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…
You may have heard that last month I bought PoolPro, along with sister publications SpaRetailer, Spasearchand Poolsearch. I love this industry and the people in it, and I’m so happy this is where I will continue my career. This process has given me a new respect for small-business owners. As I make further strides in…
photography by Simon Hurst Ryan Hayes has big dreams for the family business he’s been around since age 8. Already committed to taking over for his parents, who own Leisure Time Pools and Spas in Oklahoma City, when they retire, Hayes started out water testing and helping his dad in the store’s warehouse between throwing…
When Lake Air Pool Supply in Waco, Texas, received its first-ever Endless Pool for the showroom in April 2017, sales manager Ryan Jordan went live on the company’s Facebook page as they unloaded it from the truck. That video alone has more than 750 views. A two-minute live video in June about its tent sale…