The South – hot, humid and a tough reputation when it comes to selling spas.
“From what I’ve heard from old timers in the industry, the Southeast has always been a struggle. I’ve seen not only our own reps change, but even competitors who are coming in here trying to get us to pick up their
product, the reps there have changed. And I’ve heard numerous people say the South is just tough,” Josh Kemerling, general manager of Georgia Spa Company and a full-time firefighter, says. “But I feel that we’ve been pretty successful.”
And they have had success. Owner Mark Stevens opened their first store in 2004, stealing Kemerling away from his job selling lawn equipment, and each year since the company’s sales have grown with the exception of last year where they met the previous year’s sales figures.
Despite a freak snowstorm that struck during an historically successful home show, 2010 has started off positive and Kemerling expects that to continue. One sticking point he sees, however, is the difficulty in getting both consumer and floor financing.
“It’s been a struggle. I’m keeping half the spas in stock now than what I used to,” he says about how they’ve handled a lack of financing. What bothers Kemerling the most is the impact that it’s had on his customers. When someone orders a spa they no longer stock, the discount he can pass on to them shrinks. Add to that the frustrating trends he’s seen when trying to get customers financed. For example, a couple with excellent credit came into his store wanting to buy a spa for their new home. They had already received credit of a similar amount to purchase furniture from the same financing company that Kemerling uses. The couple’s application was denied, but when they applied for credit with the same company again a few hours later to purchase a mattress, they were approved. They returned and paid cash for their spa, but it left Kemerling baffled, especially when he called the credit company asking for an explanation.
“The lady’s answer was simply, ‘Sir, you’re in a luxury item, the other company was not.’”
Even though he hasn’t come up with a solution to these difficult problems, Kemerling still loves coming to work, even if he’s been up all night fighting a fire.
“I love what I do, I love the products we sell,” he states. “And, in my opinion, if you’re happy in your position, you’re looking forward to getting up and coming to work.”