In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick speaks with Jerome Landry, a product manager at Gecko Alliance. They discuss Gecko’s latest innovation, the waterlab — an inline water testing device for hot tubs. Jerome shares insights into the product’s development, how it simplifies water chemistry for users and its impact on the hot tub industry. He also delves into his background in the tech industry and the collaborative approach taken by Gecko for product development. The conversation […]

In this episode, guests Larry Ovalle, vice president of innovation and technology, and Erica Moir, senior vice president of design, engineering and product marketing at Jacuzzi, discuss the development and features of True Water, a revolutionary water care system. The True Water System utilizes nanobubble technology to maintain cleaner water with significantly less chemical usage and effort from the consumer. Over a three-year development period, the team conducted extensive testing, including partnering with the University of Maine and external labs, […]

Oops — missed last weeks release due to the Pool | Spa | Patio Expo. Paul Madden Sr. and Paul Madden Jr. of Water By Design join the podcast to talk about their company’s 40th anniversary. The father-son duo bring an admirable respect and deference to the family business.

Don Elkington, the now retired founder of Coast Spas, joins the podcast to tell his hot tub history. Elkington shares how he got the business started and the unique challenges he faced being a hot tub manufacturer in Canada.

Patio Pleasures in Madison, Wisconsin, is the latest hot tub retailer to convert to an employee stock ownership plan. One of the former owners, Rene Huston, joins us on the podcast to talk through their ESOP process.

As the managing partner and successor president at REGENERATION, Elle Hansen has worked with 100s of companies as they work through their succession plans. Hansen joins the podcast to talk about her experiences and some of the common pitfalls she sees. Hansen joined us on several succession planning webinars, which you can watch here. Join Hansen in Dallas November 11, 2024, for an in-person succession planning workshop.

After 49 years in the hot tub industry, Craig Ecelbarger sold his The Recreational Warehouse to Watson’s in March. With a pathway to retirement, Ecelbarger shares how he started the business and grew it to the spa sales behemoth it is today.