Vise
VISE is a privately held bowling equipment manufacturer founded in 1983 in Stockton, California, specializing in bowling ball inserts and accessory chemicals (cleaners, adhesives, polishes) sold through regional and international distributors to bowling pro shops serving professional and recreational bowlers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersStockton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vise does
VISE, Inc. is a privately held bowling equipment manufacturer founded in 1983 and headquartered at 2237 Stagecoach Road in Stockton, California. The company specializes in bowling ball inserts, marketed under the long-standing tagline "The Choice Of Champions," and sells a broad catalog of complementary accessory products including ball cleaners, surface compounds, polishes, silicone products, engraving fillers, color dyes, cyanoacrylate adhesives (Insta-Cure Blue and Purple), two-part adhesive systems (GI-650A, GI-650B, P-60A, P-60B), rapid-cure and CS Hybrid resin systems, slip agents, primers, and gymnastic chalk. These offerings serve both professional and recreational bowlers and are primarily consumed by bowling pro shops for ball fitting, surface preparation, and ongoing maintenance.
The company's core technical competency lies in formulating and manufacturing bowling ball maintenance chemicals and insert components used by pro shop technicians. The product portfolio documented through Safety Data Sheets covers adhesives, hardeners, catalysts, accelerators, surface treatments, and polishing compounds, indicating in-house chemical formulation and product engineering rather than simple resale. VISE does not operate software, APIs, or digital platforms; its offering is purely physical product.
VISE generates revenue through one-time product sales to its customer base of bowling pro shops, with go-to-market executed almost entirely through a channel partner model. Distribution is handled by approximately 12 named regional USA bowling distributors (including Ace Mitchell, Classic Products, Bowler's Supply, Gran Prix Bowling Supply, and Hudson Bowl) and at least 10 international distributors spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Italy, and Sweden. Marketing activity is limited to the company website, downloadable annual catalogs, and a pro shop email specials program. The company shows no signs of external investment, no parent company, and no public listing.
Vise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vise
- Legal name
- VISE, Inc.
- Website
- https://viseinserts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- VISE is a privately held bowling equipment manufacturer founded in 1983 in Stockton, California, specializing in bowling ball inserts and accessory chemicals (cleaners, adhesives, polishes) sold through regional and international distributors to bowling pro shops serving professional and recreational bowlers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Vise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bowling Products: VISE appears to manufacture and sell bowling equipment products including inserts, ball cleaners, compounds, polishes, and related accessories to bowling pro shops.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Vise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VISE manufactures and sells bowling ball inserts along with a complementary line of bowling ball maintenance, surface treatment, and bonding chemical products (cleaners, compounds, polishes, adhesives, resins, hardeners, primers, and silicones). The products are sold to bowling pro shops through a network of authorized USA and international distributors, serving both professional and recreational bowling markets.
Product overview
VISE is a bowling equipment manufacturer specializing in bowling ball inserts and related accessories. Founded in 1983, the company operates as a single-product-focused business with its core offering being bowling inserts, complemented by a comprehensive range of accessory chemical products including cleaners, compounds, polishes, adhesives (Insta-Cure, GI-650 series), and surface treatment materials. The company distributes through a network of USA and international distributors to the bowling pro shop market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VISE Bowling Inserts Bowling ball inserts for professional and recreational bowling, manufactured and sold as VISE's flagship product line. Sold to bowling pro shops through authorized distributors in the USA and internationally.
- Bowling Ball Maintenance Products Cleaning, surface treatment, and polishing chemical products for bowling ball maintenance, including Ball Cleaner, Compound, and Polish. Sold to bowling pro shops through authorized distributors.
- Bowling Ball Adhesives and Resin Systems Bonding adhesives and resin systems for bowling equipment manufacturing and repair, including cyanoacrylate adhesives (Insta-Cure Blue and Purple), two-part epoxy systems (GI-650A, GI-650B), hybrid systems (CS Hybrid Resin, CS Hybrid Hardener, CS Hybrid A, CS Hybrid B), rapid cure systems (Rapid Cure Hardener, Rapid Cure Resin), and accelerators (Insta-Set Accelerator, GI-Fast Catalyst).
- Bowling Ball Surface Preparation and Finishing Products Primers, slip agents, silicones, silicone catalysts, color dyes, engraving fillers, and ancillary products (including gymnastic chalk and P-60 two-part components) used in bowling equipment surface preparation and finishing.
Companies that use Vise
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Vise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Storm Bowling Products: One of the largest bowling ball and equipment manufacturers in the world, directly competing with VISE for pro shop shelf space and pro-tour endorsement share in the bowling equipment category.
- Ebonite International: Bowling ball and equipment manufacturer with a long pro-tour heritage, directly competing with VISE for the same pro shop distribution channel and professional bowler endorsements.
- Motiv Bowling: Bowling ball and accessory manufacturer that sells through pro shops and distributors, sharing the same core customer base and pro-tour-driven brand positioning as VISE.
- Columbia 300: Historic bowling ball and equipment brand competing with VISE in pro shops, with overlapping product categories in bowling accessories and inserts.
- Roto Grip: Bowling ball and accessory brand (part of the Storm family) that competes directly with VISE for pro shop placement and pro-tour-driven demand.
- Hammer Bowling: Bowling ball and accessory brand serving the same pro shop and tournament bowler customer base as VISE, with comparable brand positioning around performance equipment.
- Track Bowling: Bowling ball and equipment manufacturer that competes with VISE in pro shops and through similar distributor-led GTM motions targeting professional and serious amateur bowlers.
- Turbo (Grips): Bowling accessories brand specializing in inserts and grip products, the most direct like-for-like competitor to VISE's core insert product line within the pro shop channel.
Broad incumbents
- Brunswick Bowling: Legacy bowling conglomerate that manufactures bowling balls, accessories, and operates bowling centers. Overlaps with VISE in bowling equipment/accessories but competes from a much broader portfolio including lanes and centers.
Emerging players
- Kegel: Bowling lane maintenance and surface product company whose accessory chemicals and consumables overlap with part of VISE's cleaner/compound/polish portfolio, while sharing the same pro shop buyer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Vise social profiles
Digital presenceVise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vise
What does Vise do?
VISE manufactures and sells bowling ball inserts along with a complementary line of bowling ball maintenance, surface treatment, and bonding chemical products (cleaners, compounds, polishes, adhesives, resins, hardeners, primers, and silicones). The products are sold to bowling pro shops through a network of authorized USA and international distributors, serving both professional and recreational bowling markets.
Is Vise a public or private company?
Vise is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Vise founded?
Vise was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vise based?
Vise is headquartered in Stockton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vise make money?
One revenue line is on record: bowling Products.
Who are Vise's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Storm Bowling Products, Ebonite International, Motiv Bowling, Columbia 300, Roto Grip, Hammer Bowling, Track Bowling and Turbo (Grips). Brunswick Bowling is listed as a broad incumbent. Kegel is listed as an emerging player.
Does Vise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vise.