Articles

  • Hayward seeks to become a publicly traded company

    Hayward Holdings, Inc. announced in February its filing of in registration papers with the Securities & Exchange Commission to start the process to become a public company, also applying for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. If successful, Hayward will trade under the ticker symbol HAYW. “The decision to become a public company supports Hayward’s…

  • Unfiltered Legends

    Unfiltered Megan Kendrick E.4 In this special mini-episode, we sit down with Megan Kendrick of SpaRetailer, PoolPro and The SpaRetailer Podcast. Megan turns the tables and interviews the two Johns who just attended The 2021 Pool and Spa Show in Atlantic City. How do you attend a virtual show? Listen to the episode to find…

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    Acquiring New Customers In a Digital World

    The global pandemic of 2020 will also go down in history as “the great accelerator.” Contactless payments, curbside delivery and cashless orders are just a few examples of trends that were well underway and got pushed into overdrive as the pandemic took hold. Shopping malls, restaurants and traditional retailers closed — in some cases permanently….

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    The Trichlor Shortage

    Chris Cavanaugh, Owner Cavanaugh PoolOwensboro and Madisonville, Kentucky The 2021 trichlor shortage is on every retailer’s mind. [In 2020] between both of my retail stores, we sold roughly 25,000 pounds of 3-inch tablets. My manufacturer is promising 100% of what I purchased in 2020 to be available to me for 2021. I typically buy 75%…

  • Launch of National Pool Partners

    National Pool Partners officially launched in January 2021, hoping to revolutionize the pool service industry by creating a profitable, technology-enabled company that modernizes the industry while improving the lives of partners, owners, customers and teammates. The venture is supported by over $200 million of capital with a target to service 100,000 pools across the Sun…

  • 5 Must-Watch Trends for Pool and Spa Businesses in 2021

    By Rachael Pritz, vice president, RB Retail & Service Solutions Software The business surge in 2020 due to COVID-19 caught most pool and spa service businesses by surprise, especially given that we were forced to operate much differently than in the past. Despite the challenges, savvy pool and spa professionals are embracing the opportunity to…

  • Held Liable

    Years ago, a pool pro told me he did not need general liability insurance because he was nice to small animals. In the 16 years of my career, I am pretty sure being nice to small animals will not save you from a claim due to you overfilling a pool and flooding your customer’s basement….

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    Help Wanted

    For pool pros, the pandemic has had a surprising twist: A major uptick in business. “This has been one of the best years we’ve ever had. It’s been pretty crazy,” says Justin Lex, operations manager at Swimming Pool Services, Inc., a Wisconsin-based company. “Everyone is stuck at home and trying to build a pool or…

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    Virtual Expos

    It’s been a year of in-person intentions and shifting realities. While the nation continues to work toward flattening the curve, the expos pool pros enjoy have become virtual events, namely The Pool & Spa Show hosted by NESPA and the National Plasterers Council’s annual conference. The Pool & Spa Show Hosted by the Northeast Pool…

  • Welcome, 2021

    For many, we’ve never looked forward to a new year as much as 2021. The problems of 2020 did not magically go away upon the Times Square ball drop, but a new year represents a clean slate. Even if it’s just symbolic, I’ll take it. That being said, I think most anticipate 2021 looking quite…