Lange owns the budget, second-run, single screen Lakeshore Cinema on Washington Street.

In a February interview of the Lakeshore area’s movie house owners, Johnson cited the competition between the Strand and Family Cinema, which opened Memorial Day weekend 2003.

“Joe and I aren’t going to be enemies at any time, but the film companies will just squeeze us both. We’ll both be paying more for films. It’ll make it tough to make a living in Manitowoc unless 20,000 people move in,” Johnson said. He had owned the Strand for nearly 30 years.

With no competition between Johnson and Bauknecht for prime first-run films, ticket prices should be able to remain at $8 at both the Strand and Family Cinema “for, at least, the time being,” Bauknecht said. Matinee prices at both theaters will stay at $5.50.

The chances are also reduced, he said, that his booking agent will have to accept a film from a distributor with potentially few customers in exchange for preferred booking on an anticipated blockbuster.

“We will be able to keep the good movies longer and won’t have to play some of the less popular films we become obligated to take,” Bauknecht said.

Bauknecht said popcorn, soda and other concessions would be similar at both theaters, in some cases translating into a reduced price or larger size than previously served at the Strand.

He said there would be minor cosmetic changes at the Strand but the most noticeable addition would be cup holders for all the seats in the six theaters, with a total capacity of 1,150. Bauknecht said he wanted to install brighter bulbs in the projectors for a crisper picture.

His daughter, Gretchen Bauknecht, 23, is general manager of Bauknecht Corp., which also on Friday bought Johnson’s three-screen West Bend Cinema for an additional $500,000.

“I’m excited. This opens more opportunities for us. When I’m not working, I like to catch a movie,” she said. “In this area we have a broad market. Sometimes, I help pick out what (movies) may be popular with the younger crowd,” Gretchen Bauknecht said.

Heritage Commercial Real Estate’s Kevin Neelis, Bill Illgen and Corey Kornely brokered the total $2.5 million transaction.

Joe Bauknecht is counting down the days until his term as Manitowoc County clerk of circuit courts ends on Jan. 3.

“I won’t miss the budgetary constraints. With your own business, you can do what you want when you know it needs to be done,” he said.

He said Bauknecht Corp. may acquire additional movie theaters.

---