CPSA Announces Bevy of Agreements

The California Pool & Spa Association (CPSA) has announced several new affiliation agreements with pool industry partners designed to consolidate industry efforts and support.

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF), the Western Pool and Spa Show, and the Foundation for Pool and Spa Industry Education (FPSIE) have all finalized affiliation agreements with CPSA, and the association is close to finalizing an agreement with the International Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA).

Each of these agreements are based on providing mutual benefits to each organization, but also work to consolidate CPSA as the lead organization in California for state and local legislative and regulatory affairs, as well as managing issue-specific public relations for the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry.

CPSA's goal for 2016 is to substantially expand its membership in order to provide a stable budget for the association to support the activities necessary to represent the industry and continue the many successes achieved over the last two years. "Each of the affiliation agreements help CPSA financially but also puts CPSA in a position to add membership value through services provided by associated organizations," said CPSA Vice Chairman Wallace. "Also, these affiliations will help CPSA build a grassroots political system necessary for the association to respond to legislative and regulatory challenges that continue to face the industry in California."

Each of the affiliation agreements will involve streamlining efforts and providing more value for members through better coordination. Specifically regarding the pact with APSP, the terms of the deal call for the national association to handle all Federal legislative and regulatory government relations, while CPSA will take the lead for local and state legislative and regulatory government relations and public relations in California. Members of CPSA are entitled to use the APSP logo and will have access to all benefits. Local California chapters will be branded as CPSA/APSP Chapters. Both organizations will maximize promotional opportunities to strengthen brands and membership opportunities.

"The swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry is much stronger working together than each organization trying to respond to challenges individually," commented John Norwood, executive director of CPSA. "The goal has always been to bring the industry together as partners. With the recent changes in the association's bylaws CPSA is truly a member run organization that will work hard to reflect the needs and goals of all segments of the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry.

“CPSA has been working hard to unite all segments of the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry in California so as to build a powerful organization that can represent and defend this important industry before numerous government entities. This affiliation with APSP will go a long way to achieving that vision.”

“We are pleased with the formalization of our close relationship with CPSA,” added APSP President and CEO Rich Gottwald. “CPSA has been at the forefront of the California drought, and has done an excellent job protecting the pool, spa and hot tub industry from what could have been overreaching legislation. Leveraging our collective strengths, we can make our California members more successful by solving complex technical and standards issues and by offering more APSP training and certification opportunities.”