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What is a Buying Group and How Can Joining One Benefit Your Business?

Published

1 year ago

October 26, 2024

UAG

If you’re in the pool industry, you’ve likely heard of a buying group or group purchasing organization (GPO). But what exactly is a GPO and how can it benefit your business? A buying group offers products, goods, or services at significantly reduced prices on the condition that a minimum number of buyers will make a purchase. It is essentially a group of individuals or businesses that band together to negotiate more competitive pricing from vendors.

If you’re a member of Costco or Sam’s Club, you’re part of a buying group or rather a buying club. Being a member of Costco or Sam’s allows you to purchase bulk quantities of the products you love at a reduced price. Similarly, buying groups in the pool industry allow contractors, builders, retailers, and servicers to enjoy benefits like reduced pricing and the convenience of bulk purchasing on inventory.

What Are the Advantages of Joining a Buying Group?

So what exactly are the perks of joining a buying group? Becoming a member of a GPO is an excellent financial investment. Membership can save you thousands of dollars annually in the form of vendor rebates, automatic reimbursement plans (ARP), and heavy discounts on items your business needs. Plus, some buying groups, including United Aqua Group (UAG), offers stock shares so their members can build wealth over time.

There are some non-monetary benefits that buying groups offer as well. GPOs streamline the entire buying process to save you time and headaches. For example, buying groups handle ordering and billing all in one place, so you don’t have to deal with dozens of vendors. Additionally, GPOs offer greater efficiency and inventory control. When you join a buying group like UAG, for example, you’ll no longer have to worry about product availability or price at distribution.

Another added advantage is that buying groups offer a built in network of other like-minded professionals in the pool industry. This allows you to create helpful business connections and expand your professional network.

Are There Any Disadvantages of Joining a Group Purchasing Organization?

As you’re reading this, you may be thinking this is too good to be true, which is why it’s also important to weigh the possible drawbacks of joining a buying group as well. One of the biggest disadvantages that GPO members face is that most buying groups won’t work with every supplier on the market. In simpler terms, if you have a preferred vendor that isn’t affiliated with your buying group, you won’t be able to use your GPO discounts with them and may have to opt for another vendor to purchase at a discounted rate.

Additionally, some buying groups require involvement and participation from their members as part of the deal. So just be sure to thoroughly research any buying group before joining to ensure you are ready to make the commitment.

What Does It Cost to Join a Buying Group?

Like Costco and Sam’s Club, most buying groups are funded through membership fees. These fees can be modest or quite pricey depending on the size and scope of the organization, so it’s important to be informed about what you’re signing up for before joining. Some buying groups also require a minimum order amount, so don’t forget to read the fine print and rules of membership before signing up.

Get Started–Join a GPO Today

If a buying group seems like it would benefit you or your business, getting started is easy. Simply determine which group is best for you, apply, and start saving. Chances are, once you’ve joined you’ll be thanking yourself that you did.
If you aren’t sure which group is for you, consider United Aqua Group. We help our members buy better and build equity in the process. On average, our members save up to $180,000 a year or more on purchases. Check out our website for more information on becoming a member of UAG.

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UAG

Since 1963, United Aqua Group has been transforming how pool and spa professionals source the products and services they rely on. As the nation's largest and most trusted buying group, UAG delivers innovative solutions at competitive prices, empowering businesses to thrive in the industry.

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Beatbot Unveils iF DESIGN AWARD 2026 Winner Sora 30 along with New Sora 10 for Effortless Spring Cleaning

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

Alise Everton

Award-winning innovation that elevates smart pool care into a simplistic lifestyle expression

Richmond, TX — [Mar 30, 2026] —Beatbot, a global leader in innovative pool robotics, is welcoming the spring season with the launch of two new additions to its Sora lineup: the Beatbot Sora 30, winner of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2026, and the Beatbot Sora 10, a new entry-level model designed to make intelligent pool cleaning more accessible. Built for reliable, hassle-free pool maintenance, the new Sora series helps pool owners tackle seasonal cleaning with powerful performance and thoughtful design.

The newly launched Beatbot Sora series models deliver complete cleaning coverage across floors, walls, waterlines, and platforms. Both the Beatbot Sora 30 and Sora 10 feature powerful 6,800 GPH suction, an ultra-large 5L debris capacity with 150μm filtration, and smart parking for easy retrieval, helping pool owners maintain cleaner water with less effort. The two models also feature bold color accents contrasted with deep black finishes, adding a modern visual touch that complements poolside environments.

CPO Class - Virtual Online Classes - Become a Certified Pool Operator

Engineered for consistent performance, the robots actively navigate shallow areas and pool platforms, ensuring broad coverage throughout the pool. Powered by Beatbot’s innovative HydroBalance™ Structure, they deliver powerful suction and stable movement throughout the cleaning process.

The award-winning Sora 30 further distinguishes itself with a refined, minimalist design, featuring smooth contours, clean flowing lines, and a distinctive structure that gives it a recognizable look while blending naturally into backyard environments. It also enhances performance with a 10,000mAh battery, supporting up to five hours of floor cleaning for longer cleaning cycles.

The Beatbot Sora 30 is available with an MSRP of $999, while the Beatbot Sora 10 is priced at $699. Consumers now can place their orders on Beatbot’s official website and Amazon.
To provide pool owners with more choice and make spring pool maintenance even easier, Beatbot has also launched its Spring Cleaning promotion. For a limited time, select products are offered at up to 40% off on the Beatbot official website and Amazon.

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PoolDial Launches Modern Pool Service Software with Built-In AI Phone Answering

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

Alise Everton

Pool Dial - Pool service software company

PHOENIX, AZ, March 28, 2026 — PoolDial, a new pool service management platform built for small and midsize pool service companies, is now available nationwide. The platform combines route optimization, customer management, billing, chemical tracking, and AI-powered phone answering for $2 per pool, per month.

Most pool service companies are small operations: solo owners or teams of two to five technicians. Existing software options were built nearly a decade ago for larger operations, often on older technology that is slow to load and difficult to use. PoolDial was built from the ground up to address what small and growing companies actually need.

“Too many pool businesses are stuck with clunky old software, messy spreadsheets, or paper logs,” said Parker Conley, founder of PoolDial. “My goal is to build the best pool service software on the market. Software should handle the boring business stuff so pool pros can focus on what they do best: taking care of pools.”

What PoolDial Includes

PoolDial is a mobile-first platform designed for pool service businesses running 30 to 300+ pools. It is the first pool service software to include AI phone answering and an AI business assistant in every account. Key capabilities:

AI Phone Answering: A 24/7 AI receptionist that answers calls, captures leads, responds to customer questions, and sends summaries to the owner.
AI Business Assistant: Available in the dashboard, mobile app, and via SMS. Answers questions, pulls up customer info, and provides business insights.
Route Optimization: Map-based route planning with drag-and-drop scheduling.
Billing & Invoicing: Online card payments with automatic QuickBooks sync.
Chemical Tracking: Water test logging, LSI calculations, and service history for every pool.
Website Builder: A professional pool company website included in every account.

The platform also includes work order management, a field mobile app with offline support, a customer portal, team management with unlimited users, and data import from Skimmer, Pool Brain, and other pool service software.

How PoolDial Compares

The pool service software market is currently served by products like Skimmer, Pool Brain, Paythepoolman, and PSS. PoolDial differs in three key ways:

AI built in: AI phone answering and an AI business assistant are included in every account. Other pool service software does not offer this.
Modern architecture: Built in 2025 on a modern tech stack. The platform loads fast, works reliably on mobile, and is actively developed.
Simple pricing: $2/pool/month with every feature included, unlimited users, and no tiered plans.

Pricing and Availability

PoolDial is available now on web, iOS, and Android. Pricing is $2 per pool per month with a $40/month minimum. Every feature is included at every level with unlimited users. A 30-day free trial is available with no setup fees. The company is currently onboarding its first customers.

About PoolDial

PoolDial is pool service software for small and midsize companies. Founded by Parker Conley, a software engineer, the platform handles routing, billing, customers, and communication so pool professionals can focus on taking care of pools. Learn more at pooldial.com.

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Pentair Pool Raises More Than $80,000 Through Nationwide Polar Plunge Fundraising Effort in Celebration of its Official Swimming Sponsorship of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Published

1 week ago

March 24, 2026

Alise Everton

Minneapolis, Minnesota — March 24, 2026 — Pentair Pool, a global leader in sustainable
pool solutions, recently participated in Special Olympics Polar Plunges across Florida,
Minnesota and North Carolina. Pentair Pool and its employees are proud to support the
2026 Special Olympics USA Games as the Official Swimming Sponsor furthering its
commitment to inclusion, community impact, and helping people safely and sustainably
enjoy water.

In celebration of the partnership, nearly 80 Pentair executives, employees, and family
members took part in the annual Polar Plunge, raising more than $80,000 to support local
Special Olympics delegations. Funds raised will help athletes from each delegation travel
to Minneapolis this June to compete in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, taking
place June 20–26 at the University of Minnesota and National Sports Center.

Participation in this year’s Polar Plunge grew significantly, increasing 16-fold year-overyear — a testament to the passion and dedication of Team Pentair in support of Special
Olympics athletes and their communities.

“Supporting the Special Olympics USA Games is a natural extension of who we are at
Pentair Pool,” said Jerome Pedretti, Executive Vice President and CEO for Pentair Pool.
“Swimming brings people together, builds confidence, and creates opportunity, and we’re
proud to stand alongside Special Olympics athletes, volunteers, and organizers to help
deliver an unforgettable experience in and out of the water.”

As the Official Swimming Sponsor of the 2026 USA Games, Pentair Pool will work closely
with Special Olympics leading up to and throughout the event, providing support, raising
awareness, and engaging employees through volunteer opportunities designed to enhance
the athlete experience during swimming competitions.

To learn more about the partnership, visit www.pentair.com/en-us/poolspa/landing/special-olympics.html.

About Pentair Pool

At Pentair, we help the world safely and sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life’s
most essential resource. From our 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 technology that help our customers enjoy a smarter and
more sustainable pool. Customer success is at the heart of our vision for bringing family
and friends together in the pool and on the deck to build social connections, create lifelong
memories, and help promote fitness and enjoyment. For more information, visit
www.pentairpool.com.