Everyone is looking to save a buck these days. When the recession started six years ago, the “How much can I save and still get what I want?” mentality hit in full force. Though there have been a few upswings in the economy since then, we can’t seem to shake the nervousness. Business owners know…
“Because our company only does design, we work with a lot of builders on projects that include details they’ve never done before,” says Brian Van Bower, president of Florida-based design firm Aquatic Consultants, Inc., and president and co-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group. “Often the driver is the consumer who’s seen it elsewhere, brings…
Gather ’round, kids, and let me tell you about the tough times when there were no whiz-bang apps to operate your pool with your smartphone. Heck, before smartphones we had dumb phones that only allowed you to make or receive calls; no texting, surfing the web or playing Candy Crush Saga. Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn —…
Rick Woemmel left his computer-science job and got into the pool business because he didn’t want to sit behind a computer and a desk all day. “Now I sit behind a computer and a desk all day,” Woemmel says, which shows just how much the world and the industry have changed since he opened Bi-State…
Diving boards are an excellent opportunity for a service business to increase its bottom line. This particular piece of pool equipment is less common than in the past, yet a diving board is a great source of fun and entertainment in the right pool. Many technicians choose not to service diving boards due to liability…
Are you still trying to tweet your way to more pool sales? Step away from Twitter and Pinterest while I tell you about the one social medium every pool builder should be using: Houzz.com. Pronounced just like how’s (as in “How’s your mama?”), Houzz is a match made in heaven for pool builders — especially…
Lobbyist John Norwood knows government. His firm, Norwood & Associates, has represented the interests of California business owners for over 35 years. Churchill Downs, Comcast, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and the California Spa & Pool Education Council (SPEC) are just a few of Norwood’s clients. Aside from representing its legislative needs, Norwood assumed leadership of…
Mike Giovanone feels old. The president and CEO of Concord Pools & Spas knows all the clichés of saying his company “functions like a family.” But it just so happens some of those platitudes are simply true at Concord, where many of his employees share bloodlines and last names. “My corporate attorney used to work…
Callahan Roach believes it brought flat-rate pricing to the pool and spa industry in 2000. Steven Dupuis, senior account manager for the flat-rate implementation company, started working with Callahan just three years later. Today, he traces his employer’s original muse back 102 years, to one of the world’s most iconic brands. “Flat rate is nothing…
Consider the lowly filter cartridge. If you’ve been in the industry for awhile, you know that in the last few years, filters have gotten more than their share of buzz. For a filter to have any buzz is abnormal, but the folks at Pleatco think filters are anything but lowly. They’ve made it their mission…
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…
How can a small insect wreak so much havoc on swimming pools? For two years, I have been explaining to customers why their pools are turning green and their patios are turning black: The whitefly infestation is taking Florida by storm. After about two months, I gave up and called around for help. I couldn’t…