Clark forms new affiliation prior to standalone pool and spa rollout

As Clark Rubber prepares to launch its standalone pool retail franchises, it has forged a new relationship with Pentair and has set on a strategy of growing its range of consumer offerings.

CEO Anthony Grice says the affiliation with Pentair marks a new era for Clark Rubber.

“We’re very much focussed on “Pool” and growing our pool business moving forward,” he says. “And the affiliation with Pentair is for us about giving our Australian consumers a really well known and well regarded brand.

“So we’re not only growing our range with Pentair but we’re also doing that with our incumbent supplier Fluidra, and their brands Astral and Zodiac. So we’re growing our range of pool equipment products quite significantly. We’re having the full range of these brands, predominantly in the delivery sense but also backed up with bricks and mortar stores – having the full range as well as having the expertise, training and knowledge of our team members to be able to sell those products.”

He says that training and product knowledge is a key part of their roll-out plan.

“At this year’s national SPASA awards we picked up the training award and training’s really important. As pool experts in the industry you need to know the product, and need to know how to sell the product, how to install the product and how to service the product.

“We’re very focussed on rolling out franchised businesses that are standalone pool and spa operators, and that’s a really key part of our business moving forward. We believe Pool is our next evolutionary growth stage.

“We’ll focus on not just the Clark Rubber business in its current format, but also on the roll-out of the standalone pool and spa shops, and standalone pool and spa vans. So watch this space.”

Driclad appointments

Meanwhile Grice announced the appointment of Shawn Scurrah into the role of General Manager Driclad.

“Shawn brings to the role a wealth of experience in the Australian pool industry, with in excess of 15 years hands-on industry experience,” he says.

“Shawn joins us from Hayward Pool Products, where he held the role of national sales manager for the past three and a half years. Prior to Hayward Pool, Shawn was the national sales manager with Focus Products. Shawn’s career with Focus Products spaned a total of eight and a half years, taking in both the national sales manager role and prior to this, the Victorian state sales manager role.”

Scurrah will join Driclad on September 30 and will report directly to Grice.

Additionally, Cathy Dawson has been appointed customer service representative and Paul Falconer as new purchasing and warehouse manager.

Caption: Anthony Grice with the 2019 SPASA Australia national award for training