Simonis Cloth

What Simonis Cloth does

Simonis Cloth (Iwan Simonis S.A.) is a Belgian manufacturer of billiard cloth, founded in 1680 in Verviers, Belgium, and recognized as the world's oldest and only company exclusively dedicated to billiard cloth production. The firm designs and weaves worsted-thread billiard cloth using tight dense-weave construction engineered for durability, moisture and dirt resistance, and consistent rolling/rebound characteristics. Its product range covers all major cue sport disciplines: pool, carom, snooker, pyramid, blackball, 5-pins, outdoor/water-resistant variants, and the Simonis X-1 line, with the Simonis 330 Rapide (launched in 2025) replacing the long-standing Simonis 300 as the carom reference cloth.

The company monetizes primarily through direct and distributor-driven hardware sales of premium billiard cloth, distributed in over 90 countries via an international distributor network, regional partners (e.g., RA Billiards in Vietnam), and direct supply agreements with sports federations (KNBB, UMB) and tournament organizers (World Nineball Tour / Matchroom). It is the official cloth supplier for most major championships and tournaments worldwide across pool, carom, and snooker, and complements this with a sponsorship-driven go-to-market through world-class players such as Dick Jaspers, Jayson Shaw, Frédéric Caudron, and Therese Klompenhouwer. Operations sit under the wider Iwan Simonis Group alongside Saluc S.A. (Aramith billiard balls) and WSP Textiles Ltd. (Strachan snooker cloth), enabling bundled supply at federations and tournaments.

The business model is differentiated by extreme vertical specialization (only billiard cloth), heritage brand equity, federation-level institutional lock-in, and a multi-language (8-language) digital presence across web and social channels. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no public listing, and headcount disclosed in the 11-50 range; no specific pricing or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Simonis Cloth

Legal name

Iwan Simonis s.a.

Website

https://iwansimonis.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simonis Cloth (Iwan Simonis S.A.) is the world's oldest and only exclusive manufacturer of premium worsted billiard cloth, founded in 1680 in Verviers, Belgium. It supplies all cue sport disciplines across 90+ countries and serves as official cloth supplier to most major championships and tournaments worldwide, alongside professional players and amateur markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Libertyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Billiard Cloth Sales: Sale of premium billiard cloths for various disciplines including Pool, Carom, Snooker, Pyramid, Blackball, and outdoor/water resistant variants. The company sells directly and through distributors worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Simonis Cloth (Iwan Simonis S.A.) is the world's oldest and only company exclusively dedicated to manufacturing billiard cloth. It produces worsted thread cloth for pool, blackball, carom, 5-pins, pyramid, snooker, outdoor/water-resistant play, and a specialized Simonis X-1 line. The company supplies both amateur consumers through global distributors and professional/federation buyers as the official cloth of most major international championships.

Product overview

Simonis Cloth (Iwan Simonis S.A.) is the world's leading manufacturer exclusively dedicated to billiard cloth, producing high-quality worsted cloth for all major cue sports disciplines. The company manufactures Pool Cloth, Blackball Cloth, Carom Cloth (including the new 330 Rapide), 5-Pins Cloth, Pyramid Cloth, Snooker Cloth, Water Resistant/Outdoor Cloth, and Simonis X-1. All products feature tight weaving with dense worsted thread construction and high thread count that resists tearing, scuffing, spills and abuse. The company has manufactured superior quality cloths since 1680 and is sold in over 90 countries, serving both professional and amateur players. Simonis is the official supplier of most major championships and tournaments worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Simonis X-1: Specialized cloth product line
• Simonis 330 Rapide
• Simonis 860 Shark Grey

Products and services

• Simonis Pool Cloth

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.

• Peter CeulemansregionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 June 20263-year sponsorship signed with Aramith. Peter Ceulemans is a prominent billiard player sponsored jointly by Simonis and Aramith.
• KNBB (Royal Dutch Billiards Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2025Three-year partnership renewed in June 2025. Iwan Simonis S.A. (Simonis Billiard Cloths), WSP Textiles Ltd. (Strachan Billiard Cloths), and Saluc S.A. (Aramith Billiard Balls) supply the KNBB. Simonis is exclusive cloth partner for Three-Cushion, Carom, and Pool divisions. Covers Masters Three-Cushion, Cup Final, National Finals, and Dutch Championships.
• RA Billiards Co., LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Partnership agreement signed in January 2025 with RA Billiards Co., Ltd who becomes one of the main distributors of Iwan Simonis and Aramith brands in Vietnam. Hoang Nhat from RA Billiards stated goal to promote and distribute products to enhance people's playing experience and develop the next generation of champions.
• Tkon Nguyen (Nguyen Anh Tuan)regionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Vietnamese pool player and 8-time national champion, 35 years old. Sponsors young athletes, gives training to more than 500 players, and sponsors tens of tournaments each year in Vietnam. Partnership helps increase visibility of Simonis products in Vietnam.
• An Nhiet (Bui Truong An)regionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Youngest Vietnamese athlete to become professional pool player, inspiration for an entire generation. Owns 14 clubs and plays major role in development of pool in Vietnam. Serves as brand ambassador to help develop the sport and inspire younger generation.
• UMB (Union Mondiale de Billard)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Official cloth supplier for the entire UMB 2025 season. Iwan Simonis has been the historical supplier to the UMB Tour for more than 30 years. The partnership was resumed after a short rupture and covers all Carom World Cups and World Championships. All events professionally worldwide live broadcasted.
• World Nineball Tour / MatchroomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial cloth and ball supplier to all Matchroom events since day one (30 years). Partnership began when Matchroom got involved in hosting and broadcasting of pool. Simonis 860 Shark Grey cloth and Aramith Tournament Black ball sets used at events. Covers World Pool Championship, World Pool Masters, US Open Pool Championship, Hanoi Open Pool Championship, and Reyes Cup.
• WSP Textiles Ltd. (Strachan Cloth)coreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Iwan Simonis Group. World's leading manufacturer for Snooker, English and Chinese pool cloths. Both Simonis and Strachan are used for different divisions under the same group partnerships with federations.
• Saluc S.A. (Aramith Billiard Balls)coreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Iwan Simonis Group. World's leading billiard ball brand. Aramith balls are supplied together with Simonis cloths at major tournaments. Both brands operate under joint sponsorship agreements with federations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strachan (WSP Textiles Ltd.): Sister company within the Iwan Simonis Group manufacturing snooker and English/Chinese pool cloths. Directly competes in billiard cloth and is the most natural comparable for product, customer base (federations), and distribution.
• Aramith (Saluc S.A.): Sister company within the Iwan Simonis Group and the global leader in billiard balls. Comparable because Simonis and Aramith are jointly supplied at major tournaments under the same federation contracts, sharing the same pro player endorsement and federation GTM motion.
• Diamond Billiards: Premium billiard table manufacturer whose products are professionally re-clothed with Simonis cloth. Comparable as both a customer (table-maker channel) and a peer in the high-end tournament billiards ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Corporation: Large diversified billiards/sports equipment company (tables, balls, cues). Comparable as the dominant Western billiards incumbent that purchases and resells billiard cloth, defining the broader competitive context Simonis operates within.
• Olhausen Billiard Mfg. U.S.-based billiard table manufacturer that has historically used Simonis cloth as a premium option. Comparable as a customer/peer across the table-and-cloth value chain in consumer and pro billiards.
• Predator (Urbach Technologies): Major billiards equipment brand offering cues, shafts, and accessories. Comparable as a participant in the same professional billiards sponsorship ecosystem and tournament circuit Simonis supplies, with overlapping customer (pro players, federations).
• McDermott Cue: Long-established billiard cue brand participating in pro player sponsorships and tournament circuits. Comparable as a fellow premium billiards equipment maker competing for pro player endorsements and federation visibility.

Regional players

• Rasson Billiard Industry: Table manufacturer with strong presence in Asian cue sports markets. Comparable as a regional billiards equipment incumbent that operates alongside Simonis in tournament tables and shares federation/governing-body customers.

Others

• Glen Raven: Specialty textile producer including performance fabrics used in outdoor and sport applications. Comparable as a fabric-milling peer whose outdoor/technical textile capability overlaps with Simonis's water-resistant outdoor cloth line.
• Milliken & Company: Diversified specialty textile manufacturer with products in performance fabrics and industrial textiles. Comparable as a broad-scale textile peer with manufacturing capability and material-science depth relevant to worsted/specialty cloth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IwanSimonisGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/SimonisCloth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iwan-simonis-s-a-
• Instagraminstagram.com/iwansimonis1680
• Xx.com/simoniscloth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Simonis Cloth