Manufacturers
Unlocking the Potential of Pool Automation for Your Business
Your Time in the Backyard Just Got Easier
Home automation products like smart vacuums, thermostats, and doorbells all have one thing in common: making homeowners’ lives easier – and pool automation is no different.
Leveraging the latest pool automation systems benefits more than just the pool owner, it also offers a surplus of business-boosting opportunities for pool professionals. Whether tackling regular maintenance or something more complex, read on to explore the benefits of incorporating automation and remote monitoring into your operations to strengthen your competitive advantage, increase profits, improve the customer experience and open the door to more opportunities to own the pool pad.
Embracing Automation for Increased Profits
Smart pools are becoming more common in the pool industry due to their ability to automate and control pool functionality for optimal performance. This allows pool owners to efficiently control lighting, heating, filtration, cleaning, and basic water chemistry all from the convenience of their smartphone.
Some pool owners are hesitant to implement the technology due to the initial investment. It’s essential for pool professionals to educate their customers about the benefits of pool automation – easily summarized as “full control of their system 24/7, from anywhere in the world.” And once pool owners experience the convenience pool automation brings, they won’t settle for anything less.
“By embracing automation, pool owners can easily turn on their spa, set their heater to the perfect temperature for jumping in when they get home from a long day, adjust and schedule their lights, and so much more,” said Israel Saari, senior product manager, mobile and web applications at Pentair Pool. “Even better, they can make these changes when they’re at work, traveling across the world or sitting poolside, sipping on their lemonade and enjoying the backyard.”
Some pool professionals may be hesitant to incorporate automation into their product offerings – maybe there is a learning curve to programming the technology within their operations, or they don’t want to deal with potential customer problems in the future. But as the world of swimming pools continues to evolve rapidly, pool professionals must keep up with current trends. By incorporating an advanced pool automation system into their offerings, pool professionals are creating a competitive advantage – and increasing their business opportunities as these customers continue adding upgrades to their pool pad.
“If you are spending a lot of money on building or renovating a pool, you should ask yourself what the client wants at the end of the day,” said Bryan Anderson, owner of Infinity Pools. “Ultimately, they want something reliable. They want something that they know they can count on.”
Facing the Challenge Remotely
One of the primary challenges faced by pool servicers is staying ahead of their customers’ issues. In the past, every time a problem occurred, a service trip was necessary, costing the company money – and sometimes, pool servicers didn’t have the equipment on hand to address the issue.
“Time is one of the biggest challenges for servicing customers, particularly on the maintenance side of the pool business,” said Saari. “Pentair Pool’s automation technology allows pool professionals to remotely monitor their customers’ systems from their office, saving unnecessary trips to a pool sometimes over an hour away.”
Pentair Pool’s remote monitoring dashboard allows pool servicers to set alarm notices for when problems occur and, in some cases, fix the problem from the comfort of their office.
“It’s great to know ahead of time, and to be more proactive than reactive,” said Ken Troyan, director of automation and product advisory for Tortorella Swimming Pools. “So as much data and information we can get, the better.”
Pool professionals can offer remote monitoring as an additional service offering to their customers, which allows pool owners to enjoy an effortless and stress-free pool experience. In addition, remote monitoring allows pool pros to save time in the backyard and focus on other revenue streams, like selling products and building more pools.
Hands-on Support
Pool automation can introduce some of the common challenges brought on by technology, like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity issues. To ensure pool professionals are equipped to solve any problem, Pentair Pool offers educational resources to help maximize business opportunities.
“Pentair University offers education to dealers on automation to bring them a level of confidence to solving and troubleshooting day-to-day issues or more complex problems,” said Saari. “No matter what, Pentair University supports pool businesses through every step of implementing automation and equips them with the knowledge they need to educate their customers about the benefits.”
Pentair Pool also has a dedicated team of automation specialists, tech support specialists, and territory sales managers who provide dedicated support to pool servicers through challenging automation installations, even joining them for planning sessions with the pool builder, if necessary, and are on hand for troubleshooting after installation.
“I think our customers really appreciate having an expert close by who they know will be able to assist them in person,” said Saari. “It’s different than just calling a customer service representative. You have access to experts who have been working in the field for decades in some cases.”
Owning the Pool Pad
Pentair Pool automation allows pool professionals to scale up their sales by owning the pool pad.
“If you install a Pentair automation system in a pool owner’s pool, they are more likely to invest in Pentair heaters, lights, saltwater systems, and more to fully utilize the connectivity an automation system offers,” said Saari. “It gives you access to the entire pad of products. So, maybe before you’re just selling them a pump, but typically when you install automation, you get the rest of the equipment that attaches to it. This leads to increased revenue for pool pros.”
From optimizing maintenance schedules to enhancing customer experience, automation offers a surplus of opportunities for efficiency and growth. By embracing automation, pool servicers can streamline operations, improve service quality, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
Confer Plastics, one of the most established manufacturers serving the pool and spa industry, is moving forward with a 30,000-square-foot warehouse expansion at its Wheatfield, N.Y., facility. The project, now under town review, is designed to support the company’s rising production volume across pool, spa, and outdoor living categories — as well as the continued growth of its emerging direct-to-consumer business.
Company president Bob Confer confirmed that the new warehouse space at 2107 Liberty Drive will help accommodate increased demand for core products such as pool ladders, steps, hot tub cabinets, and other blow-molded components widely used across the aquatics market.
“We’re also expanding to accommodate our direct-to-consumer business, which is a relatively new endeavor for us,” he wrote in an email. “In 2023, we developed online channels for snow sleds and patio furniture. Our initial success has been pretty decent, so we expect the future for those products, and more to come, to be bright.”
The project contractor, Tedesco Construction Services, has previously overseen multiple expansion efforts for Confer at its primary manufacturing plant on Witmer Road in North Tonawanda. That facility houses some of the largest blow molding machines in the world, including a 15-foot-tall unit capable of handling 145 pounds of material at a time. The company’s capabilities extend far beyond aquatics: Confer also manufactures items for stadium seating, medical devices, kayaks, mannequins, trash receptacles, and more.
While the Wheatfield expansion will not directly add new jobs at that location, Confer noted that the increased warehouse capacity “could lead to a handful of jobs” at the main North Tonawanda plant. Additional storage effectively boosts manufacturing throughput, allowing the company to run molding machines more efficiently and increase overall production cycles.
Founded in 1973, Confer Plastics has grown to a 195-employee operation and remains one of Western New York’s most enduring manufacturers within the pool and spa sector. The warehouse expansion underscores the company’s commitment to supporting its dealer network, OEM partners, and consumers as demand for outdoor living products remains strong.
Featured Photo Credit: Confer Plastics
JED Pool Tools, manufacturer of swimming pool maintenance equipment and accessories, was pleased to recently receive a ‘Customer Excellence Award’ from Estes Freight company, the largest privately held freight transportation company in North America. This award recognizes customers that demonstrate strong shipment values, revenue growth, and foster a collaborative relationship. This award celebrates a few select customers for outstanding engagement, enabling a strategic partnership, and committing to mutual success.
“We’re pleased to earn such high recognition from a leader like Estes,” said Glenn Jonelunas Manager of Warehouse Operations at JED Pool Tools. “We’re honored to be recognized for this award, which is a reflection of the well-established and trusted partnership we’ve built together.”
The Estes Customer Excellence Award was created to recognize and celebrate customers who exemplify outstanding collaboration, commitment and service. Estes presented JED Pool Tools with a celebratory cake and plaque.
About JED Pool Tools
JED Pool Tools has been making high-quality pool tools and pool accessories in the USA for 30 years. JED Pool Tools sells over 400 different products including residential and commercial skimmers, leaf rakes, poles, wall brushes and vacuum heads as well as hoses and through-wall skimmer parts. JED is a family-run company with 3-generations of Heyen family working for the company and is committed to creating and providing jobs for residents of Scranton, PA. JED isproud of and committed to manufacturing in the USA, many it its own facility in Scranton, PA. To learn more about the company and its products visit www.JEDPoolTools.com.
About Estes
Estes is North America’s largest privately owned freight carrier. As an asset-based transportation provider with a global footprint, Estes combines nearly a century of regional freight shipping expertise with the resources, reach, and reliability of a national carrier. Backed by its more than 300 North American terminals and nearly 7,000 next-day lanes, as well as its fleet of more than 10,500 tractors, Estes is committed to getting America’s freight where it needs to go, when it needs to get there. And with its continued investment in leading-edge technology, as well as the support of its more than 24,000 employees. To learn more about Estes visit www.estes-express.com.
Hastings, UK – UK-based manufacturer Plastipack Ltd announces the U.S. launch of its latest swimming-pool cover material: Sol+Guard™ Gen2, utilising the globally trusted GeoBubble™ technology.
GeoBubble™ pool covers have been available in the U.S. since early 2024, with high-performance products like CoolGuard™ Ultra proving especially popular in warmer regions. The launch of Gen2 brings an important step change in performance, durability and sustainability that builds on that early success.
By integrating graphene, an exceptionally strong and thermally conductive material, Plastipack has developed a film that is 20 % thinner without sacrificing performance or durability.
Unlike many thinner, short-life covers currently available in the market, GeoBubble™ materials are engineered for durability. Each cover features the patented GeoBubble™ shape, which eliminates weak points found in traditional bubble designs, preventing premature degradation caused by UV and chemical attack.
“Pool owners deserve a cover that lasts more than one season,” says Peter Adlington, Managing Director at Plastipack Ltd. “With GeoBubble™ Gen2, we’re combining advanced material science with real-world performance testing to deliver a product that’s lighter, stronger, and far more durable — helping to lower running costs while reducing environmental impact.”
Sol+Guard™ Gen2 is now available to U.S. pool owners through Solar Pool Supply.
About GeoBubble™
GeoBubble™ is an innovative bubble design developed by Plastipack Ltd, a UK-based manufacturer specializing in energy- and resource-saving cover materials for swimming pools. With unique patented technology and extensive in-house testing, GeoBubble™ materials are engineered to deliver superior durability, energy efficiency, and environmental performance.
For full details, visit geobubblepoolcovers.com or contact: [email protected] | +44 (0)1424 851659
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