Four Generations and Counting: The Origin Story of International Billiards

Written by Kim Morrison

The Morrison family has been in this industry since 1940. But to us, 86 years isn’t really about a number. It’s about the people, the relationships, and four generations of a family who have kept showing up.

Our story began in Houston, Texas, in 1940, when Bill Morrison first started putting juke boxes in bars. The billiard industry looked very different then, and so did Houston. Over the decades, both have changed enormously.

And we’ve stayed.

A Houston Family Business Since 1940

Through changing times, changing neighborhoods, changing products and changing generations, we have remained a family-owned billiard business serving Houston and the surrounding area.

What started with Bill Morrison has now continued through four generations of the Morrison family.

That means something to us.

Being in business this long isn't simply about selling pool tables. It's about relationships. It's about customers who remember buying equipment from us years ago and come back when it's time for more. It's about children who grew up playing on a family pool table and later walk into our showroom looking for one for a home and family of their own.

Some customers have known our family for decades.

And we've had the privilege of getting to know theirs.

More Than Pool Tables

Quality family time has always been at the heart of the company, but the game room has changed considerably since 1940.

Today, we help customers with pool tables, billiard cues and accessories, shuffleboard tables, table tennis, foosball and other game room products.

But one thing hasn't changed: we believe customers deserve knowledgeable help from people who actually understand the products they sell.

That's increasingly important in a world where so many purchases are made by clicking a button.

A pool table isn't just another piece of furniture. Its construction, slate, cushions, cloth and installation all affect how it plays and how long it lasts. Moving, recovering and servicing a pool table also require experience.

After this many years in the billiard business, we've accumulated quite a bit of that experience.

Generations of Billiard Knowledge

Our relationship with manufacturers and others in the billiard industry also stretches back through generations.

Companies such as A.E. Schmidt, America's oldest pool table manufacturer, have their own long family histories. Relationships like these are part of what makes this industry special to us. In many cases, we're not simply dealing with companies. We're working with people and families we've known for years.

That history gives us perspective that can't be learned from a catalog.

We've watched pool table designs come and go. We've seen changes in cloth, cushions, construction and manufacturing. We've watched game rooms evolve and cue technology advance dramatically.

And through all of it, we've continued learning.

The Fourth Generation

Today, the fourth generation of our family is already an important part of International Billiards.

TJ represents that generation and has developed particular expertise in billiard cues. With approximately 150 cues in inventory at any given time, customers can actually see and compare different brands, shafts, joints, weights and technologies rather than trying to make a decision from a picture online.

That's the kind of experience we still believe a specialty billiard store should provide.

Four generations also means that knowledge gets passed down.

Some of it can be taught. Some of it simply comes from growing up around pool tables, listening to customers, watching experienced installers work, learning from mistakes, solving unusual problems and spending years around people who know the industry.

Why Being Family Owned Still Matters

We're proud of being a fourth-generation family business, but not simply because it makes for an interesting history.

We think it matters to the way we do business.

Our name is attached to what we sell.

When you're part of a business your family has spent generations building, you think differently about the customer standing in front of you. We don't want to make one sale. We want that customer to be comfortable coming back years later.

That's how a family business survives for 86 years.

Not every transaction will be perfect. Not every problem will be simple. But we've always believed that taking care of people matters.

Customer service isn't a department here.

It's personal.

Houston Has Been Home

Houston has changed almost beyond recognition since our first location in 1940.

We've watched the city grow, and we've been fortunate to grow along with it.

Over the years, our customers have included families furnishing their first game rooms, serious pool players searching for the right cue, commercial customers, designers, apartment communities and people simply trying to bring a little more fun into their homes.

The circumstances may be different, but the reason people buy game-room equipment really hasn't changed much.

They want a place to gather.

They want something their family and friends can enjoy together.

And we love being a small part of that.