In January 2021, Plungie eyed 10,000 new pool installs in a deal with Metricon

FLASHBACK TO JANUARY 2021

Brisbane-based modular pool manufacturer Plungie has formed an exclusive partnership to supply their prefab splash pools to Australian home building giant, Metricon.

As part of the partnership, Metricon will offer customers the option to include a Plungie concrete pool as part of their new home package. The arrangement will start in Queensland before rolling out across the country.

Plungie managing director Ty Hermans is looking for a pool inclusion rate of at least 90 per cent on all Metricon homes - and believes that will create an additional 10,000 pools on top of current traditional builds.

“The industry talks about 25,000 pools built in Australia per annum and we see a very clear path for us to exceed 10,000 pools a year within the next four years,” he says.

“That’s not because we are taking a big chunk out of the 25,000 new pools a year across Australia. We firmly believe we have created a new segment in the market which will see more homes with a pool.”

He says that Plungie was established in 2018 to create an advanced, scalable pool solution with a straightforward business model that could be seamlessly integrated by builders nationally and internationally.

“In two years, we’ve successfully disrupted and challenged a global industry that had remained largely unchanged for more than a century,” he says. “We’re proud to make pool ownership possible for more families.”

Ready made package

Metricon’s Queensland marketing manager Matt Emmerson says the partnership means homeowners can enjoy a new pool sooner than usual.

“As Australia’s largest homebuilder, Metricon prides itself on innovating in home design for changing lifestyles,” Emmerson says. “By teaming up with Plungie, we’re able to provide an affordable pool in all new Metricon homes without build delay.”

Hermans says the beauty of the partnership is that they produce their concrete pools in a controlled factory environment.

“This means Metricon can include the product in their build,” he says. “This allows huge cost savings because the construction of a concrete pool in a backyard can usually take up to three months or longer.

“So with Plungie, the hole can be dug in the morning, base preparation done throughout the day, our truck turns up in the afternoon with the pool and lifts it in and the kids can be swimming that night. By allowing the home builder to include it as part of the process we’re also eliminating waste and reducing costs.”

Helping meet increasing pool demand

SPASA Australia CEO Lindsay McGrath says a growing trend among homeowners to invest in and improve their outdoor spaces - driven by changing priorities and more time spent at home as a result of covid-19 - means demand for pools has never been higher.

“Many pool builders and installers are fully booked up until Christmas 2021, so innovations like the Plungie are providing more people with the option to enjoy a better lifestyle at home,” he says.

Hermans says Plungie’s mission is to become the world’s largest manufacturer of concrete swimming pools and the Metricon partnership places the start-up on track for success.

“We’re well on our way, having recently launched in the US with plans to launch in Canada and Europe this year,” he says.

Plungie's first factory was established in Brisbane, Queensland, and its latest factory in Dallas, Texas is due to commence manufacturing imminently.