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.
When Fred Bachmann’s store won the Locksin-Thompson Dealer of the Year Award at the annual Watkins Wellness conference, he was stunned. The honor recognizes dealers who have shown excellence, leadership and pretty darn good sales.
When the founders of Great Bay Spas & Sauna approached Jamie Burson in late 2019 about buying the company, he was caught off guard. He’d been with the New England retailer since he was 20, working his way up from the warehouse to sales and management, and had always dreamed of owning the business. But when the opportunity came, it suddenly felt real.
When Fiesta Pools & Spas opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1956, backyard pools were still a novelty, and the hot tub industry as we know it hadn’t even been born. Nearly 70 years later, the company has become a community fixture — a legacy Travis Hogan stepped into when he purchased Fiesta in 2004 at just 28 years old.
Family has always been at the heart of Cada Pools and Spas. For brothers Tom and Brian Cada, carrying forward the business their father started has been as much about honoring tradition as it has been about adapting to change — and now the next generation is finding its place.
In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick converses with Tom Vaughn, the president of Water’s Choice. Vaughn...
This episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast features an insightful conversation between host Megan Kendrick and AJ Cada from Cada Pools...
In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick welcomes back Alex Granlund from King Technology, where they delve...
In this episode of the Spa Retailer podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Steve Hammack, former president of Watkins Wellness. Steve...
In 2011, Jacuzzi Hot Tubs of Ontario was born.
Now, 13 years and a pandemic later, Wasney’s business is undergoing another rebrand after more than a yearslong process. The Wellness Shop officially launched in February of 2022.