Iwan Simonis (billiard cloth factory)
| Ivan Simonis
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1680 |
| Seat |
Verviers 
|
| management | Marc Simonis |
| Branch | Billiard cloth manufacturer |
| Website | iwansimonis.com |
| As of May 31, 2014 | |
The Iwan Simonis billiard cloth factory was founded in 1680 by Henri Simonis in Verviers , Wallonia .
history
The early years
The town of Verviers is located in the flat basin of the Weser Valley in Wallonia, Belgium . Thanks to its low lime content, the water was of such high quality that it was particularly suitable for washing wool. In this valley, the medium-sized trader Simonis, who was also known as "le Mercier" ("the haberdashery"), founded a cloth factory in 1680. The company was put on a solid foundation by his grandson Jacques Joseph Simonis (1717–1789). He then named the company after his son Iwan , who was also born in Verviers in 1769 and who later took over the management of the factory together with his brother Jean Antoine Simonis. During this time the company specialized in the production of billiard and snooker towels. In 1799, the Simonis brothers had their weaving machines renewed by William Cockerill, Senior, thereby initiating the industrialization of the European continent.
First and Second World War
During the First World War there was a decline in production due to the war-related scarcity of raw materials, which was compounded by the global economic crisis in the 1920s and in the Second World War . Production was cut back and workers were forcibly laid off. However, at the end of World War II, the company was hit even harder. The Allies accidentally bombed the spinning mill, and so a new factory had to be built in addition to the lower turnover. Simonis was forced to close or sell some departments. These included, among other things: spinning mills, haberdashery, the production of woven garments and the combing, washing and carbonizing of wool.
Mergers and Acquisitions
The company has been operating as a stock corporation since 1922 : Iwan Simonis SA The cloths are produced in various qualities and colors. The constant running properties made these cloths the preferred choice for distributors of billiards tables . In 1961 the company Peltzer & Fils , which had existed since 1785 and had branches in Buenos Aires , Brussels and Czestochowa , was taken over.
In 1982, a fire destroyed the company's archives, so the exact date on which the manufacture of pool towels began is unknown.
The growth in demand for Simonis towels in North America led to the establishment of the subsidiary "Iwan Simonis Inc." in Gurnee , near Chicago , in 2000 . In January 2010, the company moved to a larger manufacturing facility in Libertyville . The Simonis pool cloth is exported from the Belgian production facility to more than 50 countries on all continents.
In May 2012, Simonis expanded its product range and took over the Belgian billiard ball manufacturer Saluc , which is the world market leader in this area with an 80% market share. In 1997 Saluc developed the designer pool table "Fusion Dining Table". In addition to cues and accessories, Simonis offers a wide range of billiard equipment.
Recall campaign
In December 2005, the quality control made mistakes with 300 bales, so that the company saw itself compelled to point out in a press release in December 2005 that the usual quality was guaranteed for the future and that the towels would only be produced at the headquarters.
Anniversaries
In 2005 the company celebrated its 325th anniversary and in 2013 its “third millennium anniversary” (333 years).
Others
Today the company is run by Marc Simonis at its headquarters and is one of the world market leaders .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ A Brief History of Iwan Simonis and Cloth Production in Belgium ( English ) IwanSimonis.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ↑ a b c d A History of Iwan Simonis and Cloth Production in Belgium ( Memento from February 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ↑ Saluc - About us ( Memento from August 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved September 10, 2013.
- ^ Iwan Simonis, Inc - North American Office ( February 9, 2014 memento on the Internet Archive ). Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ Information about the Simonis company and Simonis cloth ( Memento of April 30, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved May 31, 2014.