Real people. one life. genuine connection.
So Here’s My Story. Hi, Im Mike Fluty, Your Local Pool Table Guy
How It All Started
In 2004 I went to work for a local pool table company that specialized in selling brand new pool tables online. It was a very small operation with 2 vans and 4 employees but we would go out every day setting up elegant brand new 3 piece slate pool tables fresh out of the box (2 pool tables each crew). In doing this I always thought to myself who comes in after us and services the pool tables (moves them professionally , puts new felt on them etc)? Seeing how we were only going out and installing, putting brand new felt on, leveling the pool tables he sold.
Who specializes in repairing the second hand pool tables when they needed new felt/ re-leveling/ new cushions/ new pockets? The thoughts would plague my mind, seeing how the company I worked for at the time solely geared their operations towards 100% sales with 0 service department. Then I really put two and two together when the holidays passed & the work flow dried up drastically & our labor began being contracted out to a bigger online billiard company that was nationwide. Though the work was there, at the time it wasn’t steady or stable enough for me to support myself completely on my own as I desired. I didn’t see enough work available for the growth I longed for at 19 years old, so I decided to leave the billiards industry all together.
In 2006 I went to work for Toll Brothers (custom home builders) which offered more hours/compensation/ benefits. Then 2008 hit and the housing industry completed crashed. Toll Brothers had promised me certain advancements that they were no longer able to keep their word on, though I had strongly kept my end of the bargain. I will never forget what my last and final boss said to me when he told me “ You haven’t read the news lately? You should be grateful to have a job! “
Making It Work
Feeling some what defeated, 21 year old Me thought back to the pool tables and wondered if there was a demand for service professionals in the pool table industry. I hopped on google and started my search with the keywords like pool table movers, pool table repair, fix my pool table, refelt my pool table, etc. which lead me to local pool table outfit’s. In my search I found less than a handful of professional billiard organizations offering this speciality service. I didn’t hesitate to give these companies a phone call. In the beginning while on the phone I listened to their pitches and prices, taking their style into consideration and then I put my own twist on things.
Though it had been a couple years since I last worked on a pool table I knew I still had an extremely strong skill set. What I needed to do was to not show fear & dive head first back into it so I could brush up on my skills through experience. I put the ads out, got my first calls and landed two pool table jobs that weekend. I actually moved two pool tables in one day that weekend. That weekend I proved to myself that I still had it, And I never lost it. The pool tables came out awesome! the first clients I worked for were exuberant with my work, fed us, tipped us and recommended us to all their family and friends. After that moment and still to this day I deeply believe that Word of Mouth is the strongest form of advertisement out there. The word began to spread like wildfire. I knew immediately I had something great and that I was never going to look back.
A Huge Thank You To My Mentors..
A couple years down the road I got a call from Ralph Coffman from Expert Pool Table out of Roseville, CA noticing my presence. He offered to sell me his pool table felt at a special price and then he began sending me out to the overflow pool table work he would get in. I learned a lot from Ralph before he passed away. Thank you Ralph for all the business & advice along the way that lead me up to this point. Without men like you passing down the torch to us young bucks a lot of this knowledge would pass into dust.
I also have to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Dave Driskell from Admiral Pool Tables out of Hayward, CA. He also recognized that I was putting in a lot of hard work as a young man out in the San Francisco Bay Area and he gave me a tremendous amount of referral work over the years too, which helped broaden my cleverness, experience and capabilities! THANK YOU DAVE!
Through all the referral work I start breaking my way into commercial jobs for companies like wingtips, Louis Vuitton, Service Master, Serv-Pro, Phil Lesh, Billy Joe Armstrong, boys & girls clubs of America, after school programs, youth groups, senior centers, lodge’s, resort’s. Airbnbs, rental properties VFW’s, pool halls, bars, apartment complexes etc.
I learned a tremendous amount from both Dave and Ralph being 30 years my seniors, who ultimately became my mentors over the years.
Where Pool Tables Led Me
I expanded further, buying & selling my own pool tables, learning a lot from myself and each pool table I encountered. Every pool table is different: different slate, different frames, different foundations - all this I take into consideration while building any pool table. Those long nights by myself setting up pool tables in my own shop, dialing it right in, shooting a game to myself, watching for the slow roll of the pool balls keeping pattern and the responsiveness of the cushions, taking it apart again, inspecting any parts for defects and repairing or replacing things if necessary. These late night methods brought me a sure ton of confidence to say the least.
I started out small being trained by a wholesale billiard company, gathered my experience there & realized I had a strong enough skill set to go out on my own. For the first year I was merely working on private residences in your average suburbs.
Did that a couple years learning from myself, my mentors and any available online resources at the time.
Now, I’ve worked on close to 3 thousand pool tables in the last 16 years. This is why I feel perfectly comfortable giving a lifetime guarantee on all the pool table makes & models that I work on. I have the passion & developed my skill set through experience.
When you go with our services, you're going with a serviceman with a servants heart.
Thank you for taking the time to read my little story. Im very grateful for the opportunity to earn your business! I hope this helps everyone learn a little more about who I am, what I do, and the interesting path that lead me here. From one billiards enthusiast to another I wish you nothing but happiness while shooting pool!
-Mike Fluty, PNW Billiards
I'm Francine Fluty - Wife. Mama. Business Owner.
I Value The Full Experience
When I first my husband Mike, I thought his line of work was extremely intriguing. I have played pool throughout my life but never put any thought behind what goes into setting them up or building them. At the time I was going to art school full time & working a part time job, I wasn't interested in partaking in any part of the business even after we got married.
It wasn't until 2 years in when Mikes receptionist left to work at a bigger company. I stepped into the role of management/administrative because I seen how much he desperately needed assistance behind the scenes. I quickly inherited a pivotal role, finding myself falling in love with business & the pool table industry entirely.
Because of the growth that was encompassing our business, doors & opportunities started opening up for us in a great way.
With every pool table service we booked, with every client that came along, we always learned something new - different - that made our experiences something worthwhile.
Years after establishing ourselves & building our brand, we really started developing the knowledge & skill sets with every experience. I started truly understanding that a lot of pool table owners have no idea what goes into owning a pool table, so I made it a personal mission of mine to understand mechanically how a pool table works, the different materials made, the tools required & the best financial avenues that would be most cost effective, whatever the project might require.
I truly enjoy helping others, big or small, and Billiards is no different. I try to share my knowledge & passion, taking my time with each person that comes through our doors so they receive the full experience of becoming a part of our story. We have experienced & learned so much in the last 15+ years about pool tables & business - and like many other industries we are always evolving. My desire is to include you in that growth with us.
