One of my favorite things about putting together our 30 Under 40 issue is seeing just how many ways there are to build a career in this industry.

This year’s group includes people who grew up in family businesses and others who found the hot tub industry almost by accident. We have retailers, service professionals, manufacturers, marketers and technology providers. Some are preparing to take over businesses that have been around for generations, while others are building something entirely new.

What struck me most as I read through their stories was how much they’re already thinking about what comes next. They want to make businesses easier to operate, improve training and service, modernize the buying experience and find better ways to communicate with customers. At the same time, many of them are fiercely protective of what they believe should remain at the heart of the industry: relationships, service and taking care of people.

That combination feels especially important right now. There’s plenty changing in our industry, but progress doesn’t have to mean abandoning what got us here. This year’s 30 Under 40 honorees seem to understand that instinctively. I hope you’ll spend some time getting to know them in this issue — and congratulate them when you see them at upcoming shows and conferences.

That same idea of honoring what works while being willing to evolve came up during another highlight for me this year.

In the spring, I visited PDC Spas in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, toured the factory and spent time in its new showroom. PDC has been manufacturing hot tubs since the early 1980s, and it was fascinating to see a company with that much history entering a new chapter under owner Marshall Welch.

There’s a lot happening there, from new products and a broader focus on wellness to renewed investment in dealers and getting the PDC name in front of more people. One thing that stood out to me during my visit was the respect for what had already been built. The manufacturing knowledge, employees and quality that gave PDC its reputation aren’t being discarded in the pursuit of something new. They’re the foundation for it. You can read more about PDC and what’s ahead for the company on Page 56.

Between PDC’s next chapter and the 30 people we’re introducing in this issue, there’s a lot here that makes me excited about where this industry is headed.

Enjoy the issue, and I’ll see many of you soon at the coming shows and conferences.

Best,

Megan Kendrick, publisher

megan@kendrickcontent.com

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and if you’re like me, you are trying to figure out how to leverage it in your business. We talk about that on Page 40, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to tell you how we are using it here at SpaRetailer. 

We are a very small team, so efficiency has always been of the utmost importance. One of the things I really enjoy about being a business owner is creating and improving systems. But AI has enabled me to tackle long-standing pain points in our company that I assumed we’d need to hire someone to help us fix. 

For example, across SpaRetailer and PoolPro, we’ve done hundreds of photoshoots and have 10,000+ images from those alone — which doesn’t include all the pictures submitted to us by brands over the years. As technology has improved, we’ve struggled to organize and leverage those incredible assets into a searchable database. Finding an evergreen image of someone working on a hot tub with the panel off when we need it has been dependent on my memory (which for some reason is not improving over time). But using Codex, the programming arm of ChatGPT, I was able to build an semi-automatic process that not only tags incoming photos but also went back through our archive and tagged past images. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve finally made progress on a project we’ve struggled with for years.

But as we’ve explored using AI, we’ve also found weaknesses. For instance, I used it to help research the history of swim spas. While it was good at finding documents showing when companies ceased operation, digging up decades-old patents and keeping track of all the information I’d gathered over weeks of research, turns out the best online source for swim spa history was SpaRetailer.com. Beyond that, I needed to talk to the people who were there and then use AI to help confirm the dates and details they shared. Even then, oftentimes the information it passed off as fact was wrong. Fortunately, my many years in the industry made the falsehoods easy to spot. 

In a world of AI content, one thing you can always count on from SpaRetailer is that we actually talk to the people quoted in our articles. The pictures we print are real, and if they aren’t, we’ll tell you (we did have AI create an image of a raccoon turning on a hose for PoolPro). When we talk about today’s hot tub buyer, this is an important point. It’s getting harder and harder to trust what we see and hear online. And while there are so many positives AI can bring to our businesses, customers need and want authenticity. Once you lose their trust and put out “AI slop,” as my kids call it, it can be hard to walk that back and be taken seriously as the expert again.

So, like us, proceed with caution. See how you can stretch yourself and your teams with artificial intelligence. But don’t lose sight of who you are and what got you here in the first place.

Best,

Megan Kendrick, publisher

megan@kendrickcontent.com

P.S. AI wrote this headline. I hate writing headlines and I’m bad at it.

This issue, we look at where retailers focus their energy when the easy answers aren’t there.

For years, growth in this industry often meant more: more traffic, more leads, more showroom activity. But today, that equation isn’t as reliable. Costs are higher. Margins are tighter. And in many markets, customers aren’t popping up frequently as they once did.

So, the question shifts to how do you get more out of what you already have?

Our story on hidden revenue gets at that directly. In many cases, the opportunity is sitting inside the business — in service departments that aren’t treated like profit centers, in water care programs that aren’t systemized and in everyday customer interactions that are handled as transactions instead of opportunities.

That same recalibration shows up in other parts of the issue.

Cold tubs are a good example. The initial surge brought attention and curiosity, but now retailers are figuring out how to turn interest into something sustainable. The hype didn’t disappear, but it did settle into something more realistic.

And when showroom product lines change — whether by choice or by circumstance — the real test isn’t what replaces them on the floor. It’s whether the business remains steady through the transition. What customers remember isn’t the brand that left; it’s whether the retailer showed up the same way they always have.

Change is constant in this business. The advantage comes from knowing where to apply it and where to hold the line.

Best,

Megan Kendrick, publisher

megan@kendrickcontent.com

Before we dive into this issue, I want to acknowledge some major milestones happening in our industry this year.

Caldera Spas turns 50. Master Spas celebrates 30 years. Softub marks 40. QCA Spas reaches 60.

Those are substantial numbers in any business. In manufacturing — and especially in a category that has seen economic swings, housing cycles, regulatory changes and shifting consumer behavior — they’re hard-earned.

Longevity matters in this business. But anniversaries look backward. Leads determine what happens next (See what I did there?).

Across this issue, one thing is clear: Lead generation demands structure. Dealers with high conversion numbers do a few things consistently:

They respond quickly — often within minutes.

They don’t overwhelm prospects with information.

They return to discovery when a sale stalls.

They track why deals are lost.

They remove friction before it becomes an objection.

If you look at the companies celebrating decades in business this year, their endurance was built dealer by dealer, sale by sale. That same principle applies now. The next decade of your business will be shaped by how you handle the inquiries coming in today.

Strong brands endure because strong dealerships build pipelines — consistently, week after week.

The market will shift again. It always does. Interest rates will move. Consumer confidence will tighten and expand. Traffic will spike and slow. What doesn’t change is the starting point: Someone has to raise their hand.

What you do in that moment determines whether you’re building another year in business or another decade.

Best,

Megan Kendrick, publisher

megan@kendrickcontent.com

Every other year, SpaRetailer returns to a feature we consider essential — Power Women. 

This isn’t about singling out one group at the expense of another; it’s about recognizing leadership that strengthens the whole industry.  

The women featured in this issue lead in ways that are fundamental to how strong spa businesses actually work. Their impact shows up in steady growth, resilient teams, trusted partnerships and companies that evolve without losing their center, and their influence reaches well beyond any single role or title, shaping workplaces and the long-term health of the industry. 

You’ll see those same qualities echoed throughout this issue. Women contribute insight on growth categories, business strategy, mentorship and operational resilience — alongside the men who move this industry forward. Progress isn’t created by spotlighting one voice; it’s created by understanding how many voices shape success together. 

Power Women exists to broaden the picture. To ensure the full story of leadership in our industry is being told accurately and completely. When that picture is clearer, we all benefit. 

Best,
Megan 

megan@kendrickcontent.com

As we close out one year and begin the next, it’s a good time to reflect on where our industry has been and where it’s headed. This issue of SpaRetailer does just that — celebrating the pioneers who built the hot tub category, spotlighting the retailers carrying it forward and, of course, the innovations shaping what’s to come.

One of my favorite parts of this issue is revisiting the Jacuzzi family story as part of our ongoing series highlighting the 2025 Hot Tub Hall of Fame inductees. As you may know, I love learning about the history of our industry (look no further than part two of our series on the history of swim spas), so researching this famous family was a fun endeavor.

We also get to celebrate today’s leaders in our annual Retail Stars feature. Every year, I’m inspired by the passion and resilience these retailers bring to their businesses. From family-run shops with decades of history to entrepreneurs pushing into new markets, they prove putting people first is what keeps this industry thriving.

Take some time to learn about the PHTA’s new Center of Excellence, too. It is an exciting step in giving our industry the tools we need to stay competitive and prepare the next generation of hot tub pros. And while you’re at it, I also encourage you to become a PHTA/IHTA member. The Center of Excellence is just one part of what the organization is doing for and on behalf of our industry and deserves your support. 

As always, thank you for being part of this community and sharing your stories with us. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings for all of us.

Best,
Megan 

megan@kendrickcontent.com

I can’t believe it’s already time for 30 Under 40! This is our second year celebrating young professionals in SpaRetailer, and I hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as I do. Help us continue to grow this program by nominating and applying for 30 Under 40 when it opens next April. 

The Pool | Spa | Patio Expo is a few weeks earlier this year. Be sure to stop by our booth, but first make the PHTA Awards of Excellence your top Vegas must-do — celebrating the 2025 Hot Tub Hall of Fame inductees: Alice Cunningham (Olympic Hot Tub), Joe King (King Technology) and the Jacuzzi family. We’ll be doing in-depth write-ups on all three down the road, but check out their career highlights. 

After 17 years in the industry, this will be my 14th time going to the PSP. I understand that trade shows induce déjà vu after a while, and you may not feel like you need to keep attending. However, I can easily say I’ve never regretted being there. Every year, I leave with valuable takeaways, whether it’s new contacts, new business, story ideas or new products to talk about. I also think there is something to be said for supporting and contributing to the bigger industry. So, if you do go, don’t just show up. Participate, engage and make the most of your time. We’ve got some great tips from industry veterans in this issue on how they do just that. See you there. 

Best,
Megan 

megan@kendrickcontent.com

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone down a deep reporting rabbit hole, but I could not stop digging up nuggets while working on this story about the history of swim spas (to the detriment of all my other work). If you listen to The SpaRetailer Podcast, you’ll know I love learning the history of the hot tub industry and this research kept giving. Thank you to all the people who talked to me for this (and answered my incessant follow-up questions) — there were so many others I would have loved to talk to, but I ran out of time. Which is why there will be a part two in the next issue. If I’m missing some key information, or if you know someone who worked at any of these early swim spa manufacturers, I’d love for you to send them my way.

This swim spa story isn’t the only thing in this issue though — we spend a good bit of real estate on events. We’ve got an entire event playbook for you (Page 42), a profile on two of the top event-sellers in the industry (Page 46) and a discussion about marketing strategies to keep your event momentum going (Page 28 and Page 36).

I had the privilege to hear Ben Peart speak earlier this year, and his presentation on the science behind our products is one of the best I’ve experienced. Please take the time to read, study and memorize these crucial facts (Page 50).

I’d also like to welcome two new CEOs to the industry — Robert Baird took the helm at Jacuzzi earlier this year and is profiled in this issue (Page 34) and Josh Cowley was named CEO at May Manufacturing (makers of Artesian, Marquis and Nordic). 

Don’t forget that the Pool | Spa | Patio Expo is a month earlier this year in October! We’ll cover that in our next issue as well as name our 2025 30 Under 40s.

Best,

Megan

megan@kendrickcontent.com

I love watching retailers get creative. Actually, I think creative problem-solving is one of the core competencies of successful entrepreneurs and businesses. Show three businesses the same obstacle, and each will find a unique way to overcome it. 

There are certainly obstacles facing hot tubs sellers right now, and in this issue, we share some of the ways your peers are tackling them — like finding recurring revenue streams, resurrecting dead leads, optimizing financing and ensuring they are the first and fastest company to respond to customer inquiries.

It could be that I’m obsessed with efficiency in general, (we’re a small team, so wasting time isn’t really an option) but lately, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of “speed to lead.”

The statistics on being the first to respond to a lead or customer inquiry are pretty compelling — if you get there first, your chances of getting the sale go up dramatically. But the concept can apply to other areas of your business, like delivery and service. Do you keep popular models and configurations in stock for customers who want a hot tub by the weekend? Do you track the time it takes to fully resolve a repair? Being fast doesn’t just improve customer satisfaction, it potentially gives you time to do and charge for more as well.

Financing is something else that has been on my mind lately. I’m always surprised when retailers tell me they don’t do much with financing. I understand we all would prefer cash customers and transactions where we incur no fees at all. And I understand that historically for a lot of you, people have just paid upfront. And I know that interest rates could be better. However, by paying little or no attention to financing (in training, signage, sales process), don’t you think you’re losing potential customers? Can any of us afford to lose any sales right now? 

If you’ve got pushback on that, I’d love to hear it. And I want to hear not only how you use financing to your advantage but all the ways you are getting creative and making new opportunities for your business. 

Best,

Megan

megan@kendrickcontent.com

Hectic is how I would describe the beginning of 2025, at least for me. I’m thrilled to say our art director, Brittany Moses, welcomed a baby boy in February! But that joy comes with a bit of chaos while she’s on maternity leave. Then there’s the uncertainty of tariffs on Mexico and Canada. As I write this, they’ve been put on hold for a second time. We’re talking with manufacturers about how these tariffs will affect them and have an article we will continue to update as the story evolves on Page 52.

This is a great spot for me to add a plug for the International Hot Tub Association, which is part of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance. This year, I joined their strategic leadership team, and I can tell you that both IHTA and PHTA are working to help the industry navigate the tariff situation through lobbying and distributing information. While the input of the hot tub industry isn’t going to sway whether these tariffs continue, the association’s efforts can help in possible exemptions and other measures to lessen impacts. The PHTA has a new membership category created specifically for hot tub retailers, and I would encourage all of you to join. Not only do they provide tangible benefits to your business but that money helps them protect and advocate for our industry (learn more on Page 49).

Since I have found myself lying awake at night worrying about tariffs, this issue was a needed reminder for me and probably other business owners. Amid the unknowns of this year, don’t forget to take care of yourself (Page 38). While it is possible to have a healthy business led by an unhealthy owner, it can be tough. The trickle-down effect is real.

We also have some upcoming trainings that can help you with that. A leadership seminar is coming up on April 17 and May 1, and our sales training program has just launched its online/go-at-your-own-pace version. Both offer solutions to help keep you motivated and embodied as a leader and human.

Best,

Megan Kendrick, publisher

megan@kendrickcontent.com