 Wayne & Steve Craun
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In the nineteen forties, Bill Showalter probably never envisioned that his tiny business, Showalter Music, with coin-operated juke boxes and games would eventually become Billiards Games & Things, a division of Showalter Amusement Company. Once located in a barn on Broad Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Showalter Amusement started with humble beginnings to say the least. As the business steadily grew, Showalter Music found itself with a modest location on Waterman Drive at the West end of Harrisonburg. Thirty years later, in 1970, founder Bill Showalter sold Showalter Music to Ralph and June Craun who transformed the business into Showalter Amusement Company, keeping the Showalter name as a means of respect for the company's founder. The business has been truly family-run since 1970.
In 1989, a semi-retired Ralph Craun turned the business over to his three sons, with Virginia-Tech graduates Wayne as President, and Steve and Sid as Vice-President. Ralph continued to work within the company until he passed away in 1995.
Their mother, June continues to work as bookkeeper, secretary/treasurer, and sales associate for the company.
In 2003, Showalter Amusement outgrew its small location on Waterman Drive. They moved the store to a more prominent location; and with the new store, came a new name and new image for the growing company. Out of Showalter Amusement, the retail store was reborn as Billiards Games & Things. With 6,400 square feet of space, Billiards Games & Things can now showcase all it has to offer. Featuring pool table after pool table, games upon games, Billiards Games & Things offers families more ways to enjoy time spent at home. Billiards Games & Things continues to grow, but remains an easy-going, fun to browse store, where you’ll be greeted with not only the Craun family members themselves, but also extended members of the family like Ching-A-Ling, Steve’s dog and store mascot.
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