The world of pumps is becoming more and more complicated. To techs (in most cases) a pump is a pump and we simply need to match flow, amps and power requirements. But spa manufacturers are looking to set themselves apart and offer something unique, so in our industry pumps are constantly changing. Another complication is…
Artesian Spas’ TidalFit swim spa line is growing. The company unveiled its first model in 2008 and has added three to its lineup since then. At the International Pool | Spa | Patio in November it revealed the remodel of its flagship EP-14 that first tub it introduced in ‘08. Artesian also has expanded its…
Swim spas have changed the landscape of the hot tub industry — so much so that some business plans have been implemented to focus on this unique product. Celebrity endorsers get paid handsomely for touting their benefits. Without question, swim spas transcend industries — part pool, part hot tub, some even incorporating exercise equipment to…
Located in Bothell, Washington, SeaKlear, a division of HaloSource that develops specialty chemicals for pools and spas, started in 1985 producing a natural clarifier unique to the market at the time. Finding a way to use the crab shell remains from seafood processing plants as the active ingredient, it’s now one of the most popular…
In 2015, Byron Originals presented the UltraLift Vision at the International Pool and Spa Show in Las Vegas. It was riding a wave of industry buzz after the new cover lift — which it distributes in partnership with a Canadian steel company — wowed audiences in Atlantic City the previous year. With a new design…
Facebook advertising can be very profitable — if you do it properly. Out of necessity, in the last two years marketing on Facebook has become very sophisticated. In 2014, the Gallup organization did a poll showing social media influenced only 5 percent of consumers’ buying decisions. The tide has turned, says Thorin McGee, editor-in-chief and…
Mark Nelson Master Spas of Western Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Swim spa sales aren’t for every dealer, just like some hot tub dealers don’t build pools. Yes, we sell swim spas and we outsell all in our region. It was only when Master Spas decided to invest in, and rewrite the book on, swim spas…
Dream Maker Spas of Lake Mary, Florida, has evolved rotomold spas with the introduction of its new Crossover line. Dream Maker continues to build its reputation by reinventing a product line once jettisoned to the dusty, darkened corner of spa showrooms. With Crossover, Dream Maker has pushed the innovation envelope with elegant lines, designs, colors…
A popular theme in science-fiction narratives is the prediction that machines, robots, smartphones and computers will one day take over and rule the human race. Even renowned British physicist, cosmologist and author Stephen Hawking has repeatedly warned this theory could become reality in the next 100 years thanks to artificial intelligence, or AI. Whether zeitgeist…
When Len Rosenberg started thinking about retirement, he considered all options for his store, Pool & Patio Specialists in Westwood, Massachusetts. In the end, he threw a going-out-of-business sale. NORM: When did you start your swimming pool and supply business? LEN: In March 1977. The next year, I added skis to compliment the summer business….