Podcasts

Episode #140 Young Entrepreneurs Tackle the Cover Industry with Harrison and Nicholas Dale

ByMegan Kendrick March 4, 2026March 5, 2026

In this episode of The SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews brothers and co-owners Harrison (24) and Nick Dale (28) discuss launching the Cover and Supply Company, a hot tub cover manufacturing operation in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, next to their parents’ longtime Pelican Shops spa retail store. The entrepreneur team got into the business after other jobs, then bootstrapping production in a repurposed building while sourcing skins from China and navigating sudden tariffs. They cut EPS foam, draw patterns, seal and stuff covers, deliver with a truck/van, and sell largely through in-person store visits across PA, NJ, NY and nearby states. They’ve launched a dealer portal, built a warranty/serial-number labeling system, plan faster sealing equipment and a new facility, expect hiring soon, and note industry sustainability pressure around EPS and a university capstone effort to develop new cover designs.

Show Notes with Timestamps:

00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:09 Meet The Dale Brothers
02:18 Family Business Roots
03:28 Early Work Lessons
04:20 Life Outside The Store
06:32 Nick and Amazon Shift
07:40 Values From Parents
08:54 Why Start A Cover Company
10:18 Bootstrapping and Tariffs
12:58 Making Covers In House
13:55 Cold Visiting Sales Strategy
16:39 Freight Savings Pitch
18:01 Choosing Sizes and Black
19:02 Surprises and Precision
21:09 Learning Machines and CAD
23:04 Dealer Portal and Warranty
24:33 Production Capacity Push
25:14 First Week Reality Check
26:25 Switching Off Owner Mode
27:30 Tariffs and Figure It Out
30:54 Scaling Up Space and Staff
33:33 Service Area and Delivery Limits
35:04 Spa Retailer Five Stories
38:36 Worst Ideas and Hard Lessons
40:40 Best Ideas and Family Business
42:05 Media Picks and Kaizen Mindset
45:37 Thanks and Sign Off