Align Capital Partners, the company that currently owns Pleatco Filtration, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Pleatco to Pentair plc. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Pleatco is a leading aftermarket-focused manufacturer of highly engineered clean air and pool and spa water filtration technologies that helps protect people, processes and the environment. ACP acquired Pleatco…
With the NFL season kicking off soon, start things off with an interesting pool story connected to Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. We talk about a couple in Virginia Beach that turns out to be the tenth of a series of customers unsatisfied with the service of a particular swimming pool contractor. We also…
Automatic Pool Covers, Inc. hired Erin Brothers as the company’s new director of human relations. Brothers has over 18 years of progressive human resource and people management experience across multiple industries including healthcare, nonprofit, professional motorsports and consulting. She has been an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management and IndySHRM, and has…
After several months of assessing, removing and attempting to salvage structures, and some intensive planning to optimize future operations, the BioLab team started the reconstruction of its Lake Charles, Louisiana, plant. KIK/BioLab executives and local officials, including Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, gathered on June 30 to break ground and officially kickoff this phase of…
Fluidra S.A., global manufacturer of pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions, announced the acquisition of S.R. Smith, a U.S.-based manufacturer of commercial and residential pool deck equipment and accessories, from Champlain Capital, a private equity fund based in San Francisco and Boston. Founded in 1932, S.R. Smith is a leading global manufacturer specializing in…
National Pool Partners (NPP) acquired two regional presidents and four partner companies since June. Bryan Banta, from B&B Pools in Pompano Beach, Florida, joined the company as a partner and regional president over Florida. Banta will oversee NPP’s ambitious Florida expansion plans, including the integration of recent acquisitions Aloha Pool Service in Ft. Lauderdale and…
Commercial accounts can be a lot of work for little to no reward. Look for solid management. The neighborhood doesn’t always matter — rich or poor, they are all on budgets. Are they easy to deal with? Polite? Understanding? The budget impacts repairs getting done in a timely manner to keep the pool safe and…
Meet the XE Series, the newest addition to the industry-leading line of ultra–high efficiency pumps from Hayward. Built for maximum savings at a fraction of the purchase price, these pumps more than clear the bar for Department of Energy (DOE) regulations — and your customers’ expectations. A BRAND NEW KIND OF PUMP XE Series represents…
Poolwerx has added two new pool supply and service locations in North Texas, both owned and operated by female entrepreneurs. Darlene Childs opened Poolwerx Lantana and Melanie Earles has opened Poolwerx Haslet, each servicing their greater areas. After being disappointed with some of the options in their respective neighborhoods, they each saw an opportunity to…
The Pool & Spa Apprenticeship and Training Committee (PSATC) has opened enrollment for the second class of apprentices in its inaugural year of operation. Enrollment ends September 15th. Reserve your spot before all seats are filled by emailing Jennifer Farwell: jennifer@poolapprenticeship.com. In May, the program was the first of its kind to receive approval from…
We kick things off by sharing our thoughts on some notable pool-related stories—from the recent success of the company known as the “AirBnB” for pools to Will Smith trying out the world’s deepest swimming pool in Dubai, to an arrest made in Florida of a woman who snuck into a retiree’s yard to swim naked…
Service Autopilot announced its 2021 SA7 Conference that’s set to take place from November 10 to 12, 2021 at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West in Plano, Texas. The 2021 SA7 Conference is built for all service industries that are both under and over one million dollars in annual revenue—lawn care, cleaning, pool cleaning,…