January 2006 Issue
A
Message to the Members of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals
from President and CEO Bill Weber
In my last
message to you, I talked about the four strategies being addressed
by APSP that enhance your membership in the association. Those
are: education, promotion, research and advocacy. Recently we
learned about a government relations issue taking place in California
that, if we allow to stand, could have profound effects on the
entire industry and the new technologies created by the industry
to make pool sanitation easier and safer for our customers.
Los
Angeles County’s Santa Clarita Water District has banned
the use of salt/chlorine generators for swimming pool sanitation.
According to information contained in the ordinance, the ban was
to go into effect on December 9, 2005, for all salt generation
systems on pools that are emptied into the district’s sewer
system. The ordinance seeks to reduce the amount of salt entering
into the Santa Clara River.
The
district’s announcement states that the action is being
taken to significantly reduce the amount of salt “waste”
being drained into its sewer system; however, in a study conducted
by the district the amount of salt being discharged by salt generated
pool water is approximately ½ of 1 percent. It is obvious
to APSP that a ban on salt chlorinating systems on swimming pools
will not contribute to any meaningful reduction in the amount
of salt entering the Santa Clara River, and that the ordinance
will place an undue burden on both pool owners and our industry.
APSP
is working directly with our manufacturers, the members in California
and the Sacramento-based Swimming Pool Education Committee (SPEC)
to forestall implementation of the ordinance. In addition, the
scientists who comprise the APSP Recreational Water Quality Committee
(RWQ) have been solicited to address the issue from a purely scientific
viewpoint and to examine possible solutions to help the county
through this situation. We are also examining legal remedies to
aid our members in the county.
Again,
having an aggressive and proactive government relations program
is just one area where APSP membership provides you with the leadership
and knowledge base to help you curb unwarranted government intrusion
into your professional endeavors.
As
further actions are taken on this issue, I will alert you.
Thank you.
Bill
Weber
President and CEO
The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals
bweber@TheAPSP.org
High-Tech
Education Center Coming Soon
Organizers
of The Foundation for Pool & Spa Industry Education (FPSIE)
in Sacramento, Calif., are looking forward to the first classes
to be held in the new center.
If all goes
as planned, courses will start in March, said Michael Orr, the
foundation’s president and a longtime APSP Service Council
member.
The school
will focus on delivering APSP training and certification programs,
supported by other classes such as the National Swimming Pool
Foundation’s Certified Pool Operator (CPO) course, as well
as manufacturer-led training.
Learn
more about the FPSIE training center.
New
Insurance, Credit Card Programs Offer Cost Savings, Other Benefits
APSP is introducing
two new programs – one for property and casualty insurance
and one for bank card processing – that will provide cost
savings and improved services for members.
The APSP board
has endorsed Navigators Insurance Company to provide a specialized
insurance plan for pool and spa contractors that incorporates
superior coverage, preferred pricing and quality customer service.
The credit card program, offered in conjunction with Boaz Payment
Systems, will leverage the association’s group buying power
to obtain lower credit card processing rates and create a fund
to help pay for legislative and industry growth initiatives.
Go
here for more information on the new insurance and credit card
programs.
Bank
Card Processing Will Support Industry Initiatives
The
new APSP bank card processing program could save dealers thousands
of dollars annually while creating a fund to support legislative
efforts that will benefit the industry.
The plan,
managed by the Boaz Group, enables dealers to take advantage of
low wholesale rates on MasterCard/Visa processing based on the
collective annual processing volume of the entire industry. The
actual savings will depend on a dealer’s payment processing
volume, but an initial analysis shows that most dealers will save
at least $1,500 annually.
Plus,
every time a dealer accepts a credit card for payment, Visa and
MasterCard provide a percentage of funds to the pool and spa industry.
“We
constantly look for member benefits that actually put money back
into the pockets of our members, and this is one of those programs,”
said Bill Weber, president & CEO of APSP.
Boaz will
analyze the fees and rates members are being charged for their
current credit card processing and provide an estimate of savings.
To switch to the new program, a dealer must sign a couple of bank
forms and Boaz Group will download a new merchant ID. Dealers
do not need to change their bank or any other aspect of their
business.
Dedicated
representatives are available to provide more details about the
program and explain what information is needed to begin an evaluation.
They can be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST at 866-992-2737.
New
Correspondence Course Available For Pool/Spa Builders
The APSP CBP Certified Building Professional® Program is a
comprehensive education and certification program designed for
pool and spa builders, foremen, and contractors.
This program
has three levels: BUILDING PROFESSIONAL I (basic); BUILDING PROFESSIONAL
II (intermediate); and CBP CERTIFIED BUILDING PROFESSIONAL®
(advanced).
The Building
Professional I Correspondence Course teaches the basic elements
of pool and spa construction in a home-study format available
anywhere, at any time, throughout the United States. Enroll in
this correspondence course now!
Go
here for more information and to download an application.
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Formerly National Spa &
Pool Institute
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Remember
the Logo!
Don’t forget to include the APSP logo on
all of the ads your company is placing with Better Homes &
Gardens Special Interest Publications.
For
each ad placed containing the APSP logo, Meredith Publications
will set aside 15% for APSP’s advertising efforts. This
is a great opportunity for you to help the industry’s promotional
efforts and, best of all, it’s at no cost to you as an advertiser!
What a great way to demonstrate your professionalism as a member
of the industry’s trade association and help its promotional
efforts at the same time.
The
co-op program was announced in September, yet no members have
taken advantage of it yet. So, here is your chance to be the first
to celebrate an outstanding opportunity. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact Pat Tomlinson at Meredith Publications
by phone at 212-551-7043 or e-mail him at patrick.tomlinson@meredith.com.
Here
are the upcoming ad deadlines for issues pertaining to pools/spas:
Ad
Deadline
| Garden,
Deck & Landscape - Spring 2006 |
1/17/06 |
| Garden
Ideas - Spring 2006 |
1/10/06 |
| Dream
Pools & Spas – 2006 |
1/31/06 |
| Landscape
Solutions – 2006 |
3/07/06 |
|
APSP May Be Sending You To Vegas
Visit the
Association of Pool & Spa Professionals booth at these trade
shows and enter for your chance to win a free trip to the EXPO
in Las Vegas!
Southeastern
Pool & Spa Show, Atlanta, GA, Jan 10-13
Mid-America Pool & Spa Show, St. Charles, IL, Jan 17-19
Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show, Atlantic City, NJ, Jan 24-26
Florida Pool & Spa Show, Orlando, FL, Feb 24-25
Southwestern Pool & Spa Show, Arizona, Jan 19-22
The
winner will receive airfare and accommodations for the 2006 EXPO.
Make sure to visit us this year at the shows!
A
Message to the Members of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals
from Larry Biscornet, 2006 Chairman of the APSP Board of Directors
In recent weeks the news media has reported some of the best economic
news in years. By some accounts, the economy is “on a roll,”
with job creation up, consumer confidence at its highest level
in months, the gross domestic product measurements growing at
“a healthy clip,” and gas prices decreasing. And it
appears that the Federal Reserve is intent on holding the line
on interest rates. These are just a few examples of the positive
economic news emanating from nearly all sectors of the nation’s
economic engine.
But what does
all this good news mean for the swimming pool, spa and hot tub
industries?
In my view,
it’s time to gear up our marketing and promotion “engine.”
With the stock market moving toward the 11,000 mark at the end
of 2005, I anticipate that consumers owning stocks (and that’s
a majority of Americans) will be making money – money that
we should be targeting for our products and your businesses.
By now, I
would think that most of you have incorporated allocations in
your budgets for some type of “promotional” activities
for your businesses. Whether it’s ongoing, regular advertising
such as Yellow Pages ads, public and community relations programs,
or outdoor merchandising, the key is that we must continually
expose our customers and future customers to the benefits and
value of our products that enhance their lives. We are in a war
for the consumer’s discretionary dollar, and the best way
to win that war is to promote the benefits and ease of use of
our products.
In recent
studies conducted for APSP by its research partner, P.K. Data,
Inc., consumers still think that that owning and maintaining a
pool is difficult. While APSP has done an admirable job in working
with the nation’s media in dispelling that notion by highlighting
the new technologies and innovations created by the industry,
you, too, can help by discussing the ease of use to prospective
customers, as well as your current customers – word-of-mouth
is still the best advertising for our industry, our reputation
and your business.
One
last thing: APSP has compiled a “research library”
that contains a number of studies designed to help you with your
marketing and merchandising efforts. Simply go to APSP’s
Web site and check out the materials your trade association has
for you. Go to www.theAPSP.org.
Thank
you, and my best wishes for a happy, healthy and profitable 2006.
