While technology has made it easier than ever to pull off, being a commuting owner — be it a 90-minute drive down a mountain or a 3,000-mile flight — isn’t a simple setup. Here, four proprietors share what it’s like to be back and forth between multiple stores, and how their employees have risen to…
While 2019 hot tub industry growth was small or held steady at 2018 numbers, many manufacturers have found themselves in need of more manufacturing space. In the last two years, several manufacturers added to existing facilities, remodeled, built or are building, or moved into new spaces. We’ve covered some of these expansions in past issues;…
Photography by Iris Photography Hot Tubs: Cal Spas, Caldera Spas, Coast Spas, Passion Spas, Strong SpasSwim Spas: Cal Spas, Passion SpasChemicals: Leisure TimeAccessories: Leisure Concepts Blaine Budke decided to give hot tub retail another try when he opened Hot Tub Brokers. He first entered the industry in 1999 as Tri-State Spas, which grew to four…
Arctic Spas of Utah supports families battling rare medical conditions Mark Kristensen’s son, Matt, had a rare genetic disease and a lot of unique needs not covered by insurance. That’s why, in 2001, Kristensen and his friend Steve Stauffer started the Angel’s Hands Foundation, with the mission to improve the quality of life for individuals…
Confer Plastics invests in youth programs, scholarships Community means a lot to Confer Plastics. “It is our corporate culture to support our friends and neighbors in an effort to make the area — and our country — a better place,” says Jack Gawrys, proprietary sales coordinator for Confer. One element of outreach that is important…
This story was written before the covid-19 outbreak. Though the advice is geared toward politics, much of it holds true for helping your business through a pandemic. An election year is here, again. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be tricky to score sales. Or that you’ll have political feuds going down in your…
In a clever mash-up that provided content for the station and promotion for a local business, Seattle-based Olympic Hot Tub partnered with its local ABC affiliate to create three lifestyle segments over the past year. The topics covered the health benefits of hot tubs, the latest in hot tub technology and the power of using…
In your customers’ minds, spring starts in April no matter what’s happening outside. Here are some ideas to refresh your store and sales for spring 2020. Free A few things you can do today If you have props such as towels, plants, rocks, flowers, plastic glassware, rubber ducks or anything that will add visual pop…
Hot tubs are synonymous with relaxation and therapy for many homeowners, and for a spa dealer seeking to monetize this niche further, massage chairs can be a logical use for retail space. Zen Awakening, a subsidiary of Galaxy Home Recreation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, manufactures massage chairs exclusively for hot tub retailers. Galaxy Home Recreation was…
Achieving greater dirt-holding capacity, longer cycle times and better flow characteristics for spa cartridges were all key factors in the development of the Pleatco Advanced Spa cartridges, says Scott Gleason, vice president of business development for Pleatco in Glen Cove, New York. Created to function optimally in a hot water environment, he says the Advanced…
For many spa retailers, starting a hot tub valet service is an enticing but formidable task. Typically offered on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis, a valet service involves sending a service technician to a customer’s house to perform routine spa maintenance jobs — filter cleaning and replacement, water testing and balancing, tub floor vacuuming,…
The first thing one may think of with a swim spa purchase is aquatic exercise, and most any dealer or manufacturer can tout those benefits. But there is an emerging trend for creating backyard family fun time with a smaller footprint than a traditional above- or in-ground swimming pool, says Jordon Silon, vice president of…