Starting a Safety Committee

Starting a Safety Committee

Meeting on a regular basis, monthly or quarterly, a safety committee should stay up to date on what regulations might help create a safer workplace; discuss any injuries or incidents in the company; and recommend policies to help prevent further safety failures. The safety committee at Armond Aquatech Pools in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, comprises four people…

Scouting It Out

Scouting It Out

photography by Marc Ridel Tiffiny Consoli wasn’t looking to go into the pool business. She was just looking to own a business, any business, that made sense. “I didn’t have one thing I was particularity good at or knew I wanted to make bagels every day,” she says. “It wasn’t like that. I wanted to…

Changing Perspective

A fresh take on an old gripe has me thinking Have you ever talked with someone whose attitude changes your perspective on a problem? That happened to me when I was talking to Michael Henson, owner of pH Pool Care in Arkansas. We were having a lengthy discussion about how he sources his product, including…

Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

They say a good carpenter never blames his tools — but great pool techs certainly depend on them. From repurposing standard equipment for new and imaginative purposes to using their tools to build their businesses and bolster their reputations, the best in the industry treat their tools as extensions of themselves. The Top Tool: A…

New to the Commercial Pool Biz?

New to the Commercial Pool Biz?

How do you build trust to gain commercial accounts? Even for brand-new contractors, establishing credibility with clients has never been easier with online training, review websites and more. Don Cesarone, Jr., vice president of the commercial division of Van Kirk and Sons, Inc., says that while states have mandatory training for commercial pool operators, contractors…

Channel Choices

Channel Choices

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:…

The Numbers Game

The Numbers Game

Remember Vince Lombardi, former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named? He won many championships over the years, but he started every training camp the same way: teaching foundational principles. It didn’t matter if you were a 10-year All Star or in your rookie season. Everyone went…

Lights, Camera…SELL!

Lights, Camera…SELL!

In the last issue, Brett Lloyd Abbott, marketing strategist and president of MYM Austin in Austin, Texas, and Mike Logan, owner of Logan Pools in Brentwood, California, both named introduction videos as an important tool before visiting a client in their home. In-home selling can feel like hand-to-hand combat for many salespeople. It needn’t be,…