The sky's the limit: despite severe weather challenges, the Northeast still ranks as one of the hottest areas in the country for the pool and spa industry

Pool & Spa News, Nov 7, 2003 by Rebecca Robledo

The weather in 2002 and 2003 generated big headlines in the Northeast. Last year's drought was so drawn out and bleak that pool and spa veterans in the region worried it would never rain again. Some industry experts even feared the Northeast would go a second year without rain, causing government officials to enact legislation and ban pools altogether.

Then came the Winter That Never Ended in 2003. "it rained in April, May and June," says Bruce Bagin, a partner in B&B Pool and Spa Center in Spring Valley, N.Y. "We were wishing for rain. Well, we got it--unfortunately, with a vengeance."

Relief came just in time for the July 4th holiday, and the summer seemed saved. But then came August, and the sun disappeared. "Here it was, almost the middle of August, and we'd seen almost two weeks of rain," recalls Debra Leclerc, vice president of The Pool Doctor of Rhode Island in Coventry, R.I.

A home-improvement-friendly environment has helped builders and service technicians keep up, despite scheduling problems. The retail sector felt it the most because pool owners had little motivation to come into stores. "We have a lot of lost time that we can never make up," Leclerc says.

Even when it's not making headlines, the weather dictates how business is done in the Northeast. For instance, the season is short, so mid-Atlantic states such as New York and New Jersey tend to start their swim seasons around Memorial Day and close their pools sometime in September, maybe early October. In the far reaches of New England, such as Vermont and Rhode Island, the season becomes a blur, beginning as late as the end of June or early July and ending by Labor Day.

In this short time span, the pool industry moves at a frenetic pace, what one industry veteran called a "short, emotional, dashing-around period of time." Customers want everything built or opened at once, and they're all closing in time for school. "[Business] all comes in one big lump sum with the pools," says Ed Allen, president of Allen Engineering Pools & Spas in Rutland, Vt.

Sales symmetry

From a sales standpoint, pools and spas complement each other in the Northeast. Pool sales, considered the industry's equivalent of a sprinter, prompt customers to buy as quickly as possible in a short period of time. On the other hand, spas represent long-distance runners, with sales spread throughout the year.

Each presents its own challenges and benefits. While the swim season doesn't last long, pools still sell briskly because customers feel a sense of urgency. On the other end of the spectrum, spas sell year 'round, but customers may postpone making the decision to get one, knowing they have no time limit to make up their minds.

To shield themselves from temperamental weather, many companies diversify through construction, service and retail. "They all help one another to make sure the company as a whole continues to be profitable," Leclerc says.

In fact, Joel Caesar remembers showing an informational film on safety to Northeast industry members. "At one point, the customers [in the film] were trying to remember the name of the store that their builder directed them to go to to get chemicals," says Caesar, executive director of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association NSPI Affiliate. "Every time I showed the film, the class laughed hysterically.

"Here, the guy who builds the pool sells the chemicals and services the pool," Caesar notes.

He hopes his region takes the lead in managing one specific aspect of the weather. "I hope that the industry becomes less complacent about water conservation and more rigorous about it," be says. "We can't wait for a drought to happen to demonstrate our good intentions. We have to be working at water conservation all the time."

He also hopes to see more professionals encouraging their customers to conserve, and more service techs storing pool water in holding tanks while performing repairs. That way, the water can be used again.

Belaboring the point

When the weather's bad, the labor pool becomes unusually shallow. This year, when construction seemed to start and then stop again every couple of days, potential laborers stayed inside, taking jobs where the weather wouldn't affect their paychecks.

"Unfortunately, we're dealing with people who don't have the luxury of being able to sit back and live off the unemployment wages that they're provided, so they have to find another way to survive," Bagin says. "As a result, you get a certain amount of churning in your workforce."

Hiring high school and college students during the summer months has always been standard practice for the retail sector to increase its staffs during crucial months, then pare down when it cools off. The construction and service segments, however, require their laborers to have more specific skills.

Consequently, they need to use different incentives, such as better pay and insurance packages, to bring valued seasonal help back from year to year.

To spark customer interest during fall and winter, many builders offer off-season discounts. "Anything to extend the season," says Jay Stafford, owner of Van Dorn Pools & Spas in Reisterstown, Md.