Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles
By Eric Herman Dear WaterShapes EXTRA! Reader: As we all know, it’s been another tough year for the watershaping industry. Although we continue to anticipate a break in the clouds, we’re still waiting for the occasional rays of hope to gather into a full-blown economic recovery. So we soldier on seeking better days, all the while making the most of what we have in the meantime. As the editor of WaterShapes, I’m privileged to know many of you — and if grit and determination in the face of adversity are the measure of our industry’s character, then what I’ve seen these past difficult years is nothing less than inspiring. Yes, it’s been tough, but the pride and determination so many of you exhibit give me confidence that
Interview by WaterShapes' Elves He is known by many names in many places — including Father Christmas, Kriss Kringle and Saint Nicholas — but in America, wide-eyed children of all ages mainly know him as Santa Claus. Imagine our surprise at WaterShapes when we received an e-mail from
My history with Vance Gillette and his crusades began when I was editor of Pool & Spa News. Early in 1990, he approached me with a commentary that, almost overnight, opened everyone’s eyes to a complacency and lack of direction within the pool and spa industry that threatened to
The time has come for a major change in the pool and spa industry: Time to think differently about how we promote and market our products; time to recognize that our products bring more happiness and excitement to people than anything else they can buy; and especially time to
Although they’re occasionally the focus of media attention in North America, green roofs and their potential benefits are still relatively unknown quantities unless you happen to be a landscape architect or architect. In this commentary, Steven Peck and Damon van der Linde of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities aim to expand that base to include all watershapers – professionals, they say, who can play key roles in spreading the influence of these systems. Just think of it: There’s a design approach that improves energy efficiency, reduces the urban “heat island” effect and provides much-needed green space in places where opportunities for natural stress relief are
Not long ago, I was reminded in a big way of the importance of understanding the international nature of our industry. It was July, and my Genesis 3 partners Skip Phillips and David Tisherman and I were on the Gold Coast near Brisbane, Australia, presenting a program at the Splash! Conference – an experience that, once again, underscored the fact that ours is not just a North American business, but is instead a global industry in which people worldwide share
The true test of whether a watershape is well-conceived and well-built is what happens in the minds of the clients when they view the finished product. Not only should they appreciate the beauty of the work, they should also
An Interview by Eric Herman For more than 30 years, Dr. William N. Rowley — founder and principle of Rowley International, headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. — has worked tirelessly to address the causes of suction entrapment incidents. He has personally investigated
An Interview by Eric Herman A watershaping industry veteran of more than 25 years, publicist Laurie Batter was cited as one of Aquatics International's "Power 25" in 2006; was twice named one of the Top 25 Industry People to Watch by Swimming Pool/Spa Age; was presented with
A Time for Leadership