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Marquis: Sci-Fi in the Backyard

Best features of previous Marquis lines blended with TRON and the Death Star

The world doesn’t need another boring box of hot water, says Jim Johnston, vice president of marketing for Marquis. Which is why Marquis, the Independence, Oregon, hot tub manufacturer, started developing a new line of hot tubs in late 2014.

“We saw an opportunity to introduce a distinctly modern design language and a truly innovative hydrotherapy system concept for the mid price–point category of the market,” Johnston says of Marquis’ new Vector21 hot tub series. “We felt our midrange e-Series was not as dynamic, creating the opportunity to design the Vector21 to drive new activity for our dealers in that midrange price area.”

Utilizing its Dealer Advisory Board, Marquis set parameters for feature sets and price targets that assured it positioned the series on the spectrum of products and prices dealers wanted to offer. Additionally, focus groups were shown elements of components and vessel lines throughout the development process to be sure Marquis maintained the desired visual impression.

Almost every part of the Vector21 line is new, so various elements throughout the production and assembly process either had to be revised or developed, says Sam Collins, senior vice president of Marquis manufacturing. “We spent a great deal of time engineering the hydraulic operation of the units and, as a result, are able to operate every seat without sacrificing performance,” Collins says. “Additionally, each seat can adjust the water flow to tailor the individual needs of the bather, allowing almost infinite adjustability.”

“A couple of our concepts were still beyond the engineering timeline capabilities,” Johnston says. “As a result, we have next-generation concepts in development for future innovations.”

One development that did fit the timeline for the Vector21 series is the Variable Velocity Valve (V3) system, which channels a pump’s water production from a single to several locations, including all jet pods, with a simple throttle control. Other changes include footwell therapy and conal, directional and orbital jet pods. The V3 throttle and the jet pod formations are all part of what Marquis calls Vector Optimized Laminar Therapy — or the V.O.L.T. system.

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Two models are on the market (V94 and V65L) and two will be unveiled at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in New Orleans this November (V94L and V77). Upon completion of the series, Marquis anticipates six total units released, though details about the final two will not be available until spring 2017.

Donny Stiver, outdoor living sales manager for Idler’s Home in Paso Robles, California, (a Marquis dealer since May 2013) says that the Vector21 series is the next full evolutionary step in the hot tub industry.

“Marquis has taken some of the best features from both its Signature and e-Series lines, put them in a blender, added a stylistic dash of TRON, the power of the Death Star and out came Vector21,” Stiver says. “The 45-degree angels of the Vector21 line make for a very sexy, yet masculine, 21st-century aesthetic.”

Three days after putting the units on display, Stiver sold a V65L, and two days later sold a V94. Idler’s Home participated in the California Mid-State Fair over the summer and, out of the 60 Marquis tubs sold, 15 were Vector21 units. In a countywide population of about 170,000 people, Stiver counts the response of his market as excellent.

“As far as I have researched, no one can match the pure power and deep tissue massage that Vector21 can produce with the V.O.L.T.,” Collins says. “Especially when you see the Whitewater4 footwell jet in the V94 running at full boar and mounding water up through the water line like a volcano.”