Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles
Back in the November/December 2001 issue of WaterShapes, David Tisherman wrote a manifesto urging pool-industry professionals as well as watershapers from related trades to elevate their games – especially with respect to matters of design and presentation. ‘Here’s the unvarnished truth,’
In 2001, as part of his ‘Aqua Culture’ column in WaterShapes, Brian Van Bower penned a thought-provoking piece entitled “Quality Don’t Come Easy.” In it, he decried what he saw as a dearth of quality craftspeople in the watershaping trades — and in the broader construction industry as well. “Time and again,” he noted, “I commiserate with colleagues who just can’t find good people who are dedicated to
In the first installment of this two-part opinion piece, watershaper and educator Mark Holden offered a scathing critique of what he views as the traditional pool industry. To read Part One in its entirety, click here. In the second installment of his two-part opinion piece, Holden offers
A few years ago, I made a conscious effort to turn my back on the narrow confines of the swimming pool industry and to focus instead on the profession of watershaping and its significantly broader foundation and expressive potential. It was a transition pushed both by
If you asked ten people to rank which was more important in their lives, I’d say seven or eight of them would reflexively say that physical health is more important than success in business. If you’re not healthy, the reasoning goes, there’s no way to enjoy the fruits of success. These people also recognize that being robust and healthy gives you a better shot at
Let’s begin this discussion with a question: What if you were so bad at your job that a person in a related field decided, for the good of his own business, he had to learn your business and replace you rather than cope with your incompetence? Most people would say that this would be a justified response to the fact that you do lousy work. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), this very thing is happening in the pool industry – or, more accurately, to the pool industry. For years now and with increasing frequency, landscape architects have decided they’ve had enough and are entering the pool industry. They are doing so because
An Interview by Lenny Giteck In the six years since Dr. Tom Lachocki became CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, NSPF has given more than $3.5 million in grant money for scientific research into aquatics, a figure that represents
I was chatting recently with my longtime friend Laurie Batter, president of Batter Up! Productions in Carlsbad, Calif. Among other things, her media relations firm takes care of public relations for the National Swimming Pool Foundation. We were discussing ways to promote the health benefits of swimming and other aquatic activities, when Laurie mentioned the Let’s Move initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama, which fosters physical fitness among children. While we agreed it’s a great cause and a wonderful program, Laurie pointed out that the initiative apparently does not promote swimming.
By now, most of us have noticed or at least heard news of the onset of a much- anticipated rebound in the economy. Most watershapers I speak with confirm that it’s true (although to widely varying degrees) and that they are indeed experiencing increases in business – both with new contacts and old leads that have come back into play. I write those words knowing that you may or may not be convinced that this is the real thing. After all, we’ve learned some tough lessons during this recession, not the least of which is to be wary when pundits offer predictions that they seem perfectly willing to adjust from week to week. At present, however, most of these economic gurus are
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