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Service Tip
 When adding salt, use enough to reach the midpoint of the range recommended by the ECG manufacturer. It’s better to add too little salt than too much, as you can always add more, and too much salt will require dilution with fresh water. Add salt to the deep end of the pool and brush until dissolved while the pump is running.
— Bob Harper, general manager of Pristiva Inc. |
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Retail Snapshot
 “If I wait for people to come through the door, I would have been out of business a long time ago, so I deal a lot with members of the trade. There’s a bunch of stores that have closed in the last year, and I’ve been staying in business by saying that I have to think ‘outside the hot tub.’
I’m in contact with a lot of landscape architects, homebuilders, contractors, etc. The “staycation” idea that’s being perpetuated by the media is giving ideas to those who used to travel a lot. They are staying home more and redoing their homes.
“Pools are not a big selling feature in homes anymore, but spas and swim spas are cost effective,value builders, and I’ve developed strategic marketing program focusing on their relaxing properties after all the stress of the average person’s day and the fatigue that comes with earning a living in this economy. People can’t afford to get a massage, and a spa is something you will have for a long time. If you break that cost down over the life of the spa, it’s a great value.
“We also tap into the eco-friendly consumer with all the natural cleaners available today. We sell a lot of citrus-based cleaners and recycled plastic items to target that market.”
— Michael Galica, owner, Marin Outdoor Living, Greenbrae, Calif.
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Top 50 Buzz
 What new initiative are you working on?
We’re investing in ourselves for the future. We just finished a remodel of our design center, and we’ve also tried to target the home builder market a little bit more than we have in the past.
How does it work?
For our design-center remodel, we got help from our vendors and trades, who really helped bring the cost down. They want to show their new and best products as well. Making that investment shows stability and strength. We wanted to show our clients that we’re investing in our future and we’ll be here long-term. And there have been some pretty drastic changes in the demand for different materials in the last year or two, so we didn’t want to be outdated, where people hearing about the most popular products but can’t seen them.
We’re actually seeing the home builder market pick up a little bit and are trying to pick up a few more accounts. We’re trying to convince home builders to expand their pool program to include two or three pool builders, rather than just one. That gives customers a little more choice, while they get the same benefit of having a preferred pool builder in their program.
— Kevin Rondeau, Vice president, Rondo Pools and Spas, Phoenix
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Trade Show News
Make plans to attend the 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo as online registration approaches
As your complete source for backyard living, IPSPE brings together builders, retailers, service companies and landscape architects for face-to-face interaction, product review, education and networking.
Held in the Bayside Halls at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, booths will feature the full scope of industry product categories, including water features, casual furniture, decking, barbecues, grills, lighting, landscape décor, hearth products, outdoor lighting and fencing, as well as pools and spas.
Show highlights include 60 educational seminars, the VGB Pavilion, Party on the Patio Pavilion, Product Showcase, Backyard Living Pavilion, Genesis 3 Pavilion, live workshops and exhibitor product clinics.
Online registration opens June 8, so mark your calendar and make plans to attend.
To read the IPSPE blog, visit blog.poolspapatio.com
For more information, click here.
Questions? Contact Exhibit@PoolSpaPatio.com or 972.536.6350.
 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo
Exhibits: November 3 - 5, 2010
Conference: October 31 - November 5, 2010
Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Bayside Halls
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com
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