Business Briefs: Late October 2013

Texas Veteran to Receive Gift of a Therapy PoolThanks to the North Texas Chapter of APSP and VFW Post 4380, a wounded veteran will receive a free swimming pool. The gift is part of a new initiative called Dive into Recovery, a program that seeks to provide veterans with swimming pools for hydrotherapy purposes. 

photo of Sergeant Mario Torres and his family
Sergeant Mario Torres and his family

The first recipient will be Sergeant Mario Torres. Torres served in the army for six years, including time in Kuwait for as a crew  chief/pilot on a Black Hawk helicopter, transporting supplies and fellow soldiers into Iraq. He sustained a back injury from working 18-hour days and currently battles PTSD. 

With a candidate selected, the North Texas Chapter APSP will now begin designing the pool; the building process is scheduled to start in January 2014.

While local pool and spa pros in the North Texas area are donating labor and parts for the project, Dive into Recovery is in need of donations; contributions can be made on the official website via PayPal.  

photo of Evosus conference
The Evosus conference, in Portland, featured in-depth training on the software platform.

Evosus Hosts 130 Pool Professionals at User ConferenceEvosus, Inc., makers of Evosus Business Management Software, hosted 130 pool, spa and hearth professionals at a two-day conference. At the event, attendees took in-depth training courses on everything from marketing, service and delivery and customer loyalty programs to reporting and inventory management. 

The theme of the event was “Creating Connections” and provided an opportunity for users to connect with Evosus team members, fellow Evosus users and the software itself. 

“It was wonderful to host our customers and really help them maximize their Evosus investment,” says Christina Braks, VP of Software Products for the company.  

Canadian Pool and Spa Company Set to Purchase New BrandBackyard Brands, Inc., a Canadian-based manufacturer and distributor of pool and hot tub water care solutions, has signed a letter of intent to buy the Pristiva brand of salt water pool care products from Pristiva Inc. Backyard Brands has been the exclusive distributor of Pristiva brand products to Canadian pool dealers since 2011; the sale is expected to close by the end of the year. 

"Backyard Brands has been a great marketing and distribution partner," says Bob Harper, vice president of sales for Pristiva. "With decades of experience in the pool and hot tub industry, a proven track record of innovation, dealership development programs and a strong dealer network, Backyard Brands is the best company to take the Pristiva brand to the next level." 

Neptune-Benson Hires International Sales DirectorNeptune-Benson, a leading manufacturer of commercial aquatics filtration systems, has named Stephen P. Votta as the company’s director of international sales. Votta will be responsible for continuing to grow business development in the Middle East and Africa. 

photo of Stephen P. Votta
Stephen P. Votta, Neptune-Benson's director of international sales.

Throughout his 31-year career in aquatics, Votta has successfully built and maintained strong relationships through technical involvement working extensively with architects, engineers and designers to promote products and support sales. Most recently, he was employed by two of the industry’s premier aquatic play feature manufacturers and was responsible for sales development in the U.S. Over the years, Votta has maintained a reputation for recruiting and training highly successful sales staff and organizational policy that is still in use today. 

Paddock Pools On the MovePaddock Pools is moving its corporate headquarters from Southern Scottsdale to its 29,000 square-foot superstore in Northern Scottsdale. The building and real estate that originally housed the company’s headquarters were not part of the original transaction and will likely be redeveloped. 

Sensing an opportunity with the recovering Arizona housing market and economy, Paddock was purchased in early 2012 from the previous owner, Lincolnshire, which had owned the company since 2005. 

“Our instincts were right about buying this company when we did with its rich history and great name. Business has been brisk,” Owner Craig Maggi says. 

Paddock has built pools for many of the Valley’s large resorts, including popular area water parks and tens of thousands of pools in homes since the company’s founding in 1958. According to Maggi, part of new ownership’s success has been the result of a renewed focus on pool construction, service and remodeling, what he describes as the original mission of Paddock Pools. 

“For decades, Paddock Pools has been a premier builder of pools in the communities in which it has served, always being a conscientious citizen of them. We will continue to emphasize this in the years ahead as we expand the great Paddock name,” Maggi says. 

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