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Gerard ten Lohuis leaves Kozoom

26/07/2015

Publié par frits bakker

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© © Kozoom/Korea
Gerard ten Lohuis looked inseparable from Kozoom: I found another challenge

EIBERGEN - He was one of the driving forces behind the billiard company Kozoom, where he contributed to its rapid growth as a live event manager. Gerard ten Lohuis had become a Kozoom icon, a key figure, technician and trouble shooter with deep and broad knowledge. He looked inseparable from the Kozoom organization, but still has unexpectedly announced his departure.

The Dutchman transfers to another billiard related company: Loontjes from Middelburg, known for - amongst other things - Gabriëls billiards and Molinari cues. This month he made his farewell tour for Kozoom, starting with the Porto World Cup and finishing with the Verhoeven Open in New York.

An interview with the man who became known in worldwide billiards as 'GTL'.

Name: Gerard ten Lohuis.
Residence: Eibergen
Married to: Heidi.
One daughter: Amber.
Current profession: Live event manager for Kozoom
Previous career: petty officer in the Dutch army

Kozoom/Frits Bakker: What a remarkable move, from the camera and directing at Kozoom, something you've put your heart and soul into, to this new job, also a billiard related one. Tell us about that change, was is all about a new challenge? And what will your new job be like?
Gerard ten Lohuis: I can understand how many people will be surprised by this. I had quit my old job to be a permanent part of the Kozoom team, I went to almost all the events and I had a front row view at the top matches. What more can you wish for? But then, there are two sides to that coin. I am currently away from home about 40 weekends in the year, and I make long hours. I have decided to embark on a new adventure with a different employer (Loontjens Biljarts). There, I will primarily be acting as the Account Manager Molinari for Europe.

Kozoom/FB: In five years for Kozoom you have seen all the developments first hand. How professional has Kozoom become in that time period? Has it grown into what players and viewers want it to be?
GTL: I can be proud to say that I am leaving the organization on a high note. For five years, we have worked hard to offer the billiard community a professional product with service to match. Our growth has always been step-by-step and upwards, and it is still continuing. Lead by CEO Xavier Carrer we have filled a magnificent, multilingual website with content. And naturally, we have our ears open for signals from our clients, in order to improve. Kozoom has now found its own unique place in the billiard world!

Kozoom/FB: To turn your hobby into your work, many people dream of that. But it was a very labor-intensive job. Was that part of your reason, the long and irregular hours?
GTL: You've hit the nail on the head. Being motivated can make you commit, even to the point where you go overboard. That is the dark side of this existence. I am currently away from home about weekends in the year, and I make long hours. My life was Kozoom, Kozoom, Kozoom. When my wife Heidi became actively involved with customer service, there wasn't a Kozoom-free day in our lives anymore! Of course we sometimes enjoyed the combination of work and a holiday or trip to some event, but I can assure you it's a complicated life. If I take a quick look at April / May of 2015, there is not a free weekend there, I work on every birthday of our family members, and my daughters May holiday is not really a holiday. I am aching to have some structure, a weekend, family life and a job with a degree of predictability. More importantly: my wife and daughter deserve that. And last but not least: I can get back to playing some billiards myself, and live up to my team obligations.

Kozoom/FB: How do you look back on your Kozoom years? Will you miss the travelling, the contact with the players and audiences?

GTL: Of course Kozoom will always be in my heart, and there will be things I am going to miss. Other things, absolutely not! Heidi will continue to work customer service, so I am still close. I will still travel, maybe attend a World Cup from time to time, keep networking but in a different frequency and with another goal. I may even fill in at Kozoom incidentally, I am aware of the fact that this leaves a hole that is not easily filled.

Kozoom/FB: Kozoom wants to offer its customers the highest multi-media quality available on the billiard market. Can you see any innovations on the horizon?

GTL: Kozoom will continue to develop, it is well aware that standing still equals going back. Innovate and improve is an everyday task, but these things can be difficult and arduous. I can assure everyone though: work is being done in the background.

Kozoom/FB: What will your new job be like, what is the challenge?
GTL: I was a Molinari fan straight from its introduction, so there was instant chemistry. I have never made my enthusiasm for this brand a secret. The challenge for me, is to be a member of a team that will put Molinari in its proper place in the market. My prime focus will be the European market. It is not easy to be a newcomer, but as everybody knows, Molinari is well on its way and players have already performed exceptional with it.

Kozoom/FB: Are there major developments in your new branch?
GTL: This branch is always in motion, the competition is fierce and the market relatively small. You have to stay one step ahead. Loontjens Biljarts with its future-oriented vision is in a position to develop ideas of a scope that would scare others. I like that a lot about them.

Kozoom/FB: About Molinari. A non-connoisseur, an amateur billiard player will say "a cue is a cue". What sets them apart?
GTL: I can make that a long story and show you sectionals, but the main point is that players will start experiencing it for themselves. I have seen it confirmed so many times, whenever I let someone play with a Molinari for a while. It is a little marvel, with very special qualities. It is a brand you want to identify with as a player, like people with a Macbook or iPhone instead of some generic laptop or phone. Kozoom/FT: Your regular billiard player will say: a pro can give his name to a cue, but it will still be the same cue, right? True or false? GTL: False, if a player is involved in the technical development of the cue, the testing of prototypes and providing feedback, that will make the cue 'one of a kind'. A personal design will also add to a cue's identity!

Kozoom wishes you the best of luck in your new job.

 

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