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Hot News

Hoops Legend Bill Walton Set to Tip Off Expo
Bill Walton once had a stuttering problem so debilitating that he could barely get out the words “thank you.” Today the basketball legend is a talking machine — whether offering insights on the NBA or delivering inspiring, humorous public speeches. And one of his next appearances will be talking to the pool and spa industry. more...

Private Equity Firm Buys MAAX Corp.
Just weeks after MAAX Corp. scuttled a deal to sell off its spa division, the company has been sold to a private equity firm. more...

Service Tip

Summer is here and your pool filters will likely need increased maintenance. Cartridge filters can usually be cleaned with a thorough rinsing, but if an algae or metal coating has developed on your filter, you may need something stronger. Most techs use a weak acid solution, but make sure to remove all oils and cleaning solutions beforehand. Failure to remove these elements will permanently damage the filter. To remove oils, you can either use a cartridge filter cleaner or soak the filter in a solution of laundry detergent or tri-sodium phosphate (use 1 cup to 5 gallons of water in both cases). Leaving the cartridge to soak overnight is usually the most effective in removing all oils.

MOD Design Tip


Kathryn Swehla
Senior Designer
Land Expressions LLC
Mead, Wash.

What great design concept are you working on?
Our team recently completed a waterfeature for a development that has a western theme. We made what looks like a giant horse trough that’s been shot with a gun, so water comes out through what look like bullet holes. It has other western-themed items around it, including a wind mill and oversized lanterns. It’s been fun to work with such a strong theme.

How does it work?
We had the whole thing made by a metal smith who does very artistic work. We determined that the holes couldn’t actually look like shot-gun holes, because those would go inward, which would cause the water to come out and go directly down the side. We wanted the water to shoot out like you’d see at the end of a hose. So the holes actually look like they were shot from inside the tub – each one pops out so the water shoots out like a little spout.

Retail Raves

Rob Pierce
Sales Manager
Geraty Pools & Spa
Herkimer, N.Y.

What he likes: Subskate by Swimways Corp. in Virginia Beach, Va.

What it does: It is a skateboard without wheels that is made out of foam and comes in blue, orange and green. And you can use it to stand on the water.

Why he likes it: We sell a lot of the Subskates. Everybody who grabs one loves it because it’s a great toy. It’s not too expensive either; we sell one for $18.95. People come back saying, we just bought
one but we need two more for the other children.

Market Watch

New home sales showed a rare increase in April, climbing for the first time since October. Sales of new homes rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted level of 526,000 units. This comes as good news after sales for the previous three months were revised downward by 30,000 units. Year to year, new home sales are down 42 percent from April 2007 and 53.2 percent from two years ago.

Sales of existing homes are down again, but the slide seems to be leveling off. Existing home sales declined 1 percent in April, coming in at 4.89 million units. Sales of existing homes fell 2 percent in March and recorded a year-over-year decline in every month since February 2006. The sales pace in April was down 17.5 percent from the same time in 2007.

Meanwhile, interest rates are on the rise, but still remain near historically low levels. The rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the third week of June was 6.28 percent, down from 5.76 percent 30 days earlier.

Sources: Hanley Wood Market Intelligence and Bankrate.com

Trade Show News

Certified Pool-Spa Operator Course

A two-day Certified Pool-Spa Operator (CPO) basic course will be offered in November as part of the 2008 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in Las Vegas. 

Held from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on Nov. 16-17 (Sunday & Monday), the CPO program is the leading education and certification program for pool and spa operators, engineers, service company professionals, health officials, retailers, property owners and others who help protect aquatic venues. 

The CPO courses are just one component of the Expo’s multi-dimensional, pre-show educational programming that also includes the APSP Advanced Pool Builder Program, the APSP Advanced Retailer Program, the APSP Advanced Service Program and the Genesis 3 Design School.  

Online registration opens in late June. For more information, please visit www.PoolSpaPatio.com. 

Mark your calendar:
Exhibits: Nov. 18-20, 2008
Conference: Nov. 15-20, 2008
Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Bayside Halls
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com