www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk IN BRIEF


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SPORT ENGLAND’S FUNDING CUT Sport England’s funding settlement from the Government has been cut ’significantly’ with a 33% reduction in grants. Sport England plans amongst other things to reduce administration costs by 50% by March 2015, and protect the revenue funding for major frontline deliverers, national governing bodies of sport until March 2013. Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “Today’s announcement is tough for grassroots sport, and in particular the coaches, volunteers and clubs in communities across the country. “Sport England’s priority is a simple one, ensuring as many people as possible play sport. With less grant in aid funding available, it is more important than ever that each pound reaches right down to the grassroots.”


OXFORD POOL TO GO AHEAD


Oxford can afford a new £16.8m swimming pool that will lead to the closure of Temple Cowley Pools, despite all the local authority cuts. The Blackbird Leys


development is needed says the city council, as keeping Temple Cowley Pools open would be ‘throwing good money after bad’.


The Temple Road pool was heavily subsidised and not energy efficient, he said. A council spokesman said: “It is about priorities and we think maintaining a high quality pool in the city is such a priority that we will manage to do it, providing tenders come in within what we have been advised to expect.” The council is budgeting for the scheme to cost £16.8m.


IndustryNews DEC 2010 SPN


5557


MARQUIS SPAS CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY


Marquis Spas, the leading international hot tub brand with distributors across North America and Europe, has been celebrating its 30th anniversary.


It began in September 1980 in a farm barn in the town of Independence, Oregon in the United States, when three men decided to start making hot tubs.


Company President, John Schrenk now adds: “Marquis Spas is a real success story. While we are still based in the same town where it all started, the company has grown to become a well respected, international corporation.” Originally known as ‘Pacific Spas’, the first employees were extended family members and close friends. Four years later the company changed its name to ‘Pacific Marquis’ and a year later, in 1985, was acquired by Wexco Inc., at the time a privately owned corporation, which, after a couple of years, changed its name again to Marquis Spas. In 1999 the company became employee-owned, where the pride of ownership was, and still is, taken very seriously leading to a high level of product quality and reliability. “The company started with family and friends and today we’re an employee-owned company so it’s almost as if we have come full circle. We often say we’re a part of family – the Marquis family. We care about one another and we care about the products we manufacture,” says Schrenk. Since the turn of this century, the company has continued to grow,


Marquis Spas is a real success story


establishing its first business venture outside the USA in 2000 by signing its first international distributor in Norway.


In 2003 Marquis launched its products in the UK through Golden Coast and soon after became the fastest growing brand in the UK. This was quickly followed by the addition of other European distributors and dealers.


In product terms, the launch of the patented ‘HK40’ high-flow jet achieved from a smaller unit what had previously only been possible with larger jets. Today the jet is used throughout the Marquis range, strategically positioned in each model to provide passive and whole body massage.


The company also introduced ‘SpaBoutique’, an in-house accessory programme that includes everything from bathrobes to remote controls, chemicals and filters.


Marquis Spas has been able to drastically reduce lead times for product delivery.


Equally, the


company was one of the first and in fact few manufacturers to be fully


compliant with the European Council (EC) Directive 2002/95/EC (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) – RoHS. In 2004, Marquis received the prestigious ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ award and a year later also received the ‘Exporter of the Year’ award, both from the US Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR). This year is the 10th anniversary of sponsorship between Marquis Spas and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, which has helped more than 400 children with life- threatening medical conditions, generating in excess of US$2.4m in spa donations and discounts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.


“Marquis Spas has a reputation of producing one of the most innovative and reliable hot tubs on the market. Since taking on the exclusive UK distribution, we have worked with the company to establish and develop its presence. As a result we are proud to have received the ‘Best’ International Dealer of the Year award for six consecutive years,” said Jamie Adams, Managing Director of Golden Coast.


PAUL BOOSTS GOLDEN COAST’S NORTHERN SALES


Paul Grant has joined Golden Coast as Business Development Manager covering the North of England and Scotland. He has worked in the pool industry including practical experience as a lifeguard and hands-on knowledge of the commercial pool sector as a leisure centre assistant manager. Paul’s career spans working for CPC Hydrachem, prior to it becoming BioLab UK, and Plastica Ltd where he was Northern Territory Manager. “My first experience in the pool industry was in the unenlightened early 1980s, when many commercial pools still hand dosed chemicals. Since then I have gained a good grounding in trade, swimming pool products and accessories, including covers, roller reels and steel products such as steps railings and lane ropes,” he said.


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