For Brian Quint of Seattle-based Aqua Quip, the regional labor pool has talent, high expectations and plenty of options. Washington state, after all, is home to global juggernauts like Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon, all of which are famous for generous benefits packages and employee-centric work cultures. But if Quint’s company sells hot tubs, swim spas,…
A Google search on the state of labor in the pool industry reveals an ocean of ominous headlines chronicling talent shortages, cross-company poaching, a perception problem and even an epidemic of suicide among construction workers. But if the labor crisis is real, some companies seem to be immune. Many businesses, no doubt, are caught in…
William Drakeley grew up in the pool business. As a child, he would pick up garbage on the job site, following around the shotcrete crews. He finished school and became a banker, but he hated staying inside. So he worked for a few family pool companies and then, in 2000, started Drakeley Pool Company in…
Few industries are more cyclical and seasonal than the pool business. Homeowners naturally want to extend the season and close their pools as late in the year as possible. This forces pool companies and their service departments to cram the critical closing season into a short, frantic, whirlwind few months. In regions where savage and…
In Virginia, pools didn’t open on schedule this Memorial Day and waterparks are bracing for a shorter season.[1] Pools in Maine were still reeling from lifeguard shortages in the middle of June.[2] In Minnesota, labor shortages are stifling businesses.[3] These examples represent the anxieties facing businesses and organizations across the country, all of which have…
When a major storm bears down on the open sea, cargo ships can be vulnerable to major damage, sinking and possible fatalities. In such a dangerous scenario, the captain must put the safety of his vessel and crew above all else, even if that means cargo is jettisoned. On land, businesses go through similar struggles…
The swankiest section of Miami Beach is home to a $20 million-PLUS mansion that features a perfect rectangle of blue water levitating above the landscaping, apparently unbound by the laws of physics. The water is contained inside a clear-walled vanishing-edge pool. Linear and seamless, the breathtaking optical illusion is the brainchild of Aquatic Consultants Inc.,…
Twenty years ago, you used to say to your customers, ‘You can choose whatever color you want as long as it’s white or blue.’ Stick around the industry long enough, and you’ll hear some variation of this. Though there was a time where those were the only two colors available, most pools still seem to…
Preparedness is the way of the successful businessperson, whether it be for risky situations, the off-season or even an unexpected influx of customers. Activity starts around February for Nicholas Pools, Inc. in New Jersey, though it’s part-time work in the beginning. “We begin preparing for construction — submit permits, get mark outs, order pool kits…
Today, at least one in 10 retail dollars are spent online; in 2001, internet purchases accounted for just 1 percent of total retail sales. e-commerce grew by 14.6 percent in 2015 alone. Statistics could run the length of this article, but pool builders, suppliers and service providers don’t need data to understand how the internet…
When Hayward hired Bob Hughes in 2007, its Rhode Island plant was out of space. Since then, it has almost doubled production there without expanding. How Hayward has accomplished this is a lesson in manufacturing efficiency and creativity, coupled with a commitment to improvement from the organization’s top leaders to its factory workers. In 2004,…
Although building a pool in someone’s backyard is no easy task, the world’s most massive water-based superstructures test the earthly possibilities of engineering and construction. From seemingly insurmountable design challenges to a complicated web of international laws and regulations, the minds behind the world’s most ambitious projects must find solutions to match their ideas. OdySea:…