ANTWERP - He showed his joy even more intense than Torbjörn Blomdahl, two weeks ago, when the Swede won the World Cup in Peloponnese with a fabulous world record. It felt as if Thierry Gabriels (53, from Boechout near Antwerp) had a small share in the success, because the world’s number one plays with a Molinari cue, designed by Thierry Gabriels and the cue-brand is one of Blomdahl’s major sponsors.
Thierry Gabriels is traveling around the world, thousands of miles in a month, working for Loontjens Biljarts as the leading man in 'research and development', to promote the products (billiards, cues) and to further strengthen the company’s name, most of all in the countries where the market has grown so huge in recent years: South Korea and Vietnam.
Two weeks ago he was back in Europe, for a short visit to the World Cup in Greece. This week he's traveling between Hong Kong and Seoul and next week he will be back in Europe for the World Championships in Antwerp, in which he is closely involved as designer of the four tables.
,,I really expect this World championship will be one of the best in history, because Ludo Dielis and his team have presented themselves as very professional organizers. It is the first time we cooperate and I am pleasantly surprised.''
He takes his agenda mentioning his travels this year so far: eight times in Korea, four times in Vietnam, twice in Indonesia, three times in Japan, four times in China, the United States, Malaysia… and Europe of course: the Netherlands, homeland of the company, Spain, Greece, Germany...
Thierry Gabriels spents his time mostly travelling, always busy with billiards business. ,,I can tell you it’s fatal for your private life and you you have to recover constantly from jet lags, so physically it's a grueling life as well,'' he says. ,,You’ll never find your rhythm. But in our business you must be very active internationally, if you’re not, there is only a very small to survive.''
A short review:
Thierry Gabriels made part of the billiards industry since his early years. His grandfather René, a famous player himself, started a factory in Antwerp in 1932, which later moved to Kapellen, where a new factory was built.
Thierry: ,,It was a large investment in an ultra modern facility, but the timing was wrong. The arrival of the euro was fatal for the company. The dollar slipped with 35 per cent in only 18 months, one euro was worth more than one dollar. We had a huge market in America, where we produced yearly five to six hundred tables (match and pool).’’
,,I had to buy raw materials and pay people with euro’s and for America, with its weakening dollar, it was no longer affordable. The orders, for one year ahead, were canceled… and the market collapsed completely.''
The name was eventually sold to Loontjens Biljarts in 2003, part of Christopher Group, a real estate and investment group which mainly operates in the field of family-entertainment centers. Thierry Gabriels moved also, first as a consultant and advisor, later in permanent employment for research and sales. And now he’s promoting the development and sale of the Molinari cues and Gabriels tables outside Europe.
,,The relocation of the center of billiard business to Asia is a very interesting development. Since 3 years we participate in the Guangzhou (Canton) Billiards fair. This is the largest exhibition in the world biggest in the billiards area in the world. In China, there are a lot of small pool and snooker tables. It is a big challenge for us to promote carom there, particularly three cushion.’’
,,That’s why we exhibiti there, among others with Blomdahl and Jaspers, but it requires very long-term efforts. We believe there is a potential in China, it is a pity that it are always the same companies that want to invest.''
Thierry Gabriels himself rarely comes in contact with the end customers. ,,My main job is to support the dealers. With our experience we want to strictly focus on high quality match tables and pool tables. We permanently investigate how we can improve our products.’’
The promotion of the sport is also reflected in the sponsorship of many famous players: Torbjörn Blomdahl (Molinari/Gabriels) , Sung-Won Choi (Molinari/Gabriels) , Dick Jaspers (Gabriels), Jean Paul de Bruijn (Gabriels), Nikos Polychronopoulis (Gabriels), Christian Rudolph, Dave Christiani and Peter De Backer (Molinari) for example.
,,I have a very good team in the Netherlands, because I certainly cannot do all the thing on my own’’, he emphasizes. ,,Robbin Jobse and Jimmy Worung are great guys, who want to prove themselves in this business and they are on the right track. And Rudy Loontjens is the man who directs and is responsible for ’sales’ in Europe.’’
,,We are currently working on a joint project with the Predator group. I cannot disclose too much yet, but it will be presented September next year and we strongly believe it will have a big impact on the billiards-world.
But first and foremost there is the World championships in Antwerp, next week, from 16 to 20 October. ,,We will be there with four new Kronos tables. And I am proud to say that four of the last five World Championships were played on our tables.''
,,I think Antwerp will be one of the nicest in history, with thanks to Ludo Dielis and his organizational skills! Hopefully this will give the billiards-sport a boost to improve quality of the events, to the enjoyment of more spectators.’’