Everyone has a preference in competitive markets: Burger King versus McDonald’s, Walmart versus Amazon — and in this industry, the brand of pool equipment you install and the sanitizer you recommend to customers. In the world of chlorine versus bromine, the competition is likewise fierce. What’s the difference? You can’t have a good matchup without…
This summer, Poolcorp announced the retirement of its longtime leader, Manuel Perez de la Mesa. While Perez de la Mesa will stay on the board of directors, at the end of 2018 Peter Arvin will assume the role of CEO. Megan Kendrick: Are you excited for next year and what that change looks like for…
Jennifer Clements Pla-Mor Pools Mechanicsville, Virginia What do you love, or hate, about industry trade shows? I have always enjoyed attending industry trade shows. It’s exciting walking the showroom floor looking for the latest, greatest innovation to make our work easier, or our customer’s pool more fun. It is also a valuable opportunity to have…
Looking back What kind of a year 2015 was for you, and why? “Very slow with pool installations due to the weather. People don’t buy pools if it’s not hot enough to swim!” — Doreen ZettleBZ Pools & Decks Inc.Johnstown, Pa “Moderate growth, improved margins, lower operating costs, and higher net profits were slightly offset…
I got involved with the process of developing the Model Aquatic Health Code in 2005. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored a workshop at the request of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Since the ’90s they had seen an increase in pool-related illnesses. It was difficult to address because health…
For the last five years, I have struggled to sell vacuums to my customers due to Internet prices. This is no secret in our industry. But finally, the big manufacturers are coming to our aid. They are offering considerable rebates to the homeowners and not allowing Internet sales on some of their products. So now…
For my first three years at Horner Equipment, now HornerXpress, I was a partner. But in 1975, I bought out the other partner and became the 100 percent business owner. When I first started here, we had three employees; right now, we have 430. It’s been 43 years. I’ve always believed in continuous improvement. If…
My parents founded Johnson Pools in 1977. We started out as a custom concrete, block wall, vinyl-liner pool builder and slowly grew. Back in the ’80s, people wanted freeform pools, so we moved away from concrete walls and start doing steel walls. In the late ’90s to the 2000s, people went into debt up to…
“I SAW THAT ONLINE FOR A LOT LESS.” Each one of us going out on sales calls has heard this from customers. Over the past five years, the swimming pool industry has dealt with underpriced Internet items and improper installations. Pentair, one of the leading manufacturers of swimming pool equipment, recently helped level the playing…
Swim University does not offer a four-year degree or doctorate; no sheepskin is earned and there are no football tryouts. Instead, Swim University offers a flood of knowledge from its founder and creator, Matt Giovanisci. If it has to do with the operation of your pool, Giovanisci’s media-rich and enlightening website, swimuniversity.com, probably has a…
What is your policy or how do you respond when a customer asks for part or model numbers when you’ve recommended they replace a piece of pool equipment? / What’s your policy on installing and/or servicing parts and products you did not sell? “Some people call to ask for a quote for hot tub covers,…
As a boy, Adam Morley, the president of IPSSA, would idly push a net around his grandfather’s pool to stave off boredom, What he couldn’t have known then, of course, is how this pastime would play a role in his future. Morley, now president and CEO of the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA)…