SpaRetailer

On The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Alex Eddington, of Bullfrog Spas, who spent 30 years in product engineering and compliance, to mark Bullfrog’s 30th anniversary. Eddington discusses his background at the U.S. Bureau of Mines and in automotive restoration, his recruitment by Bullfrog founder Dave Ludlow and the company’s early financial struggles. He explains Ludlow’s visi...

On the SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Jeremy Lucovich, new-ish owner of Southwest Spas in Arizona and a new second location, Queen Creek Hot Tubs. Lucovich, originally from Pittsburgh, spent years in sales including regional sales manager for a wire manufacturer before being laid off at the end of 2019, which led him to buy the spa business in early 2020, using money intended...

Megan Kendrick welcomes back Mario Maichel, senior manager of dealer development at Watkins Wellness, to discuss what he sees in high- and underperforming hot tub retail showrooms. He cites Gervi’s flagship showroom in Belgium as a standout because its space, lighting, graphics and brand presence match product caliber and effectively manage shopper attention. Maichel emphasizes consistent, purpose...

Host Megan Kendrick welcomes back Greg Haines of Compass Digital to discuss how spa retailers and small businesses can avoid being mistreated by marketing agencies and how to evaluate agency performance. Greg shares examples of dealers being “tethered” by contracts claiming agency ownership of Shopify websites or ad accounts, locked into expensive long-term agreements with low-value deliverables,...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Terry Valmassoi, CEO of MasterSpas, as he nears retirement after 50+ years in the hot tub industry and 30 years at MasterSpas. Valmassoi shares his plans to spend more time with his wife in Charleston while remaining a partner and board member, and he addresses persistent rumors by stating MasterSpas has never been in talks...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick welcomes back Alex Granlund of King Technology to discuss a new hot tub setup and why new hot tubs should be purged and properly balanced at startup. They explain that hot tubs are wet-tested at factories using reused water, leaving residual water and buildup in plumbing that can sit for months, leading to biofilm, odor and debris tha...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick welcomes back Alex Granlund of King Technology to discuss a...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Host Megan Kendrick welcomes Amanda Annis (Ohio Hot Tub and Sauna, IHTA chairman) and Seth Ewing (director of member programs and services at the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance) to discuss how IHTA, under the PHTA umbrella, has evolved and now more strongly serves portable hot tub retailers. They highlight core work protecting the industry through standards, sa...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Host Megan Kendrick welcomes Amanda Annis (Ohio Hot Tub and Sauna, IHTA chairman)...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, early Caldera Spas owner David Ingram shares his background leaving home at 16, working at Fed Mart/Price Club (later Costco), and moving into spa manufacturing through Custom Fiber Engineering. He describes gaining control of a near-bankrupt Caldera in the late 1970s, building early gel-coat/FRP spas, improving blister resistance through multi-layer res...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, early Caldera Spas owner David Ingram shares his background leaving home at 16,...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Stephen Reed, COO of Spa Parts Plus, about his career from pool service work to Hayward, Beachcomber Hot Tubs, and wholesale distribution before acquiring Spa Parts Plus’ wholesale business in 2024. Reed recounts Spa Parts Plus’ 40+ year history: founded in 1986 by Barry and Paulette Knickerbocker, moved to Arizona in 1991,...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Stephen Reed, COO of Spa Parts Plus, about his...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews brothers and co-owners Harrison (24) and Nick Dale (28) discuss launching the Cover and Supply Company, a hot tub cover manufacturing operation in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, next to their parents’ longtime Pelican Shops spa retail store. The entrepreneur team got into the business after other jobs, then bootstrapping product...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews brothers and co-owners Harrison (24) and Nick Dale (28)...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Susan McPhie, VP of Business Development and General Manager at Silk Water Solutions (maker of SilkBalance). McPhie shares her background growing up in Montreal and living in Vancouver, speaking French, and early career paths including cabin safety training for a Canadian airline, real estate development, and the alcohol in...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Susan McPhie, VP of Business Development and General Manager...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick sits down with Greg Haines, CEO of Compass Digital, discussing digital marketing strategies and trends for the spa and hot tub industry. They delve into the importance of maintaining an up-to-date website and the increasing role of AI in digital marketing. Haines emphasizes practices such as using automations and segmentations in emai...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick sits down with Greg Haines, CEO of Compass Digital, discussing...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick sits down with Royce Manuelo, the brand and product development manager from PAL Lighting based in Houston, Texas. Manuelo shares his journey from marketing various products to specializing in the lighting industry, ultimately making commercial lighting exciting. They discuss the evolution of pool and spa lighting and its significant...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick sits down with Royce Manuelo, the brand and product development...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Megan Kendrick interviews Fred Bachmann, owner of Bachmann’s Pools, Spas and Saunas in Wisconsin. They discuss Fred’s journey from a building contractor to a prominent figure in the hot tub industry. Fred delves into his early challenges, including renovating his showrooms during COVID and acquiring a failing business, which eventual turned out to be ben...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Megan Kendrick interviews Fred Bachmann, owner of Bachmann’s Pools, Spas and Saunas in...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Jamie Burson, the owner of Great Bay Spa and Sauna in New England, shares his journey from starting at the company at 20 years old, working in the warehouse, and dreaming of one day owning the business. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, Burson managed to purchase the company in 2021. He discusses the company’s founding by three college frien...

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, Jamie Burson, the owner of Great Bay Spa and Sauna in New England,...