We live and work in a world that is constantly changing and most of the time that is all that we experience, a change. But sometimes it can feel like something more than that. It can feel like a new beginning.

I’m new to this.

I haven’t merged two businesses into one before and I haven’t written a magazine piece either. The first one seems to be going pretty well. I will let you make your own mind up about the writing when you’ve reached the bottom of the page. (If you do.)

Before I joined Golden Coast I worked for Audi. Audi know a thing or two about customer service and it didn’t take me long to realise that Golden Coast shared that commitment. It was a completely different business but it shared values that I clearly recognised. The principles of good customer service cross industries but it’s fair to say that there is a considerable difference between a spa and an S4, but I was in luck. If you were looking for someone to introduce you to the wet leisure industry, if you were looking for a mentor or a guide, you would be hard pushed to do better than Jamie Adams and within a year or two I was thoroughly immersed in the world of pools, spas and saunas and enjoying every minute of it.

Perhaps there was an element of transferring skills between companies that held me in good stead when, after five years of working as Golden Coast’s Sales Director, I was asked to be General Manager of the new business that resulted from the merger with PPG UK.

A new opportunity

Bringing two businesses together isn’t the same as starting one from scratch. It goes without saying that it was something I had never done before. I was new to it.

When we looked at the two businesses we realised that they had achieved their success in their own different ways. They had their own ways of doing things, their own practices. These were qualities that had to be recognised and built on. We weren’t looking for a new broom. We weren’t working with a blank sheet of paper

Golden Coast and PPG UK needed to be stronger together than they had been as separate concerns and that meant we had to respect the qualities that made them successful in the first place.

It’s fair to say that in the beginning there were a few problems. It’s one thing getting the people from two separate businesses to work as one, it’s quite another thing to get the technology from the two to do the same thing. From phone systems to stock control, nothing seemed to share a common language. From IT infrastructure to warehouse processes, the two businesses had found different ways of doing the same jobs and those processes had to be brought together.

Most of the integration is complete now but that means that the work is just beginning, not that the job is done. We are making changes that reflect what is new in our industry and what sort of a distributor our customer’s want us to be.

So what’s new?

The global events of the last few years have changed the wet leisure business landscape more than it has been changed before.

Staycations, home improvements and an increased focus on health and well-being have been immensely positive influences. On the other hand, major concerns are energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. According to the latest Wet Leisure Survey, 85% of customers are looking for energy saving and eco-friendly products. While rapid progress in areas such as water treatment, energy efficiency, and automation is revolutionising the industry, this growth in the importance of technology and the constant innovation in that area make technical training and technical support even more valuable than before.

The wet leisure industry has witnessed a significant shift towards wellness and health.

As people become more conscious of the importance of self-care and stress reduction, water-based activities will be sought after for their therapeutic benefits. Hydrotherapy in one form or another formed the basis of our industry and it looks like we are witnessing a return to those values. By emphasizing wellness, the industry is better positioned to cater to the evolving needs of the health-conscious consumer.

People are increasingly looking for a unique and personalised experience.

With almost every pool, spa or sauna installation, people are looking for something that is unique to them in terms of aesthetic, performance or style. Being able to provide that unique experience is key to success in today’s wet leisure market.

So although Golden Coast may well be looking at a new beginning it seems that many of its principles, those of knowledge, innovation and customer service, have retained their value.

So here you are at the bottom of the page. I hope you enjoyed it. I might try my hand at this again, now it’s no longer new to me.