Creative Marketing, Top-Down Cuts
The company drummed up businesses for its billiards in a variety of ways. Ed Schmidt obtained a list of government work camps from the U.S. Commerce Dept.—set up under President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps. He sent them brochures of his billiard tables, and shooting pool became one of the main forms of entertainment at the work camps.
Kurt Schmidt says that the Depression left an indelible impact on the company's operating principles. "The main thing that came out of it is to stay within your means and not borrow too much," he says. Moreover, he added, "When you go and ask for cuts for your employees, you better be willing to take one yourself and take it first. That is something we still stick with."
