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PHTA ANNOUNCES NEWEST STRATEGIC PARTNER: MERCHANT COST CONSULTING

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PHTA announces newest strategic partner MCC Merchant Cost Consulting

(Alexandria, Va.) – The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is excited to announce its newest Strategic Partner, Merchant Cost Consulting. The PHTA Strategic Partnership Program provides year-round marketing programs directed to the pool and hot tub industry and gives companies the opportunity to build, grow, and maintain relationships with leading pool professionals.

Merchant Cost Consulting was founded with the purpose of helping businesses audit, optimize, and reduce their credit card processing expenses without the hassle of making significant changes to their existing setup. Merchant Cost Consulting was founded in 2016 backed by a team with over 30 years of merchant service experience, with a particular focus in merchant fee optimization, cost reduction, and payment acceptance. Merchant Cost Consulting was established to become a part of clients’ teams to handle their merchant service fees to ensure they are always paying a fair market value price.

“We are extremely excited to continue and grow our existing partnership with PHTA,” says Colin O’Keefe, Co-founder, Merchant Cost Consulting. “Maximizing cash flow is a crucial part of running a business. By partnering with PHTA, we are able to bring members a new, risk-free solution, to decrease the costs associated with their credit card processing companies with no disruption to the current operations.”

As part of the Strategic Partnership Program, PHTA will recognize Merchant Cost Consulting’s commitment to the pool and hot tub industry by helping them maximize brand visibility, connect with thousands of engaged industry professionals, and unlock valuable opportunities. As a special benefit to PHTA members, Merchant Cost Consulting will also offer a discount to all members who use their services.

“We are delighted to have Merchant Cost Consulting as a Strategic Partner,” says Sabeena Hickman, CAE, President and CEO of PHTA. “We are always looking for new ways to increase the ROI of our membership. Merchant Cost Consulting is committed to helping our members with their business needs in a way we haven’t been able to offer before. This partnership will be a great asset to our members.”

For more information about the Strategic Partnership Program, please contact Sheri Jackson, PHTA Senior Director of Business Development, at [email protected] or 703-838-0083 ext. 157.

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About the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), a non-profit organization with nearly 3,500 members from around the world, was established in 1956 to support, promote, and protect the common interests of the $36.5B pool, hot tub and spa industry. PHTA provides education, advocacy, standards development, research, and market growth to increase our members’ professionalism, knowledge and profitability. Additionally, PHTA facilitates the expansion of swimming, water safety and related research and outreach activities aimed at introducing more people to swimming, making swimming environments safer and keeping pools open to serve communities. For more information, visit www.phta.org.

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Marianne Trusty

Marianne Trusty is a Press Correspondent for the pool & spa industry. A published author and social media influencer reaching over 20 million people around the world each day. Contact Marianne about publishing op-editorials, breaking pool news and press releases at [email protected].

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Invis-A-Rope™ Gives Automatic Pool Covers Aesthetically Pleasing Look

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Invis-A-Rope_AutomaticPoolCovers-Inc

 Exclusive Invis-A-Rope™ from Automatic Pool Covers, Inc. is designed to blend seamlessly into the pool track for a nearly invisible finish that customers love. Its dark gray color is intentionally engineered to match the pool coping and be virtually invisible within the track, unlike more visible alternatives from other manufacturers.  As a key component of the THREE·SIXTY·FIVE™ automatic pool cover system, Invis-A-Rope™ enhances overall pool aesthetics while maintaining functionality, delivering a discreet design that remains virtually unseen by swimmers and end users.

Automatic Pool Covers Inc. 

www.automaticpoolcovers.com

(800) 878-5789 

About  Automatic Pool Covers, Inc. (APC)
Automatic Pool Covers, Inc. (APC) is a leading U.S. manufacturer of automatic pool cover systems for gunite, vinyl, fiberglass, existing pools, and spas. Headquartered in Westfield, Indiana, APC partners with pool professionals nationwide to deliver high-quality auto-covers designed for safety, durability, and ease of use.

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Fluidra Acquires Datapool to Lead Digitalization and Efficiency in the Pool Sector

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Fluidra Acquires Datapool to Lead Digitalization and Efficiency in the Pool Sector

Fluidra, the global leader in pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions, has announced the acquisition of Datapool, the digital twin platform developed by Ecotropy. With this transaction, the company reinforces its strategic commitment to sustainability, operational efficiency and the digitalization of the sector.

The transaction represents the evolution of a collaboration that began in 2024, when Fluidra invested in Ecotropy through Fluidra Ventures, its Corporate Venture Capital fund focused on startups with the potential to transform the pool and wellness sector through technological innovation.

With this acquisition, Datapool becomes fully integrated into Fluidra’s digital ecosystem for commercial pools, consolidating its role as a key part of the company’s value proposition. The platform incorporates advanced analytics capabilities, IoT solutions and real-time data within an open and scalable architecture, in line with the company’s strategy to offer connected and sustainable solutions that maximize the efficiency of aquatic facilities and accelerate the transition towards smarter management models.

Datapool outfits aquatic facilities with digital twins, enabling pools to be managed using reliable, real-time data and replacing management models based on estimates or manual supervision.

In this way, the platform simulates the optimal operation of each facility and continuously compares it with variables such as energy consumption, occupancy, weather conditions and water quality, providing a comprehensive view that helps anticipate incidents, optimize resources and improve operational performance.

Thanks to this technology, operators can reduce operating costs by 10% to 25% by optimizing water and energy consumption without the need for construction works or invasive interventions; monitor and adjust key parameters such as temperature, water quality and occupancy in real time; automate management through predictive models that adapt climate control and operations to real demand; generate automatic reports with traceable data for audits, tenders or grant applications; and plan investments and improvements based on objective data.

“This acquisition marks a milestone in our digitalization strategy. Datapool allows us to accelerate the transition towards an intelligent pool management model, improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact and offering our customers data-driven tools to make better decisions,” said Thorsten Muck, Commercial Pool Director at Fluidra.

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Pool Industry Accelerates Digital Transformation with POOLCORP and JobTread as Tech Stacks Become More Connected

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Pool Industry Accelerates Digital Transformation with POOLCORP and JobTread as Tech Stacks Become More Connected

Dallas, TX — The pool and outdoor living industry is accelerating its digital transformation as more builders adopt connected tech stacks to increase efficiency across every phase of a project. The newly launched JobTread and POOLCORP integration signals this shift toward smarter, fully integrated construction workflows.

JobTread, a construction management platform trusted by more than 10,000 companies, today announced its new integration with POOLCORP, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies and outdoor living products. This integration helps contractors connect estimating, purchasing, and project management in one streamlined workflow.

Launched in 2021, JobTread’s rapid growth reflects how quickly contractors are embracing project management software. In just a few years, the platform has seen a meteoric rise in adoption. That momentum signals a larger industry shift away from legacy solutions and toward integrated systems.

“Pool builders are becoming more strategic in how they use technology,” said Eric Fortenberry, Founder and CEO of JobTread. “They want systems that work together. Launching this new integration with POOLCORP helps contractors order materials quickly and seamlessly while delivering a better customer experience.”

The integration gives contractors direct access to POOLCORP’s full product catalog—including inventory, pricing, and ordering—while managing projects within JobTread. This includes access to National Pool Trends (NPT), POOLCORP’s leading building materials brand, trusted by builders and subcontractors for new pool construction and complete remodels. By connecting estimating directly to ordering across materials, finishes, and equipment, the integration helps streamline workflows, reduce errors, and accelerate project timelines.

For POOLCORP, the collaboration represents continued investment in digital innovation. As contractor expectations evolve, distributors and software providers are working more closely to support modern, connected workflows.

“Technology is reshaping how pool professionals operate,” said Todd Marshall, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of POOLCORP. “Partnering with platforms like JobTread is part of our broader commitment to building a more connected ecosystem for our customers. We will continue investing in integrations that help simplify workflows, accelerate project execution, and enable our customers to run their businesses faster and more efficiently.”

About JobTread
JobTread provides construction management software designed to help contractors streamline operations, improve financial visibility, and deliver exceptional project experiences. Launched in 2021 and trusted by more than 10,000 construction companies, JobTread combines estimating, scheduling, communication, job costing, and reporting in a single system, giving contractors real-time financial visibility across every project. Learn more at www.jobtread.com.

About POOLCORP
POOLCORP is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related outdoor living products. Serving thousands of professionals across the industry, POOLCORP supports contractors with a broad product offering, including National Pool Trends (NPT), and a growing focus on digital innovation and connected customer experiences.

JobTread Contact:
Taylor Crosby
Director of Marketing
[email protected]

POOLCORP Contact:
Kendall Large
Vice President of Marketing
[email protected]

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