Pentair intended to take its time removing the pool equipment it manufactures from the internet. As of October 1, more than 1,800 Pentair product SKUs were scrubbed from online sales under the company’s TradeGrade policy, a program founded in 2016 that was recently updated to accommodate the large-scale change. Under the enhanced policy, Pentair provides…
Part 1 of 2 For self-starters who’ve already launched a small business, it may not be surprising that the entrepreneurial bug eventually bites again. In part one of a two-part series, we look at three pool industry ventures that, born of necessity, changed the lives of those who dared to try something new. POWERVAC Father…
It’s not an uncommon concern, but pool safety doesn’t often become a priority for homeowners until they’re brought face-to-face with tragedy or the scare of a lifetime. Mike Tellegen, owner of The Pool & Spa Medic in Molalla, Oregon, recalls the time he received a call from a mother who, after finding a door ajar…
A few years ago, Lin Boyd, owner of Splash Pool Service in Kyle, Texas, found himself in a situation that might have been comical had it not been so serious. Alone in a remote area of Cedar Creek, Texas, Boyd was preparing to clean a 12-foot-deep pool when he slipped and fell into it —…
Work injuries industry pros lived through teach imperative lessons Paul Goebel owner, Goebel’s Pool and Spa Maintenance Hidden Valley Lake, California “When I first started doing pools for a company out of Novato, California, I was adding muriatic acid to a pool. One of the rocks around the edge was not concreted in and it…
Misty Knight, technical sales manager for Zodiac Pool Systems, says her customers become like extended family. Bryan Banta, owner of B&B Pools in Pompano Beach, Florida, can attest to that. “Misty answers the phone when others don’t,” he says. “She’s available to me when I need her.” Establishing a strong B2B relationship between pool professional…
Pool pros use portable vacs to battle leaves, sand and just about everything else that can get into a pool At least half a dozen manufacturers now make portable vacuums, and there seems to be one on every service truck. The companies that make and market them have long pushed portable vacuums as tools of…
For small businesses, hiring additional employees is often a tough decision. Is the timing right? How do I know what positions to hire for, and what we can afford to pay those people? Brand new business owners often put a lot of weight on their instincts. For Hal Denbar, president of Patriot Pool and Spa…
We’ve all seen it happen in the pool and spa industry: Someone gets a pool or hot tub — and for awhile, they are excited. They use it often. But over time, the water becomes hard to manage. They have to add more and more chemicals. Spa customers drain it, hoping that will give them…
The pool industry is full of people from all walks of life. Some fell into the industry by accident and never left. Others grew up in a family pool business and knew from an early age that’s all they wanted to do. Whatever may have brought them here, pool professionals are eclectic and vast, providing…
For service-based pool businesses that have demonstrated growth and success, adding a brick-and-mortar location often tops the list of natural next steps. But even if the bottom line can absorb the associated overhead costs, long hours and extra staff that comes with a physical location, it can be tough to know whether it will prove…
For David Riley, founding partner at business-improvement firm Gemini Effect, inventory management would be a piece of cake — if reality didn’t keep getting in the way. “If you had the world the way you wanted it and you could manage things perfectly, you could operate a business without ever having to invest in inventory,”…