Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium
Russell NV (est 2004) was re-registered as Russell BV in 2014. This company is our family holding company and controls the companies managed by family members.
PlanetCatalog.com is a research project. The project is engaged in developing a new type of ecommerce system leveraging the possibilities offered by combining graph databases with blockchain technologies.
I have been CEO of Russell Leisure BV since 1986. The company was initially founded to develop and manage a snooker pub in the Belgian village of Hoeselt. In 1987 the company become involved in the sale and maintenance of all types of billiard tables initially covering the Benelux countries and Germany and later the adjoining countries. In as agents for the well-known snooker company Willie Holt (Burnley) Ltd. The snooker club is today one of the best-known snooker clubs in Limburg with both Flemish and Francophone teams playing in both the Limburg league and the Liege league. https://www.kreeftsnooker.com/
I had been an agent for Willie Holt (Burnley) Limited since 1987. Willie Holts had been manufacturing in Burnley since 1898. I became a Director of that company in 1990. We took over the manufacturing business and brand in 1992 and as a result of an offer from Irish Industrial Development Authority (IDA) moved it to Ireland. By 1996 we had doubled table production per person compared to that achieved in the UK and 90% of production was based on new products developed in Ireland. A report prepared by Forbairt (now Enterprise Ireland) at the end of this period concludes "Willie Holt (Ireland) Ltd has taken a traditional company and, without sacrificing that tradition, moved it towards the twenty-first century. This is primarily due to the belief, ideas and enthusiasm of a young E.C. exposed management and the small, committed workforce. This has been achieved, even though there has been a certain lack of resources, and the company is to be congratulated on its performance to date." In 1996 a dispute aroused between our company and IDA as a result of which my wife and I sold our shares for a nominal amount and resigned. The company then ceased production after what was by then 100 years as a premium billiard table manufacturer.
Willie Holt (Burnley) Ltd was an old school North of England Billiard table manufacturer had been in Burnley since 1898. Our Belgian company (then called Euromart BVBA) became an Agent for Willie Holt in 1987 with responsibility for Belgium the Netherlands and what was then West Germany. By 1989 Euromart sales of Willie Holt products accounted for 90% of Holt production. In that year I was recognized as agent of the year and the following year was appointed a Director of the company with responsibility for all Continental European Marketing and sales. In 1992 we purchased the manufacturing business of Willie Holt and moved production to Ireland.