Aquatech Institute Grand Opening

2012 has been a big year for the corporation of Aquatech.

The board of directors and the management team made the decision to move the corporate headquarters to Las Vegas.  With this move, and the purchase of a new building an opportunity arose to create a training room to hold seminars and educational symposiums.  As a major goal of the organization to provide educational opportunities to the members, this is a unique opportunity.  October 3 - 5, the new Aquatech Institute was opened with great success; and Pools by John Clarkson had a representative there to improve our company.



Along with ~30 other attendees, we had speakers and discussed topics ranging from social media to hiring practices to creating better displays.  For example, Brett Abbott with MYM Austin discussed website design, referral programs, incorporating social media and which types of media are right for each type of company.  This seminar was unique in that it combined companies from retail to construction, all desiring to improve their individual businesses.  The set up of the education facility allowed for easy viewing from all seats & tables; has wifi capabilities; and many conveniences, such as built in outlets for every work station.  This made for a relaxed environment, conducive for learning.

As a proud member of Aquatech, Pools by John Clarkson is excited about the facility and we applaud the designers for creating this excellent educational facility.

Houzz.com - Portfolios and Idea books

The internet has undoubtedly changed the way people buy and sell products and services.  The pool industry is not exempt from this, and I have enjoy watching the evolution.  One of the biggest effects has been on the way people are able to research companies, materials and designs before they even meet with a contractor.

In the "Old Days," say the 90's ;) a salesman would show up at a home with a photo book as a portfolio of projects the company he represents had built.  The customer may have a few magazine cut outs of pools, but nothing the designer could take with him as that was their only copy.

With the internet becoming more readily available, the contractor's portfolios transitioned onto a website created by the company to display their work.  It was common for a salesman to show up at an appointment, in which a homeowner had printed out photos of pools, along with the magazine clip outs.  The challenge was the quality of the prints are usually sub par and from many unique sources, making it difficult to track down.

The fact is, Contractors want to display their portfolio and homeowners want to create and share a scrapbook of their ideas.  It adds to the excitement of the process.  At the Aquatech conference this February,  Pools by John Clarkson learned about a site that facilitates this online: Houzz.com.

Here is Houzz's description of their site:

About Houzz

Houzz is a leading destination site for home design enthusiasts-- professionals and homeowners. The Houzz site and mobile apps feature over 250,000 high quality interior and exterior photos, thousands of highly-engaging articles written by design experts, product recommendations and social tools to manage the remodeling and decorating process.

On the Houzz platform:

Design professionals showcase their portfolios, sharing their work with a community dedicated to home and landscape design. 40,000+ professionals have uploaded more than 250,000 inspiring photographs, making Houzz the Internet's largest database of design and decorating ideas.

Homeowners collect their favorite photos, find design professionals in their areas, upload photos of their homes and gardens, and swap tips and questions with other members. More than a million ideabooks have been created by Houzz members, and new ones are added every minute. 

PBJC has created a profile and encourages our prospective customers to visit the site and start creating their own idea book.  They can even follow us to be notified when we add new photos.

Hope to see you on Houzz!

Aquatech Seminar

Education and Networking are 2 vital parts of any business - yet why do they tend to get overlooked?

The easy answer is summed up in one word: TIME.

To attend seminars and meet with other builders, we are removed from our business for some period of time. With new technologies such as, web based scheduling programs, smart phones with constant e-mail access, and remote meeting programs - it is certainly easier to not be present AT the business. However, you still have to take time away to be focused on learning; both from classes, as well as from others.

Jacksonville, FL pool Builder Pools by John Clarkson just returned from one such event. Aquatech Corporation held an Education Symposium from 3/30 - 4/1. Topics included Major Renovations, Fire Features, Scheduling Programs, Gravity Feed Hydraulics (including perimeter overflow pools,) Marketing / Brand strategies and 3D design programs.

PBJC also spent some time with ~20 other Aquatech builders from across the country - discussing design and construction trends throughout the nation.

All in all - I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to experience these type of events to take full advantage of them: it should be well worth your TIME.

PBJC on Facebook.

Aquatech Conference 2010

At Pools by John Clarkson, we look forward to the annual Aquatech conference as an opportunity to network with fellow builders from across the nation, attend seminars and prepare for the year to come. This year added another level of excitement as we traveled to Vancouver and Whistler Canada - site of the 2010 Winter Olympics!

Now that we have returned, we wanted to provide an update from the conference:
1) Aquatech's new consumer web-site is ready to launch! http://www.aquatechpools.com/ has been re-designed to focus on future and current pool owners' needs. Articles, recipes, pictures, builder profiles, and so much more are the focus of the new site.
2) Jacksonville Pool builder PBJC was honored with 2 Gold awards for new construction; 1 Silver for new construction with Artificial Rock; 1 Gold award for Renovation; and another for the category "Fun with your Pool." (See future blogs for more.)
3) We learned a lot discussing designs, construction techniques, and new technologies with fellow pool builders. The best session is simply known as "Best of/Worst of," and was reintroduced this year. Basically we go around a room with ~50 other builders and everyone discusses their best and worst decision of the past year.
To summarize, check out the new Aquatech website and stay tuned for the Award winning pictures.
Remember to follow us on Facebook and you can always request a Free Idea CD.