Bil Kennedy, CEO of a market research company that has tracked the pool/spa industry for nearly 30 years, died in his sleep the day after Christmas. He was 72.
In an industry that has always struggled to compile comprehensive statistics, Kennedy’s company was one of few entities that managed to collect and report figures to pool/spa companies and the national organization.
Born June 3, 1948, William Morris Kennedy grew up in Grosse Pointe, Mich., the son and grandson of entrepreneurs. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors degree in advertising.
After working for a battery company managing its advertising, Kennedy started his company with his wife in 1988. Her name was Peggy Kennedy, so the company’s name came from her initials.
In 1992, Kennedy began contracting with pool and spa companies. “He realized that there was a lot of demand and that … he had his work cut out for him,” said his son, J. Maxwell Kennedy, who will now serve as the company’s CEO.
Kennedy developed a method of determining statistics using a combination of data from construction permits, manufacturers and consumer surveys.
“PK Data was the only game in town that cared enough about our industry to want to quantify it,” said Lauren Stack, vice president of Watershape University, who collaborated with Kennedy when she worked for a manufacturer.
PK Data served other industries for shorter stints, but has remained with the pool/spa industry throughout. The company has produced twice-annual reports for the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance since the early days of his company. It also performed customer market surveys and often served as a first resource for investors looking to make acquisitions in the pool/spa space, Stack said.
He often presented at industry events and meetings, including the time he accurately predicted to a disbelieving group that it would take years for new pool construction to climb back to pre-Great Recession levels. “One of the reasons he was so good at what he did was that he was always obsessive about anything he was passionate about,” Maxwell Kennedy said. “This industry was basically one of his children.”
When reporters came to PHTA for data, it often referred them to Kennedy. “I think it’s going to be a tremendous loss for the industry,” said PHTA CEO Sabeena Hickman.
His customers remember both his professional and personal strengths, the younger Kennedy said. “[They] all mention that they’re going to miss his professionalism, his wisdom,” Kennedy said. “He was very intelligent. He was very caring. He would ask everybody how they were doing, how their health was. And everyone loved to mention his charm. He knew how to speak to people, and he made us all laugh and smile.”
In his off time, he loved cooking, cars, jogging, reading and watching stand-up comedy, among other things.
“I know he touched a lot of people, and it was not only what he delivered in terms of data and statistics, but I think people feel as if they’ve lost a tremendous person and a good friend,” Hickman said.
PK Data will continue its work, including its PHTA reports, with the younger Kennedy at the helm. Maxwell Kennedy has worked with PK Data since 2013.
