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Industry News
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Sneak Peek
Be the first to read an article that will be appearing in the next issue of Pool & Spa News:
 No End in Sight
The underground economy continues to mushroom out of control, and pool plasterers are among those whose businesses have been stung.
George Oliveira says he loses anywhere from 50 to 100 jobs a year to unlicensed contractors. The owner of Oliveira Pool Plastering Inc. in La Habra, Calif., doesn’t so much mind the other five or so plastering businesses in the city. It’s the 10 local unlicensed guys he takes issue with.
Here, experts in the pool plastering field — in the Golden State and beyond — weigh in on the extent of the problem, the challenges they face, and some suggestions for confronting unlicensed contracting in their industry.
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Top 50 Builder Buzz
 What new initiative are you working on?
We’re working with a marketing company and redoing our Website, developing a new marketing strategy where we’re more proactive with leads, so we can stay in touch with prospects.
How does it work?
Our Website will be more complete and unique to our company. And it will help us manage all incoming leads from the Net. Before, we were relying on our salespeople to stay proactive in their own marketing. We didn’t have anything set up so that we could send reminders out and keep that lead in our hopper. Now, regardless of the salesperson, we can stay in touch with that prospect. We can send an email, CD or brochure. And if they don’t buy in three months, we can send them something else — a postcard, for instance, so our name’s still on their list.
We’re also making it easier for the customer to provide contact information. Now, they can go to the “contact us” section and fill out the form. But they have to provide everything — phone number, mailing address, email address. Some don’t want to spend that much time, or they’re not comfortable providing all that information. Now, if I could just capture their email addresses, I can send them an offer. If I get their mailing addresses, I can send them a CD. Once they’re in our system, if they do pick up the phone and call, we can look up their record and know what we’ve sent them.
— Kenneth J. McKenna Jr., president, Tampa Bay Pools, Brandon, Fla.
PSN Top 50 Builder – No. 38
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Retail Snapshot
 “It’s a little bleak out there. Our sales have been off 50 percent. It’s a make-or-break year for us. To be successful, we have had to make a philosophical change from last year when we just hunkered down. We’re going to approach [our sales and promotions] more aggressively.
“Last year, we didn’t do any home shows. Now, we’re doing one in March. Plus, we’re planning an off-site promotion once a month through July. For example, we’re going to set up our high-impact truck with display spas outside the main gate of a local naval station. We’ve found that government money and financing is more available, so it’s a good niche market with good referrals.
“I’ve found that it’s not going to get any better if you don’t act. If you want to stay in the pool and spa profession, you have to be more proactive. There’s not a lot of joy in keeping the status quo; I want to make a profit. I don’t think beyond this year that retailers can sit back and hold on anymore. You have to change your thinking. We should see an uptick in spa sales this year. And, it’s because we’re going to work it.”
— Jack Greene, owner, Orca Spa & Pool, Anacortes, Wash.
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Trade Show News
International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo - Space Draw
The 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The 2010 Space Draw will begin April 1 at the Hanley Wood Exhibitions headquarters in Dallas via phone and Internet; exhibitors will not be present. To be included in the initial Space Draw, all contracts and the required 50 percent deposit must be received no later than April 1. Contracts received after the April 1 deadline will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and charged the post Space Draw rate. For more information, click here. Questions? Contact Exhibit@PoolSpaPatio.com or 972.536.6350.
 Exhibits: Nov. 3-5, 2010
Conference: Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2010
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com
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Hayward Enters Commercial Market 
