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Vicking Cue MFG., Inc.
In the early 60’s Viking Cue Mfg., Inc.
founder Gordon Hart began making two-piece
pool cues in the basement of his poolroom in
Stoughton, Wisconsin. Gordon traveled to
various tournaments to sell his cues. In a
short period of time, Viking cues became
popular with many of the top players. Viking
was incorporated in 1965. By the late 1960s,
Gordon spent more time making cues, so he
sold the poolroom and moved the cue business
to its present location in Madison,
Wisconsin. He expanded production
capabilities and began selling cues
throughout the United States and abroad.
Viking grew steadily through the 1970s and
early 1980s. At that time, Gordon’s
children, Robin, Barry and Darcy became
involved with the business. Then in 1986 the
major motion picture, The Color of Money,
was released and created a boom in the
billiard industry. Sales of Viking cues
skyrocketed, and the company experienced
phenomenal growth as a result.
As the 1980s came to a close, Gordon began
updating machinery and investing in
state-of-the-art equipment to ensure a
quality product. Promotional efforts
increased with an extensive advertising and
public relations program coordinated by
Gordon’s wife, Nancy, which helped make
Viking a household name. Vikings efforts
coupled with significant product quality
enhancements, positioned the company as a
leader in the billiard industry.
By the mid-1990s, Viking hired a full sales
staff to handle the needs of their
constantly growing list of distributors and
dealers throughout the world. At the same
time, Robin and Barry took over the
day-to-day operations, and granddaughter
Shawna became involved with the company.
Nancy was very active in the Billiard
Congress of America in the 1990’s, serving
on its board of directors. Years earlier,
she served on the board of the Billiard &
Bowling Institute of America, and was their
First Female President. In 1994, Gordon was
honored with the first-ever Lifetime
Achievement Award from the American Cue
Makers Association.
Click here for website
and product information:
http://www.vickingcue.com
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