Discover the Possibilities Pool covers are fitting the bill as energy-savings and safety top consumer concerns<\/p>\n
About half of all pools installed today\u00a0 now come with automatic covers.<\/p>\n
Though the top concern remains safety, more customers are requesting the equipment to extend the swimming season by saving on heating costs, according to Michael Downes, vice president and general manager of the company based in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Ill.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the industry and the country, there\u2019s a big push nowadays that everything be green,\u201d agrees Dave Bachman, general manager at Don Marcum\u2019s Pool Care in Newtown, Ohio. \u201cMaybe consumers are listening a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, the trend has reached beyond standing in a customer\u2019s backyard with calculator in hand to determine exactly how many dollars can be saved by a cover through reduced energy use. And the product category has received further attention via the national spotlight on drowning-prevention \u2014 thanks in large part to a handful of high-profile child drownings, and subsequent passage in 2008 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n The result is an opportunity to expand the market \u2014 and manufacturers, dealers and distributors alike are seizing on the pool cover\u2019s primary selling points, as well as some timely rebate programs, to do exactly that.<\/p>\n Opportunities<\/strong> \u201cThe key for us is running far and wide,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have a lot of repeat builders, but we keep in touch with others through phone calls and mailers. You may have a builder come back to you after a few years, so we try to maintain those relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeking untapped markets has always been a hallmark of the firm, and these days it\u2019s no different. In fact, Sheinman says he\u2019s found pockets of business among wealthy homeowners who seem to wait for an economic downturn to invest in larger projects. Venturing to the local permit office to determine who has recently pulled permits is one technique that\u2019s traditionally borne fruit.<\/p>\n These days, however, much more business comes simply through referrals, whether from homeowners or contractors. And with that often comes opportunities to sweeten the deal.<\/p>\n \u201cIf a customer recommends another customer, we\u2019ll frequently help them out with a discount on service,\u201d Sheinman says.<\/p>\n As for nontraditional clients, some dealers have mentioned teaming with automotive service companies like Jiffy Lube, adapting automatic covers to fit over open work areas. The covers help protect employees from the sun while complying with requirements set forth by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Public bus depots and terminals have been raised as other potential automatic cover clients.<\/p>\n Pools of foreclosed homes have proven to be yet another fertile area for safety covers, as banks and property management companies look to reduce the potential liability associated with abandoned vessels.<\/p>\n On Long Island, temperatures can drop 20 degrees or more overnight, says John Lochren, owner of Solar Pool Enclosures of New York Inc. in Holbrook, N.Y., a pool cover distributor since 1990. So promoting the benefits of covers in the areas of heat, as well as chemical, retention has given his marketing efforts a boost.<\/p>\n Still, securing the pool remains top priority for homeowners when it comes to questions about covers, Bachman says. Nine out of 10 consumer inquiries on pool covers focus on safety, he reports.<\/p>\n But in addition to young families installing covers to protect their children, Bachman sees another demographic evolving into solid customers.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re getting a lot of grandparents buying automatic covers for their children\u2019s families, because now they\u2019re thinking about the grandchildren,\u201d he says. \u201cOr you get the flip-side of that, where the toddler comes over to the grandparents\u2019 house, and because they\u2019re watching the child, they now want to install an With new pool construction yet to rebound from the current recession, the aftermarket has been keeping many cover dealers afloat. Replacement fabrics, according to Bachman, have provided \u201ca great jump-start to the season.\u201d<\/p>\n And though the need may only arise every six to seven years, tapping into the existing pool market \u2014 at an average of $1,200 to $1,500 per cover \u2014 has helped offset the slowdown in new installations.<\/p>\n Incentives<\/strong> According to Lochren, they\u2019ve begun pushing pool covers as a preferred method of energy conservation. \u00a0<\/strong>Across the country, several municipal utility districts now offer incentives for homeowners who install pool covers. For example, customers of the North Marin Water District in Northern California are eligible for a rebate of 25 percent (up to $50) off the purchase cost for certain solar or safety covers. The program gains steam during years when drought conditions force emergency water ordinances, officials say.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s basically a good-faith kind of rebate,\u201d says Ryan Grisso, water conservation coordinator for the tiny NMWD. \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to help the customer out. We may do 10 a year, but that usually picks up when we have water restrictions in place.\u201d<\/p>\n Similarly, residents in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville, Calif., can receive rebates up to $200 if they purchase and install a permanent automatic pool cover; they may also be eligible for a rebate And in May, the city council of Menlo Park, also in Northern California, surpassed state law by requiring pool and spa covers on new pools and spas \u2014 commercial and residential \u2014 as part of its water-efficient landscaping regulations. The ordinance was set to take effect July 1, according to city officials.<\/p>\n With comparable incentive and sustainability programs taking hold in cities and counties nationwide, pool cover dealers today might just find more business opportunities than ever.<\/p>\n Source: Dan Schechner – Pool and Spa News | 6.25.2010<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discover the Possibilities Pool covers are fitting the bill as energy-savings and safety top consumer concerns About half of all pools installed today\u00a0 now come with automatic covers. Though the top concern remains safety, more customers are requesting the equipment … Continue reading
\nNot many cover dealers cast as wide a net as Pennco Automatic Pool Covers. The Havertown, Pa.-based company finds business from New York to Virginia, says president Mark Sheinman.<\/p>\n
\nautomatic cover to give them that peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIn 2008, local lawmakers in Southampton, N.Y., established the Sustainable Southampton Advisory Committee. Comprised mostly of volunteers, the committee was charged with recommending policies, programs and legislation to the Town Board that encourage sustainability and help reduce the town\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a good kick from that,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s really becoming part and parcel with the safety movement in terms of covers. I think you\u2019re going to see more of a trend on that nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nof $50, or 50 percent of the cost of the cover, from the city\u2019s Water Conservation Division.<\/p>\n