Billiard, bowling, precision ball, trackball & Fusion tables The Aramith legend : the Belgian billiard balls manufacture LEGE ... NDARY REPUTATION Without being familiar with the industry, very few would guess that nearly 80% of the billiard balls used worldwide come from a small village in the countryside of Belgium. For over half a century, the company SALUC SA has produced in the secrecy of its premises in Callenelle the unique and well-known Aramith phenolic balls, making this miniscule village the world’s capital of billiard ball production. But how did a company in a region not precisely dedicated to the sport of billiards, come to such an involvement? “Saluc was established in nineteen twenty-three and was at the time specialized in the manu- facturing of synthetic tannins in Callenelle, supplying to about forty tanneries in the area,” said Curt Bossuyt, CEO. “After the Second World War, the quasi-total disappearance of this industry in the region and the tough competition of some chemical giants progressively compromised Saluc’s activ- ities and forced the company to look for alternatives.” THE KEY FACTOR: PHENOLIC RESIN Based on its chemical know-how in the manufacturing of phenolic resins, Saluc detected a valid opportunity in the conversion to making billiard balls. “This choice had two reasons,” said Bossuyt. “The phenolic resin features excellent physical and chemical characteristics. In addition, the billiard market was in full expansion.” Commercialization of the first balls started in the sixties at a time when competition against three already well-established manufacturers was difficult. Through the continuous fine-tuning of quality and the increase of production levels, Saluc succeeded to take a major competitive lead. Today, Saluc is the only company worldwide producing phenolic billiard balls, exporting over 99% of its production to more than 60 countries. read more