Michael Hilleary’s industrial-design education initially led him to a job designing zoo exhibits. Once, he fashioned an exhibit with clear, clean, chemical-free water for otters to play. It gave him an idea. “After watching the animals enjoy swimming, I began to think about how people could enjoy the same quality of water,” Hilleary says. From…
You’ve probably placed your big orders for the year — pallets will start showing up at the shop any day now. But maybe you’re dreaming of the day when you will do enough volume to buy in bulk. However, businesses of all sizes across the industry demonstrate there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to buying channels. Distribution:…
Dan Cunningham gets paid to expect the worst. The companies that rely on his business analysis services are grateful for his insistence that troubled times are never far off. Why? Because history has proven him right, and in Cunningham’s experience, misplaced optimism is a business killer. “The biggest mistake people make is overextending themselves when…
Swimmers and the environment bring all sorts of things into the pool with them: skin oils, dirt, sunscreen, bird waste, debris, bacteria — you name it, it’s probably in the pool water. As a service professional, you see the worst of it in poorly functioning pool filters, water chemistry frustrations and the cumbersome ring that…
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…