Special logo unveiled as Jacksonville billiards manufacturer marks significant milestone.
[Jacksonville, FL] Predator Group, the US-based billiards leader, will embark on a year of celebrations as it marks its 30th anniversary in 2024, commencing with the launch of a special 30th Anniversary logo featuring Predator’s hallmark panther icon.
Predator has grown from a small idea into one of billiards’ most recognizable global brands, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida where it employs a growing workforce across its sales, customer service, marketing, design, production, and administrative teams. The Group is established as the industry’s leading manufacturer and distributer of billiards products, and it invests substantially in developing the amateur game and professional sport across the globe.
Its 30th anniversary commemorations will incorporate a 12-month program of celebratory moments, which will include limited-edition product lines to recognize three decades of innovation, passion, and inspiration. The first commemorative cue products will be available this month.
Predator Group CEO Karim Belhaj, who started with the company as an intern in 1997, said: “2024 represents 30 years of hard work. Predator was born in 1994 and here we are in 2024 with the best team in the world designing the coolest and the best-performing products in the world, winning the most trophies and medals in the world, and a brand that actually has an impact in society.
“It represents 30 years of winning the most medals for one company – we’ve won more professional titles and medals than every other brand put together.
“We’re constantly innovating, we’re constantly designing, we’re constantly reinventing ourselves. We seek collaboration everywhere we can. We lead our design in Jacksonville, Florida, but we collaborate with our friends all over the world. That’s what allows us to have amazing product collaborations between all of our teams.
“Evolution is about more than just change; it’s about constant reinvention, both for ourselves and the industry as a whole. We firmly believe in the importance of challenging the status quo. Embracing technology in our products isn’t just about innovation; it’s about popularizing the sport, making it more accessible to all.”
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary, Predator Group will soon open a new showroom and production hub in Jacksonville. That will bring increased employment opportunities to the local community and unlock even more tools for Predator’s design team, enabling them to work directly alongside their industry-leading manufacturing and engineering colleagues.
The new facility forms part of a major program of expansion across the Group’s global operation which will enable Predator to continue to ensure amateur and professional players can be inspired by and benefit from the best innovation in billiards.
Predator Group began operations in 1994 with the goal of developing performance-oriented products that would change billiards in the way Ping and Callaway changed the sport of golf.
Allan McCarty, Co-Founder of Predator, believed there was more to a cue than elegant designs. Together with Steve Titus, they developed technology that would revolutionize the industry and change the way we think about cues forever, with performance at the forefront.
Within ten years, Predator had become the performance reference point for professional and league players alike, having gained a worldwide reputation for its high-quality cues and shafts.
Revolutionary development continued into the company’s second decade, notably with the BK2 and BK Rush break cues and REVO, the carbon fiber shaft which delivers effortless action and power with more consistency than wood shafts, and has been the winningest shaft across elite competition since its launch.
Launched in 2016, the REVO has reshaped the way shafts are manufactured, much like the Wilson Pro Staff had done for tennis rackets. With an extensive line-up that includes pool and carom playing shafts, as well as breaking and jumping shafts, REVO set the industry standard and remains a best-selling product today.
Belhaj explains: “During the research and development projects that led to REVO, we worked with the best engineers in other sports, and they couldn’t believe the level of complexity of equipment required for pool. The stress, so much going on at the point of contact in so very little time, and the wobbling/dancing around of the shaft after impact. Most said it couldn’t be achieved – then we tried again, stepped back, and found solutions ourselves working with our pros, engineers, and coaches.
“That lead us from REVO technology enhancing play to the BK Rush, the leading break cue in the industry.”
Launched in 2017, the BK Rush has been one of the most successful cue lines ever produced. Setting the benchmark for performance and technology, the BK Rush and its predecessors BK, BK2, BK3 have won more professional events than any other cue this century.
More recently, the Group has expanded beyond cues and accessories with Apex tables, Arcos balls, Pure chalk, Arcadia cloth and the Aerorack, which are all official products of WPA World Championship events and the Predator Pro Billiard Series.
More information on product lines to commemorate Predator’s 30-year anniversary will be released across the coming months, starting with the release of six special-edition cues on April 16th, 2024. For more information follow Predator Cues across social media and visit predatorcues.com
Predator’s mission is to inspire billiard fans by providing innovative experiences and products that deliver high-performance, with unsurpassed class and style since 1994. Predator, Poison and Uni-Loc are Predator Group brands that focus on performance pool tables, cues, billiard accessories, and precision components. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorcues.com, www.poisoncues.com and www.uni-loc.com.