The lobbying organization for California's pool and spa industry is changing its name and role after 40 years.
The California Spa & Pool Education Council, known as SPEC, seeks to make its name clearer and more inclusive of various segments of the industry. As such, it now will be called the California Pool & Spa Association.
The group is planning other changes to make membership more attractive to a broader spectrum of industry companies and professionals, such as adding new features to its website and providing references to companies that commit to CPSA's consumer code of ethics. It also will provide its logo and tag line to members adhering to the code. The organization plans to kick off its new website at the beginning of 2014.
The group expects the new name to better communicate its mission and who it represents, not only to the industry members who could contribute and benefit from its advocacy efforts, but also to the legislators and other government officials with whom the group must collaborate.
"Despite a tremendously successful record of achievement, SPEC has always seemed to struggle with people, both inside and outside the industry, knowing who and what SPEC was and why it was necessary to belong to SPEC in order to defend the industry from unwarranted new laws and regulations," the organization said in a press release. "The result was that SPEC has been funded by a relatively small segment of the swimming pool and spa industry in California."
SPEC was founded in 1973 to fight the threat of emergency regulations banning gas pool heaters. Originally meant as a temporary solution, the group has continued to address legislation and regulation involving the licensing and the underground economy, chemical handling, taxation, employment and other issues affecting the industry.
