APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 - (Page 7)

president’s message AQ APSP QUARTERLY Volume 1, No. 2 • SPRING 2008 The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) 2111 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, Virginia 22314-4695 703.838.0083 • Fax 703.549.0493 Email: AQ@APSP.org Website: APSP.org APSP OFFICERS (2008) APSP Chairman of the Board Gene Fields APSP Chairman-Elect Terry Brown APSP Secretary-Treasurer Charlie Schobel APSP Past Chairman Penny Johnson AQ EDITORIAL STAFF APSP President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Weber APSP Director of Marketing and Promotion Lauren Stack AQ Managing Editor Ken Suzuki AQ Associate Editor Jeanette Smith AQ Contributors Helen Bloch Ralph Bloch Carvin DiGiovanni Carolina Olivieri Michael Reed Nina Schwartz AQ EDITORIAL ADVISORS Dick Wolfe, Gibbs & Soell Christina Cozzi, Gibbs & Soell The Art of Original Thinking AT THE MOST fundamental level, imagination is the art of original thinking. The pool, spa, and hot tub indus- Published by Naylor, LLC 5950 Northwest 1st Place Gainesville, FL 32607 800.369.6220, 352.332.1252 352.331.3525 (fax) www.naylor.com Publisher John Kilchenstein Editor Leslee Masters Project Manager Jason White Advertising Sales Bobby Bell, Kim Glover, Yoruba Haney, Mary Johnston, John O’Neil, SaraCatherine Sedbery, Gina Sinnett, Paul Woods Marketing Heather Zimmerman Layout & Design Deb Churchill Basso Advertising Art Glenn Domingo AQ (APSP Quarterly) is published four times a year for The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. Copyright ©2008 by The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. All rights reserved and all commercial use of the contents prohibited except if expressly authorized in writing by the association. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent official positions or policies of APSP. Published March 2008/APS-Q0108/6814 try is built on helping people actualize their dreams. We inspire families who long for a backyard oasis; athletes and weekend warriors who use hot water for therapy and relaxation; and a general public who relies on industry professionals to help fulfill recreation, safety, and fitness aspirations. In a very real sense, APSP’s purpose is to help inspire original, imaginative thinking, artfully executed by dedicated industry professionals. Capitalizing on collective wisdom is the key to any successful enterprise. For business leaders, it means teaching employees to be creative problem solvers and nurturing an environment where new ideas are valued and rewarded. At the organizational level, leaders who embrace imagination and ethical decision making can keep employees focused on making a profit while finding true enjoyment in engaging work. From an industry standpoint, tapping our collective wisdom will help us find new ways to make our products better and safer, and our members more profitable. Prior to coming to APSP, I was fortunate to be involved in leadership redevelopment in the Czech Republic. One of the results of 40 years of Soviet control was the loss of creative thinking in the areas of business ethics and leadership. Our volunteers were charged with taking a select group of visionary young professionals from both business and government, and helping them to infuse the lost concepts of ethical decision making in their organizations. The initial part of the process was to teach these leaders how to dispel the myths and illusions that were holding back the results they wanted from their constituents. By asking the right questions and harnessing the collective wisdom of these young leaders, we were able to begin a nationwide dialogue that has contributed to an ethics revival in the private and public sectors. No doubt, the pool, spa, and hot tub industry’s current economic issues are a significant challenge. The U.S. economy is weathering plunging home sales, soaring energy prices, and a credit meltdown, and we have definitely felt the sting. As a consequence, we must gather our most powerful weapons – our creative brains – and use the art of original thinking to respond. By working together, we can find original ways to address the challenges we face. Imagination is the theme of this issue of AQ. In the following pages, you’ll come to know the Chairman of the Board, Gene Fields, and get a sense of his passions and how his career as a manufacturers’ agent uniquely qualifies him to lead at this unique time. You’ll learn about how people in our building community are embracing a holistic approach to designing backyard escapes that inspire consumers and fulfill dreams. This would, of course, include CBP Certified Building Professional® of the year Al Rizzo, and our Awards of Excellence recipients, who turn imagination into reality with their awe-inspiring workmanship. In a great example of how shared wisdom can inspire imagination, my colleague Thom Dammrich, CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, shares key lessons from their successful Discover Boating consumer promotion campaign. NMMA’s collaboration has been instrumental in helping us shape our own consumer outreach initiative in the hot tub segment. With the passage of the Pool and Spa Safety Act, APSP is even more effectively reaching out to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the International Code Council and other public and private organizations to share our expertise and the knowledge found in the ANSI/APSP consensus standards for pool and spa design and safety. In our ongoing series on leadership, Manny Perez de la Mesa, CEO of PoolCorp, conveys his valuable insights on inspiring a shared vision and the value of harnessing the collective efforts of many behind a focused purpose and objective. To quote Albert Einstein, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” He was right, of course, and by teaming together, we can make our industry’s coming attractions terrific! Best regards, Bill Weber President & CEO The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals bweber@APSP.org SP RING 2008 | 7 http://APSP.org http://www.naylor.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 Contents President's Message Chairman's Message International Awards of Excellence Spotlight Quality and Innovation If You're Still in the Pool Business, You're Leaving Money on the Table Gunslingers for Sale-s Can Pool Builders Hedge a Tough Year With... Hedges? Creating a Shared Vision: An Interview with PoolCorp CEO Manny Perez de la Mesa Grow Boating Initiative Helps Industry Imagine a Better Tomorrow First Ever CBP of the Year Award Presented at Inaugural CBP Recognition Dinner Safety Department News & Resources Advertiser's Index

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

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