Composition Billiard Ball Co, Congleton
The Composition Billiard Ball Company, originally incorporated in 1913, was a specialist manufacturer of billiard, snooker, and pool balls, based in Congleton, Cheshire. Known for producing high-quality composition balls (an alternative to ivory), the company became a key player in the evolution of cue sports equipment throughout the 20th century. The firm’s most famous products were the Crystalate and later Super Crystalate balls, made from early plastics like nitrocellulose and phenolic resin. These were widely used in professional and amateur billiards and snooker throughout the UK and internationally.
The Congleton factory – employed local workers and remained active through much of the 20th century. A former employee recalled working there from 1964 for over 26 years, describing the production process as a mix of skilled hand-finishing and early mechanisation. At its peak, the company was one of the last British manufacturers of composition billiard balls.
In the early 1980s, the company was acquired by BCE (British Cue Engineering), and later by Saluc S.A., a Belgian firm better known for its Aramith brand. Following this transition, manufacturing was moved to Belgium, and the Congleton factory was eventually closed, likely in the 1990s. While the company ceased production decades ago, the Composition Billiard Ball Company played an important role in both the history of British manufacturing and the development of synthetic sports equipment. Its legacy lives on among collectors and cue sport historians, who still prize Crystalate and Super Crystalate balls for their quality and craftsmanship.
