Manufacturer
Trend Alert: Improving Business Operations in a Tight Labor Market
Partnering with automatic pool cover professionals for service and installation.
When builders build homes, they often partner with companies that specialize in plumbing and HVAC systems. This keeps builders from needing to have experts within their company to handle both the installation and service of plumbing and HVAC. Much like home builders, pool builders and servicers also find it beneficial to partner with automatic pool cover specialists both for the installation and servicing of automatic pool covers. This is especially true for pool companies that struggle with finding skilled employees in today’s tight labor market. For those who want to continue to provide their clients with service and maintenance of their automatic pool covers, partnering with a company that specializes in all makes and models of automatic pool covers is the ideal way to ensure your client’s pools remain safe by keeping auto covers operational all year.
Growth of Automatic Pool Covers
Automatic pool covers are quickly becoming the preferred option for covering swimming pools in today’s marketplace. Not only do automatic pool covers allow pools to be easily opened and closed at the push of a button, but they also provide the ultimate safety cover for pools that aren’t in use. However, automatic pool covers do require a certain amount of technical skill, both for installation and maintenance. Our service techs and installers complete a rigorous training program and are exposed to every possible installation or service challenge before they are considered qualified.
To become a real expert in automatic pool covers requires installing a lot of pool covers and most pool professionals would agree that it can be difficult to develop in-house talent on just a few covers a year. Unlike the installation of a pump or a filter, every automatic pool cover installation is a little different. Cover Care partners with pool builders as well as retailers and pool service companies who want to ensure their clients’ pools are safe, but they realize they don’t have the in-house expertise to service and maintain the automatic pool covers.
Pool Cover Installation Expertise
Some pool builders or servicers can figure out how to install an automatic pool cover. They follow the instructions and get it to work. But what they probably don’t know is how to anticipate potential issues and may not install the cover to make those future maintenance calls fast and easy. Once again, it’s the experience of installing and servicing the covers day in and day out and the ability to plan for what might happen in the future that makes outsourcing the cover installation and maintenance so logical.
Builders and servicers often neglect to tell the customer there is a certain amount of maintenance required to ensure the cover works properly over the long run. With all the other water chemistry and other maintenance issues to explain to the consumer, the automatic pool cover can get overlooked. Therefore, having the phone number of a service company that specializes in automatic pool covers is key.

As with any installed product, the question that pool professionals need to determine is whether they should sell and install the automatic cover or sell it and outsource the installation. This comes down to evaluating the competencies of your company, as the installation requires a high level of skill, as well as whether it’s more profitable for the staff to be installing automatic covers or to be spending their time elsewhere. Outsourcing allows builders and servicers to concentrate on what they do best.
Many pool builders always sell an automatic pool cover with when they build a pool. It’s common for builders to be far too busy selling and building pools that they don’t have enough staff to train in the intricacies of auto cover installation and service. As a result, Cover Care installers work closely with builders to ensure clients are happy with their pool investment long after he has left the backyard. In fact, many builders report that they continue to profit on the initial sale of an automatic pool cover without ever having to directly touch the product themselves.
Service, Repair and Maintenance Know-How
Service and maintenance are a part of any automatic pool cover. Some pool companies might prefer to service the covers, while others would prefer to outsource. Again, it all comes down to looking at your business, your market and the profitability of taking on the installation and service of automatic pool covers.
Fortunately, Cover Care LLC has expanded exponentially nationwide. Their technicians exclusively install and maintain automatic pool covers so it’s easier for pool professionals to subcontract this portion of the job. This allow pool professionals to easily offer automatic pool covers and still profit from selling them without having to train or hire additional staff to install and maintain these covers.

Once pool professionals start outsourcing the installation and maintenance of their automatic pool covers, they can focus on their core business — whatever it is that they do best. In a seasonal industry, the goal is to get as much done as possible in those short summer months.
Often, it is not so much the installation time involved, but the intricacies, inventories, service parts and details of maintenance that can require post-installation visits. Automatic pool cover professionals can handle all those little adjustments that need to be made after the initial installation of the cover, saving builders and servicers extra trips and headache.
It can be quite common for automatic pool cover specialists to receive calls from pool builders about servicing an automatic pool cover not because the builder did a faulty installation, but rather that the builder just doesn’t do enough installations a year to know some of the tricks of the trade that help avoid problems down the road.
Pool builders and servicers are also not aware how difficult it can be to repair an automatic pool cover. It’s one thing to try to troubleshoot and repair the mechanism, but it’s quite another to try to fix the ropes or the vinyl material of the cover. These are items that cover specialists deal with daily, so it’s fast and easy to get the consumer operating their cover again. However, this could be a major headache for a servicer that doesn’t have the expertise in its staff to handle this type of service call.
For example, one of the most common calls for repair is that the cover no longer glides or opens and closes. Often this is caused because the retainer or track along which the cover glides has been smashed down, which occurs when the concrete above the track is so heavy that it compresses thin retained track over time, reducing the space and keeping the gliders and ropes from being able to pull the cover open and closed. Unfortunately, fixing this problem often requires breaking the deck to replace the track. Since Cover Care technicians specialize in auto-cover installation, they proactively install a thicker, stronger retainer during installation to avoid problems like the smashed track.
In addition, if a builder discovers they need a part to fix the problem, they need to order the part and wait for it to arrive before going out on a separate service call to fix it. However Cover Care technicians keep parts for all makes and models of auto covers on their trucks, so the situation can be resolved in hours, not days. This keeps the customer happier, the pool safe and, in the long run, the customer is more satisfied with their pool experience, which reflects positively on the builder who solved the problem by calling their automatic pool cover service partner. This quality service keeps the homeowner loyal to the builder or servicer for other product sales.

Keeping homeowners happy with their investment in their pool links directly to how much enjoyment they get from the pool, not how much trouble or time it takes to maintain the pool. Our job as an industry is to make the experience of owning a swimming pool a hassle-free and minimally time-consuming process. Outsourcing automatic cover installation and maintenance to the experts is just one more avenue toward customer satisfaction.
by Chris Hunt, Cover Care, LLC
About the author:
Chris Hunt is the Regional Operations Manager for Cover Care LLC, a company specializing in the installation and repair of automatic covers and removable pool fences. He has been in the pool industry over 15 years. Hunt has assisted numerous pool builders in avoiding costly mistakes during crucial construction phases, particularly concerning pool cover preparation. Collaborating closely with builders, he explores innovative ways to integrate a pool cover into unique pool designs. Mr. Hunt can be reached at [email protected]
** NOTE: Cover Care, LLC does not have operations in CA.
Manufacturer
Pentair Pool Opens Charlotte Flagship Customer Experience Center
Pentair Pool has opened a new, industry-leading Customer Experience Center in Charlotte,
establishing the region as a flagship Commercial Hub for the company and reinforcing its continued investment in North Carolina and the broader Southeast. The Southeast represents a strong growth market for the pool industry, and the Charlotte location positions Pentair Pool closer to pool professionals, dealers, and distributor partners it serves — enabling more hands-on training, service, and product testing in a region where demand is strong.
Designed specifically for Pentair Pool customers and partners, the Charlotte Customer Experience Center features full product displays, immersive Pentair University training environments, and a dedicated workspace for Pentair Pool’s commercial teams. The facility was developed to support hands-on learning, collaboration, and real-world application—serving as both a customer destination and an operational hub.
Greg Claffey, SVP and President, Pentair Pool commented on his excitement about the Commercial Center of Excellence, “At Pentair Pool, we are dedicated to delivering quality, innovative pool solutions and a great customer experience. We look forward to welcoming customers to our Customer Experience Center in Charlotte. Together with the Pentair Pool University training center, this immersive space has been thoughtfully curated for to provide customers with a central location to meet with our leadership team, and where they can participate in immersive, impactful, hands-on training and experiences – bringing Pentair Pool’s innovations to life, all in one place.”
The Charlotte location strengthens Pentair Pool’s growing presence across North Carolina, building on its innovation hub in Apex and manufacturing operations in Sanford, expanding its Pentair Pool employee footprint across the Triangle. Together, these sites house Pentair Pool leadership, product development, manufacturing, and customer engagement while positioning the company closer to key commercial and distribution markets.
Claffey continued, “The Charlotte community has long stood at the intersection of industry
excellence and exceptional talent, and we look forward to providing our customers and employees with a place for learning, collaboration, and ideation.”
The facility supports expanded training opportunities, service engagement, and product testing, reinforcing Pentair Pool’s commitment to helping its partners operate more efficiently and effectively in the field.
About Pentair Pool
At Pentair, we help the world safely and sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life’s most essential resource. From residential and business solutions to industrial water management and everything in between, Pentair is focused on smart, sustainable water solutions that help our planet and people thrive.
As an industry leader in the pool and spa space, Pentair Pool is driven to help people sustainably enjoy water. Our solutions include industry-leading pumps, automation, lighting, heating, and filtration technologies that help customers enjoy a smarter and more efficient pool. Customer success is central to our vision—bringing family and friends together in the pool and on the deck to build social connections, create lifelong memories, and promote fitness and enjoyment.
For more information, visit pentair.com/pool and follow Pentair Pool on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Deborah Foley
PR Consultant for Pentair Pool
[email protected]
Manufacturer
Pentair Announces Leadership Transition for Pentair Pool
Pentair plc (NYSE: PNR), a leader in helping the world sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water life’s most essential resource, today announced that Jerome Pedretti, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Pentair Pool, will depart the Company effective July 1, 2026. Pedretti concludes a distinguished career with Pentair spanning more than 20 years.
In connection with Pedretti’s departure, Pentair is eliminating the Chief Executive Officer of Pentair Pool role. De’Mon Wiggins, current EVP and President, Pentair Flow and Pentair Water Solutions, will assume responsibility for the Pool segment as EVP and President, Pentair Flow, Water Solutions and Pool, effective April 28, 2026. Pedretti will remain with Pentair through his departure date to support an orderly transition.
“Over more than two decades with Pentair, Jerome has made a significant and lasting impact on our Pool and Flow businesses through his leadership, deep expertise, and unwavering commitment to our customers and our culture,” said John Stauch, Pentair President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are truly grateful for Jerome’s many contributions and for his thoughtful partnership in supporting a smooth transition. With De’Mon’s strong track record of execution and strategic leadership, I am confident in the continued momentum of our Pool business and excited about the opportunities ahead.”
CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release contains statements that we believe to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words “targets,” “plans,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “likely,” “may,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “positioned,” “strategy,” or “future” or words, phrases, or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the overall global economic and business conditions impacting our business, including the strength of housing and related markets and conditions relating to international hostilities; supply, demand, logistics, competition and pricing pressures related to and in the markets we serve; the ability to achieve the benefits of our restructuring plans, cost reduction initiatives and Transformation Program; the impact of raw material, logistics and labor costs and other inflation; volatility in currency exchange rates and interest rates; failure of markets to accept new product introductions and enhancements; the ability to successfully identify, finance, complete and integrate acquisitions; risks associated with operating foreign businesses; the impact of seasonality of sales and weather conditions; our ability to comply with laws and regulations; the impact of changes in laws, regulations and administrative policy, including those that limit U.S. tax benefits or impact trade agreements and tariffs; the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; and the ability to achieve our long-term strategic operating and sustainability goals and targets. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. All forward-looking statements, including all financial forecasts, speak only as of the date of this release. Pentair assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update the information contained in this release.
ABOUT PENTAIR PLC
At Pentair, we help the world sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life’s most essential resource. From our residential and commercial water solutions, to industrial water management and everything in between, Pentair is a core large cap value S&P 500 equity stock focused on smart, sustainable water solutions that help our planet and people thrive.
Pentair had revenue in 2025 of approximately $4.2 billion, and trades under the ticker symbol PNR. With approximately 9,000 global employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, we work to help improve lives and the environment around the world. To learn more, visit www.pentair.com.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Shelly Hubbard
Vice President, Investor Relations
Direct: 612-812-0148
Email: [email protected]
Manufacturer
Nidec Commercial & Industrial Names New President and CTO
ST. LOUIS, MO – April 28, 2026 – Nidec, a manufacturer of compressors and electric motors and drives used in numerous industries, has announced the promotion of Tim Schamel to President of Nidec Commercial & Industrial. The company has also named Tim Albers as Chief Technology Officer.
The moves come as part of Nidec’s organizational strengthening strategy and with the goal of ensuring greater alignment across all areas of Nidec’s Appliance, Commercial and Industrial Motors (ACIM) business unit.
ACIM is one of Nidec’s largest business units in terms of sales, with approximately 18,000 employees and more than 30 manufacturing sites in 25 countries. ACIM offers a product portfolio that includes compressors, condensing units, and motors for home and commercial appliances, as well as motors and electronic drives for commercial, residential, industrial, and utilities applications.

Tim Schamel previously served as President of Nidec/U.S. MOTORS®. He joined the company in 2016 as Vice President and General Manager of HVAC/R and Appliance Motors. His long career in the industry includes roles at Parker Sporlan and Emerson.

Tim Albers, as Chief Technology Officer for Nidec Commercial & Industrial, brings a wealth of engineering and industry experience to his new role. He previously served as Senior Director of Product Management for 15 years, and prior to that worked for Emerson in marketing and project management.
About Nidec
Nidec Corporation is the world’s No.1 comprehensive motor manufacturer. Based in Kyoto, Japan, Nidec Corporation offers motors ranging from micro-size to super large, as well as application products and services in IT, automation, home appliances, automobiles, commercial and industrial systems, environmental, energy, and many other businesses. Nidec is comprised of approximately 340 companies employing more than 110,000 people all over the world. Nidec.com
About Nidec ACIM
Nidec Appliance, Commercial and Industrial Motors (ACIM) is a Business Unit of the Appliance and Automotive Division (AAD) composed of two Platforms: Global Appliance (GA) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I). ACIM is one of the largest Business Units in terms of sales inside Nidec Group, with approximately 18,000 employees and more than 30 manufacturing sites in 25 countries. ACIM offers a product portfolio such as compressors, condensing units, and motors for home and commercial appliances, as well as motors and electronic drives for commercial, residential, industrial, and utilities applications. This comprehensive set of solutions is characterized by high standards of quality and energy efficiency that delivers innovation at the service of sustainability.
The U.S. MOTORS® brand of Nidec Motor Corporation encompasses a complete line of general and special purpose commercial and industrial motors from 1/3 horsepower through 4000 horsepower for a wide variety of applications. Since 1908, the U.S. MOTORS brand has stood for exceptional product reliability and performance. It is one of the oldest and most trusted brands in the motor industry and is recognized worldwide as the mark of leadership and technological innovation. USMotors.com
-
Pool News3 weeks agoThe Current State of the Backyard Pool Industry: Short Film Holds Up a Mirror
-
Pool News3 weeks agoRising Fuel Costs Are Hitting Pool Pros Where It Hurts Most
-
Pool News4 weeks agoThis Summer, A Pool Floats in NYC: Update on + POOL Project
-
Pool News4 weeks agoRolls-Royce Recreates One of Rock’s Most Infamous Poolside Legends
-
Equipment Supplies4 weeks agoSpring Fling: New Robotic Pool Cleaners Making a Splash in 2026
-
Cleaning and Service Equipment and Supplies3 weeks agoBuilding Trust With Water Quality
-
Safety4 weeks agoElectrical Safety for Pool Pros: OSHA Guidelines Every Technician Should Know
-
Industry News4 weeks agoSwimming Pool Sales Mastery: Mike Logan’s Blueprint for Stronger Sales Teams
























