It seems that, even if there were nothing else at work to bring APSP and NSPF together, the sheer desire of members to see this unification happen would suffice.
While many professionals were surprised at the announcement that the pool/spa and aquatics industries’ two largest organizations would merge three years after a failed attempt, most were pleased with the news.
In January, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals and the National Swimming Pool Foundation said they would merge to form a new association. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) will officially begin operations on April 1. Officials said they were able to do this largely because of the exploratory work performed in 2016, when the groups considered merging but ultimately walked away.
On January 29, APSP and NSPF held a public signing ceremony at the Pool and Spa Show: Powered by the Northeast Spa and Pool Association. There, the chairmen of both organizations’ boards signed the unification agreement, an approximately 25-page document outlining the details that have been agreed upon so far. Unlike the last time that a merger was considered, this document does not state the intent to merge, but contains the actual agreement, with the only escape hatch being activated if one group were to find out deal-breaking information such as fraud while due diligence is being performed.
On March 13 and 14, the board of directors for the new organization will meet in Chicago to begin establishing the PHTA’s logistical underpinnings, such as electing the new board chair and voting in governing documents, said Lawrence Caniglia, the group’s temporary CEO.
Response has been as overwhelmingly positive as was the disappointment two years ago when the original merger attempt fell through. “I think it’s a good thing for the industry,” said Patrick Walls, CEO of United Aqua Group. “I think any time you have one trade organization to represent the entire industry, that’s a good thing. Certainly the swimming pool industry is somewhat large, but to have it bifurcated among competing trade associations, I’m not sure that’s a good thing for the industry.”
The deal raises some questions about Genesis, which began largely in protest 20 years ago against APSP’s predecessor organization, the National Spa & Pool Institute. Genesis was acquired by NSPF in 2015. While co-founders Skip Phillips and Brian Van Bower sat on NSPF’s board, they will not sit on the new organization’s board.
Key Genesis volunteers said they expect a positive outcome. Some within and outside of the group wonder if and how it might affect other PHTA programs, and vice versa. The price of the courses were mentioned. Genesis’ sessions are the priciest in the industry. Concerns have been raised on both sides of this reality: Some Genesis devotees worry that the program will be devalued or the culture changed, while others fear that lower-priced programs will become more expensive if PHTA officials see more profit potential. “I hope at the end of the day that there are still affordable offerings,” said one professional.
For now, there is nothing to worry about, said Caniglia, who added that the program is expected to remain the same in the foreseeable future. Plus, he said, the non-profit side of PHTA will manage education, which keeps Genesis in the same hands.
