PHTA provides members with current industry research needed to plan for the future and stay ahead of the competition. The 2020 PHTA Market Report and 2021 Quarterly Pulse Studies are FREE to members and provide valuable information on the pool and hot tub markets, sales, and top business concerns. Members also get a 67% discount on the 2021 Economic Impact Study, which focuses on the overall impact of the pool and spa industry on the United States economy.

You have ONE WEEK left to register for the first-ever Advanced Builder Workshop, hosted by PHTA Strategic Partner Fluidra at their headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. This workshop includes E245: Standards, Codes, and Ordinances and C410: Advanced Pool Construction, which will teach you the advanced skills you need to build a structurally sound water vessel and put you on the path to earning your Certified Master Pool Builder and Design Professional certification. The Advanced Builder Workshop starts next Tuesday, March 8!

GENESIS® instructors Terry Brannon, P.E., and Andy Kaner are already underway with their Everything Under the Sun Expo pre-conference sessions, but there are more coming up this weekend in Orlando! GENESIS® has four short sessions on Friday and Saturday, plus PHTA will be exhibiting at Booth #520. Come by to say hello!

The Western Pool & Spa Show is taking place March 10-12 in Long Beach, CA. PHTA and CPSA will be at Booth #525 to talk about our drought awareness campaign, our advocacy efforts, and the benefits of membership. Plus, we're teaching a CPO class!

You can also come to Long Beach a day early and join CPSA for the Under the Sea Golf Tournament on March 9.

Are you familiar with the world's most famous water features? Can you effectively answer questions from your clients about them? With D280: History of Pools and Water Features, you'll learn the who's who of today's most influential water feature designers and why this knowledge is necessary to relate to your clientele.

Class starts in less than two weeks! March 14 in Charleston, SC, as part of the Master Pools Guild Meeting.

We're offering TWO GENESIS® courses in ONE week to accelerate your way to an Advanced CBP certification. The first three days will be an intensive school encompassing all of the necessary disciplines for building a structurally sound water vessel. The last two days will help you develop a basic understanding of hydraulic principles in order to design more efficient and serviceable hydraulic systems.

The Fast Track to Advanced CBP takes place March 28-April 1 at the NESPA headquarters in Hamilton, NJ. Register today!

The World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC) will return in-person October 12-14 in Houston, TX! We are now accepting submissions for presentations. Please include your contact information, presentation abstract, headshot, and a brief bio. Submissions are due March 31, and we will be in touch mid-April to let you know if your presentation has been accepted. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

American Profit Recovery (APR) provides PHTA members with the best, most cost-efficient solutions to receivable issues with a discount of 10% for PHTA members. APR does this without alienating customers and offers the perfect solution to help reduce internal costs and increase cash flow. PHTA members maintain control of the entire outsourced collections process through APRweb, the fully secured, browser-based program. For more information, please contact Matt Moskowitz at (800) 711-0023 or visit americanprofit.net. 

Stay on top of what others in the industry are talking about. This week in the myPHTA Online Community, the newest discussion is about:
– 2022 Awards of Excellence Program

Mentor Matching is the latest addition to an expanding lineup of our services to support members’ professional development needs. It is an online tool – including a searchable database – that facilitates the establishment of mentoring relationships. It is user-driven, allowing registered Mentees to search among registered Mentors using specified criteria to find individuals whose experience and expertise match areas in which they wish to be mentored. Likewise, registered Mentors can search for and identify potential Mentees. Sign up to become a Mentor or Mentee today!

Last week, PHTA adoption efforts for the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) moved past two key legislative milestones. In Maryland, House Bill 303 passed the House with a bipartisan vote and is now on its way to the Senate for consideration. HB 303 calls for statewide adoption of the ISPSC as the State’s building code for swimming pools and spas. In Missouri, HB 1661 received a public hearing and now awaits a committee vote. HB 1661 calls for the adoption of the ISPSC in jurisdictions that regulate swimming pools and spas.

Having passed the House and now Senate, House Bill 669 will be sent to Governor Younkin for his signature or veto. HB 669 directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study whether swimming pools and other water recreational facilities should receive oversight by the Department of Health. Bill text specifically names PHTA as a member of the workgroup.

The ADA and ABA Accessibility Standards address independent access to swimming pools and spas. The U.S. Access Board is offering a free webinar tomorrow, March 3, from 2:30-4 p.m. ET and will review application of these requirements to swimming pools and spas, as well as the technical requirements for pool lifts, sloped entries, transfer steps, transfer walls, and stairs. Additionally, Board staff will address aquatic recreation facilities, such as lazy rivers, wave action pools, and water play components. Presenters will also clarify common sources of confusion about accessible swimming pools and spas.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently shared new guidance on soliciting and paying for online reviews.

Yahoo! Finance
With 11 million job openings, businesses looking to hire are wondering where all the workers have gone. New research shows that much of the labor shortage is coming from part-time workers.

Harvard Business Review
Cultivating ambivalence can actually help make you more willing to negotiate and speak up so that you don’t miss opportunities.

Multichannel Merchant
Are you selling the right product to the right customer at the right price with the best efficiency? It’s possible to incorporate revenue management into supply chain planning.

Congratulations to Steve Stigers, Chair of the International Hot Tub Association (IHTA), on being promoted to Executive Vice President at Watkins Wellness, following the retirement of President Steve Hammock. Watkins Wellness is a PHTA Strategic Partner.

E-Konomy Pool Service & Supplies, Inc. announced it has acquired the assets of Worry Free Pool Service, LLC. The transaction allows Worry Free to better service its customers with enhanced service and product offerings, technical support, and provides long-term growth opportunities for its employees.

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons will deliver the 2022 NAM State of Manufacturing Address on Thursday, March 3, at 10:15 a.m. MST (12:15 p.m. EST) at Chandler-Gilbert Community College – Williams Campus in Mesa, Arizona.

Pool Magazine
PHTA board member Bob Blanda of Mill Bergen Pools discusses his three-decade journey to become one of the premier pool builders in New York City.

Pool & Spa Marketing
The hybrid pool can expand business to a larger spectrum of customers and landscapes while also helping pool professionals build with the crews they have during a labor shortage.

Pool & Spa Marketing
Borates are an increasingly popular product thanks to their ability to control corrosion in saltwater pool environments. Read on to learn why 2022 is the year of the borate.