Aqua Magazine

Zodiac Receives Energy Star Rating

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:00 GMT

Zodiac Pool Systems’ Jandy Pro Series line of variable-speed and two-speed pool pumps are now Energy Star qualified, signifying they meet or exceed the Federal program’s energy-efficiency guidelines. Energy Star is an EPA program that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment and save energy and money through superior energy efficiency. Jandy Pro Series’ Energy Star-qualified pumps include variable-speed VS-FloPro and ePump, and two-speed Stealth, FloPro, ...

Fill in the Phil: 5-16-13

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Have you met Phil? He's our resident pool pro who always finds a way of getting into shenanigans. While drawn by Ron Coleman, we leave it up to you to write the jokes. This time, we asked you to provide your best one-liner for the below comic. Thanks to Darren Kesler, general manager of ASP Co. of Dallas, for providing this gem. Think you can do ...

State of the Industry 2013: Retail (Part II)

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:55:00 GMT

About two months ago, we asked retailers across the country to fill out a survey about how their businesses fared in 2012. We asked you about the products you sell, what’s doing well (and not so well), how the Internet is impacting your business and why you do what you do. Part I featured our introduction and just a few of our findings. Below you’ll find ...

Retail Voice 2013: Steve Ruscigno

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:30:00 GMT

For the retail portion of our State of the Industry issue, we spoke we three industry leaders to serve as our "retail voices." In these profiles, they share how their businesses fared last year, their strategies for success and their vision for the future. For 2013, we spoke with Brian Quint, Merry Wise and Steve Ruscigno. Steve Ruscigno General Manager Oregon Hot Tub Beaverton, Ore. After a ...

The Crucial Importance of Learning to Swim: A White Paper From Dr. Tom Lachocki

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:33:00 GMT

Some of our society’s serious problems — poor exercise habits, obesity, soaring healthcare costs and drowning — are related. In this clear and well-organized white paper, Dr. Tom Lachocki, CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, lays out a path toward a healthy and physically active society with fewer tragic water-related deaths and reduced healthcare costs. Read Dr. Tom Lachocki's white paper here.

State of the Industry 2013: Retail (Part I)

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Pictured is the showroom floor at San Juan Pools & Spas in Pekin, Ill. Photo courtesy Deverman Advertising. It’s a story you’ve heard before. After the economic downturn, we’re seeing signs of a slow-but-persistent recovery as evidenced by rising consumer confidence, a stronger housing market and modestly increased sales across the board. That story largely remains unchanged. But that’s a good thing, as the pool and spa ...

Retail Voice 2013: Merry Wise

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:50:00 GMT

For the retail portion of our State of the Industry issue, we spoke we three industry leaders to serve as our "retail voices." In these profiles, they share how their businesses fared last year, their strategies for success and their vision for the future. For 2013, we spoke with Brian Quint, Merry Wise and Steve Ruscigno. Merry Wise Co-Owner, Wise Pools, and President, Retrospective Publishing ...

Retail Voice 2013: Brian Quint

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:30:00 GMT

APSP Offers Marketing Help

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:50:00 GMT

Creating a good radio ad can be harder than paying for it. APSP is helping association members bridge the gap by providing a professionally produced radio ad that can be tailored to promote an individual dealership or builder. It’s part of a wider program to raise awareness of the benefits of pool and spa ownership, and help the industry compete with other leisure industries for consumers’ ...

I Voted For The Flag

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:01:00 GMT

I’m sure you noticed the cover of the magazine this month — the American flag in the form of a hot tub. We always have a number of cover candidates, and we get together in a meeting every month, lay them out next to each other and choose the one that moves or inspires us or that we think is the most beautiful. As we gathered these ...

Pretty as Pictures

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Photos courtesy of Questar Pools Amazingly, these images are not photographs, but the work of Greg Boruff of Questar Pools (Escondido, Calif.) using Auto Cad, SketchUp and ShaderLight computer drafting programs. Boruff works with renowned designer Skip Phillips, founder of Questar and co-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group educational programs. Seeking to enhance his own design abilities, Boruff studied the computer rendering process at ...

Business Briefs: May 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:50:00 GMT

Hunter Hadaway, district sales manager for BioLab's Pro Dealer Division. Curt Germundson (President/CEO), Jessica Chase (Support Manager), Warren Halcott (Data Conversion Specialist) smile at the finish line. Timothy Pigott, AquaFinesse's new vice president, U.S. Sales and marketing. Emily Goonting joined SeaKlear as its new sales operations coordinator. Timothy Pigott, AquaFinesse's new vice president, U.S. Sales and marketing. BioLab Promotes Staff MemberBioLab Pro Dealer Division is pleased ...

"Pool-Ups" Strengthen Sales

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:12:00 GMT

Your cash registers must ring more often for your store to survive and thrive in today’s tough economic environment. Just how can you spark more sales among cautious pool and spa shoppers? One of the most basic but powerful techniques is upselling your pool products — doing your “pool-ups” — that is, promoting your better quality, higher-priced merchandise that more closely meets customer needs. “Upselling spells ...

Brick-And-Mortar Relief Bill Passes US Senate

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:05:00 GMT

A bill which supporters say will provide substantial relief to brick-and-mortar retailers in their struggle to compete with online sellers has passed the US Senate, 69-27. The bill would authorize states to compel online merchants to collect sales tax in a similar manner that traditional merchants do, thereby leveling a playing field that has been tilted toward digital commerce. Heretofore, online merchants have been able to sell ...

Splendor Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Photos by Ken Hayden Located in Canyon Point in southern Utah, Amangiri is a stunning desert resort created by hotelier Adrian Zecha and architects Wendell Burnette, Marwan Al-Sayed and Rick Joy. The resort is designed to blend into the landscape with neutral tones and natural elements, but it doesn’t stop there. The swimming pool was constructed to accommodate a 165-million-year-old Entrada sandstone rock escarpment. But don’t call it ...

Why Water Safety Is Good For Business

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:13:00 GMT

When considering how to expand a business, you really only have two choices: You can grow by pitching yourself as the best supplier, or you can increase demand for your product or services. Put another way, do you want to battle your competitors over the same small sliver of the pie, or do you all want to gorge on the whole pie, with more pies ...

PoolCorp, “Big 3” Lawsuit Partially Dismissed

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:09:00 GMT

A court in Louisiana recently dismissed parts of the antitrust lawsuit brought against PoolCorp and the “Big Three” manufacturers (Hayward, Pentair and Zodiac) yet allowed other parts to advance. The plaintiffs in the case consist of both dealers and consumers, known in the case as “direct purchasers” and “indirect purchasers” respectively. As previously reported, the plaintiffs original suit claimed that PoolCorp intimidated manufacturers in order to stop ...

Universal Application

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:50:00 GMT

Courtesy Hydroscapes Over my many years covering all things aquatic, I’ve always tried to usher into print profiles of outstanding projects. I have no set criteria for what gets into print and what doesn’t & the work I’ve favored has simply caught my eye for being unusual, exceptionally beautiful, technically challenging, complex or otherwise groundbreaking in some way. Unsurprisingly, many of these works have been what many ...

The Servant Leader

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:45:00 GMT

Looking at the state of our industry with an eye toward improving what we do and how we do it, I believe we are suffering from a deficit of effective leadership and have been for a long time. I see it at all levels of the industry, from dealers to manufacturers and our trade associations, far too many of our organizations are overmanaged and not ...

National Water Safety Month Begins

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:25:00 GMT

Yesterday, May 1, marked the beginning of National Water Safety Month. Celebrated throughout the month of May, National Water Safety Month is a joint effort by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA), American Red Cross and World Waterpark Association (WWA), alongside several other participants, to reinforce the importance of safe swimming practices in the United States. Aquatics professionals ...