By Emma Peterson. 

With education, networking, exclusive benefits and more, an IPSSA membership is a great investment in your business.  

Across many different trades and professions, one thing always rings true – joining a professional association is not only a smart way to build a community with your peers, but also a great way to boost your business operations. As Mike DePrisco, the COO of Project Management Institute (PMI), put it in an article for Forbes:  

“One of the best ways that you can remain career-relevant, marketable and valuable in today’s environment is to join and become active in a professional association...In a rapidly evolving world, and with leaders continuously adapting to workplace disruptions, professional associations can offer members the tools they need to prepare for the career opportunities and challenges that loom ahead.” 

With this in mind, we wanted to highlight one of the many amazing professional associations uplifting and supporting pool professionals – the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA).  

IPSSA was founded back in 1988 when the Independent Pool Spa Association (IPSA) and Cal-IPSA merged. Their mission is to support “the mutual professional benefit and growth of its members and for the continued improvement of the pool and spa industry.” Today, they are the largest trade organization that was created by and for pool and spa service techs. Their over 2,700 members get a variety of benefits through membership, including:  

• Support: Through IPSSA’s Tech-4-Tech Route Coverage program, professionals can get route coverage support during times of emergency or illness.  
• Education: IPSSA organizes exclusive educational opportunities for their members at chapter meetings and through their Education Fund. 
• Savings: Get access to industry rebates through IPSSA partnerships like the Pentair Rebate Program. Learn more about the Member Benefit Partners. 
• Insurance: As IPSSA’s exclusive endorsement partner, Arrow/HUB Insurance Service offers purchasable group general liability and life insurance to members.  
• News: Membership comes with a subscription to the IPSSA Newsletter (IPSSAN), which is a great resource for industry updates, tech tips and more!  
• Community: Being a part of IPSSA means being a part of a larger community of service techs. From peer-to-peer networking opportunities to community outreach (through programs like the IPSSA Grant Program and the IPSSA Swim Fund), this is the best place to find your people!  

Interested in joining IPSSA? Learn more about the process and start filling out the forms today!

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how IPSSA supports pool and spa professionals through education, networking and more. 

While at the 2025 Pool Spa Patio (PSP) Expo, our team had the chance to talk to Marc Cannon, the regional director for the Nevada and Arizona operations of the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA). Marc has been a member of IPSSA for over three decades, making him the perfect person to talk to about their mission and work.  

IPSSA was founded in 1988 as an industry nonprofit dedicated to community education and support. Today, they have approximately 104 chapters across the country. Marc shared, “We do monthly chapter meetings that are great for community-building and networking. Education is another huge pillar for us. In this industry, there’s so much to stay on top of it constantly and we have a lot of opportunities to do that.”  

These opportunities include classes led by IPSSA members, guest vendor visits, trade show sessions and more. Marc elaborated, “We're the facilitator to get classes together. We do some classes, but in general we try to bring the professionals in to present classes. Even in our meetings, we always will have different manufacturers and vendors that come in and we give them time to talk to our members and then our members to ask some questions.” As for what topics are covered in these different education sessions, IPSSA has learning opportunities for every level of pool professional. Whether you’re learning how to use a test strip or wanting an update on the newest technologies that have hit the market, IPSSA can help you stay up to speed.  

Watch the full interview to learn more about IPSSA.

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By Emma Peterson. 

Artificial stone is growing in popularity, and rightfully so! From versatility to durability and affordability, this is a great option for your next project. 

For many homeowners, a rock is something that gets in their way when doing routine yard work, like replanting flowers. But the right rocks can actually be incredible design elements. In an article for the International Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA), Zayvian Camacho (a member of the design/fabrication team at Rico Rock) discusses artificial rocks and how they can turn the “mundane into something magical.” 

Artificial rocks are a growing trend in the outdoor industry. The Stone Center of Texas, which provides manufactured stone to their customers, explains, “Made from a combination of cement, aggregates and pigments, manufactured stone is designed to mimic the look and feel of natural stone, while offering a more affordable, durable and versatile option for professional landscapers and landscapers alike.” These are the same points that Zayvian highlighted in their article for IPSSA.  

Affordability 

As clients look for affordable ways to upgrade their outdoor spaces, pool professionals are seeing a doubling of requests for renovations. Artificial rocks are an affordable way to deliver on those requests. Zayvian described the cost comparison, saying, “[Not only are artificial stone] steel or fiber reinforced and structurally superior to using natural stone, [they] are also half the cost of natural stone. “ 

Versatility 

In the context of building pool and water features, versatility is a powerful benefit. Zayvian explained, “One of the easiest ways to create a magical backyard escape is to use artificial rock to add water features. Luckily for pool pros, artificial rock suppliers now offer a wide range of component water features pre-designed into kits to create grottos, caves and cascading waterfalls that provide a guaranteed finished look to integrate seamlessly with the client's home and backyard.” 

Durability 

As for durability, the argument for artificial rock is twofold. One, as Stone Center of Texas put it, artificial rock is often stronger than its natural counterpart, without sacrificing the aesthetics. Two, in the context of something like a water feature, using artificial rock allows pool professionals to have more control over the systems. Zayvian explained, “The best part of the design of these component kits, from the perspective of pool professionals, is they have been designed to ensure proper water flow and weight distribution and, therefore, are structurally stronger than natural rock systems.” 

By Emma Peterson. 

Get the most out of your cash flow at the end of the year with these five tips.  

Winter is often the slow season for pool and landscaping contractors. But just because business might be slower, it doesn't mean there isn’t work to be done! In an article for the International Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA), Rachael Pritz of RB Retail and Service Solutions shared five tasks that pool contractors should tackle this winter.  

1 – Take inventory 

Examine your inventory and look for aging or overstocked items. Products like chemicals, pool toys and seasonal accessories that, as Rachel put it, “Won’t be in demand again until the spring,” should be prioritized. Overall, if something has been sitting for over 60 days, consider marking them down or running a clearance promotion for them!  

2 – Utilize purchase data 

Take the time to reach back out to your prior customers. You can utilize client history tools to see who has purchased seasonal items in the recent past and then send them tailored emails promoting clearance items that work in tandem with previous purchases.  

3 – Update your marketing 

On the note of catered promotions, the off season is a great time to update your marketing strategy! The goal is to get customers to place orders online or give you a call. Any end of the year or seasonal specials and sales that you are running are great ways to encourage traffic. 

4 – Check your data 

The off season is also a great time to go through your business data and records to check for inefficiencies. As Rachel explained, “[When you] monitor what's moving and what's not, [you can] adjust your pricing or promotion strategies in real-time based on what your data is telling you.” 

5 – Deal with warranty claims 

Last but not least, you should make sure to process all your warranty claims from the previous season. This is a tedious process, but parts and labor claims can be a significant amount of revenue during the slower months. And if you haven’t already, the off season is an ideal time to implement a digital tracking systems for claims! Rachel explained the importance of this, sharing, “Manually keeping track of claims results in lost warranty revenue on both parts and labor...Running a weekly warranty report [through business software] helps pool and spa businesses find thousands of additional dollars of profit every year.” 

Keep up with the IPPSA Newsletter to get more tips for running your business!