Olhausen Pool Tables of Las Cruces, New Mexico

OUR STORY

OUR PICTURES

Jerry Olhausen learned at a young age how to cover and repair pool tables in his family’s pool hall in Iowa. This was to be the start of a legacy in the billiards world. Later in his life, he used these skills to earn extra money while serving in the Air Force. Jerry would cover and repair pool tables on the bases, and in the towns, where he was stationed.

In the early 1950’s Jerry was assigned to start an ROTC program at New Mexico State University. Jerry would travel anywhere to work on pool tables, from New Orleans to San Diego and as far north as Nevada. Jerry, his kids in tow, helped him repair and recover pool tables. “That’s where we got our foundation,” Sharon Olhausen Chester, Co-owner of the Las Cruces Olhausen Showroom, said. “I got my start by taking the tacks out of the tables.”

The knowledge the Olhausen children gained would payoff beyond their wildest dreams. Jerry’s oldest son, Butch, moved to California in 1969 and his youngerbrother, Donny, joined him a few years later. They continued to re-cover and move pool tables, also delivering tables for a small manufacturing company in their spare time. Their big break came when the owner of the company they were delivering tables for offered to sell them the company for $1,000. The brothers agreed and an American success story had its start.

The Olhausen brothers poured everything they had into the company, with the goal of selling ten tables a month during their first year. They met their goal, and with more hard work, were soon selling over 300 tables a year. Today, Olhausen sells over 35,000 tables a year. Sharon attributes the success to the fact that they demand the highest quality raw products. Not satisfied to simply maintain their success, the Olhausen’s continue to be a pioneering force in the industry.

So what makes Olhausen “The Best In Billiards”? We can start with the slate. Olhausen uses the finest Italian slate. It is oversized and diamond honed to create a perfect playing surface. Each piece of slate is rechecked at the factory for flatness and proper bolthole locations.

Olhausen uses only premium lumber. It obtains most of the wood used in its tables from the Northeastern United States, where “slow growth” trees have tighter grains. This means there is far less streaking and discoloration when the wood is stained. Sacrificing quality to save a few dollars is not always a wise investment. “A lot of the time, manufacturers uses wood that is not dried properly, so in a few years you have warping cracks and all sorts of problems,” Sharon said. “Things like that are common in tables you buy off the internet.” Sharon added that most people regret buying tables off the internet because they have spent their hard-earned money and they have no warranty.

The Accu-Fast cushions used in most Olhausen tables were developed by a rubber company in Los Angeles exclusively for Olhausen after it was discovered the cushions they were importing could wear-out in only a few years. The cushions available just were not up to their standards. “We have never had anything go wrong with an Accu-Fast cushion, and they have been on the market for over 10 years,” Sharon said.

“The quality of Olhausen has led such noted brands as Harley-Davidson, Budweiser, NASCAR and Jack Daniels to form partnerships with Olhausen to build and market their billiards products.” It’s simply the best product out there, Sharon said.” It has a lifetime warranty to prove that. If anything goes wrong because of manufacturing, we will fix it.”

Don’t expect Olhausen to rest on its laurels. “We are constantly trying to do and make things better with things like more options,” Sharon said. You can create a custom table, right down to putting in custom inlays, in the showroom using their computer. “We’ve had people sit here and play with things for hours,” Sharon said calling your business the “best” is a bold statement no matter what your industry. To have your slogan reiterate that statement, you must be confident and you better be able to back up your claim. “You have to shop, you have to compare, even ask for references,” Sharon said. “We ask everyone to shop around, come back here last, because this is where you want to buy.”

In the world of billiards, the name Olhausen is synonymous with quality. Ask the owners of Olhausen’s and they will tell you it’s not just a slogan, it’s the truth.