Mike Genova of Spokane, Washington–based Leisure Concepts has an eye and vision for detail. The company’s recent release of a step system called ModStep was an opportunity for Genova to merge form, safety and functionality in an expandable modular step aftermarket product.
“The mod part of the product name represents a modern, contemporary and stylish look,” he says. “Mod also stands for modular. You can start with a 36-inch wide, two-tiered step and because of the modular design, the consumer can expand the steps to 72 inches in width. You can also convert vertically, changing from the two-tiered step to a three- or four-tier step.” It’s made of synthetic plastic with a powder-coated aluminum frame and nonslip rubber treads on the steps. The nonslip feature provides added security in wet weather and when exiting the tub while dripping wet, he adds.
Genova says this modular design concept also makes it easier on dealers’ inventory. If a customer needs a taller step system, it can be created from the ModStep inventory on-hand. This flexibility alone can be the difference in whether a retailer makes a sale by being prepared for what the customer wants. That premise can save headache and frustration for dealer and consumer if they’ve just sold a spa, and have to schedule two deliveries for the spa and steps. With the inventory convenience of ModStep, the customer gets their entire order quicker, in one shipment, and the retailer looks like a hero in the customer’s eyes.
The ModStep can also be color coordinated to the skirting of a spa in one of seven available colors. If a dealer only has black in its inventory, Genova says Leisure Concepts can get the product shipped immediately from the warehouse inventory. “We carry a large amount of inventory for every product we sell,” he says. “Let’s say the customer wants their ModStep in Redwood Brown and the dealer doesn’t have that color in stock. We can quickly ship it out.” Another plus for dealers who carry ModStep, Genova says, is that one or two of the colors they offer will probably match the color scheme of the spa skirts numerous manufacturers such as Hot Spring, Bullfrog Spas, Caldera Spas, Sundance Spas and Jacuzzi use.
Genova says the handrail, also modular in design, provides more choices for the consumer. “You can configure the handrails to be on either the left or right side of the steps or both,” he says. “The rails come with rubber grips, powder coated aluminum, so you’re not grabbing a potentially slick surface. It’s completely rust-proof, no worries over potential corrosion problems with our handrails.”
Leisure Concepts offers optional items for ModStep, such as a solar-powered LED lighting system (attached in the step risers), which creates both an attractive accent light and an added measure of safety if the homeowner’s spa is in a dimly lit area. “One of the things I like about the LED lights,” Genova says, “is that you can be in your kitchen, facing your backyard, and view your great-looking spa. It doesn’t add anything to your electric bill, either, since it’s solar powered and it casts a really cool glow.”
The optional SmartDrawer system provides storage for chemicals and anything else you need to conveniently store near your spa.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” Genova says, “and we have a handle on what dealers need and what consumers want.”