Jack Manilla, CEO of Portofino Pools, lives and breathes sports. “I’m an avid NFL fan,” says Manilla, who grew up hearing sports on a portable radio in western Pennsylvania. He remembers his dad simultaneously listening to the radio while reading the sports page. “Sports got in my brain,” he says. For pool professionals who also…
Though a concrete pool structure will never be 100 percent watertight, achieving an adequately sealed pool requires reliable materials and techniques. Steve Goodale, owner of SwimmingPoolSteve.com and a swimming pool specialist in Ontario, Canada, points out that because concrete is a porous construction material, “at most you are attempting to make a highly water-resistant structure.” Concrete will…
Dominic Radocchia had a vision when he opened Connecticut-based Namco in 1962 — a vision that spanned more than four-decades. His family-run pool and spa retail business grew to more than 30 stores and a loyal customer base by 2005 when Radocchia sold the company to a private equity firm, staying on as CEO and…
Most business owners in the pool and spa industry know, formally or informally, what their business goals are for every season. However, it is challenging to make sure every employee at their company can state those goals at a moments notice. It is also challenging to create measurable sub-goals that allow your employees to actively…
Industry leaders are often industry innovators, too. Several pool companies are using cutting-edge strategies and business practices to expand their market reach, grow their business and save on overhead costs. Absorbing Electrical To make its off-season more profitable, Aqua Quip in the Seattle, Washington, area, started its own electrical division of the company in 2006…
“Plan, blow holes in the plan, revise the plan, and then execute and adapt to each situation as it presents itself.” That’s the pool building process for Scott Heusser, manager of Idaho Pool Remodeling in Meridian. Preparing your customers for this fluctuating plan and schedule can be difficult. Depending on the design, materials and details,…
In the history of the pool industry, there have been few franchise businesses. Pinch A Penny, a swimming pool retail and service franchise, started in 1976; it was the lone franchise for years. So for an industry that hasn’t seen a new franchise company since 2012, adding three in the last five years seems like…
How many times have you groaned after receiving a customer survey? Chances are good you probably did. It’s likely even less appealing to send one on your pool company’s behalf. Don’t let it be, says Travis Leonard, CEO of A&G Concrete Pools, Inc., in Fort Pierce, Florida. While slightly time consuming, it’s a game changer…
For the past 29-plus years of working within the trades, I have noticed some pretty profound changes within companies in an effort to become more customer friendly. You will notice one item that is glaringly absent from the list. I have not listed the need, or desire, for top-quality work. The reason is simple: Today’s…
If a pool technician can’t persuade a reluctant customer to replace a feeble pump or a weathered liner, no big deal. Their pool, their choice — onto the next job. But sometimes, a tech is obligated to not take “no” for an answer. Pools that aren’t properly installed or maintained can be death traps, and…
Pool automation is one of the fastest-growing and most exciting trends in the industry — and in most cases, it’s a race to turn pools into spaceships. Many offer complex systems that run macros, control dozens of themes and integrate multiple systems into one control center. Pentair IntelliConnect, on the other hand, is designed to…
A new app created by the National Swimming Pool Foundation and Counsilman-Hunsaker can assist commercial pool operators with staying on track with records and maintenance issues. Called Facility Manager, the app provides the aquatic industry with a digital, web-based application designed to enhance the safety and sustainability of aquatic facilities. Facility Manager is accessible via…