Sustainability is in our DNA Interview with Scott Sutherland, Waterco

Waterco’s Head Office, Sydney

Sustainability is in our DNA Scott Sutherland, VIC Manager - Waterco

From humble beginnings as a small PVC pipe and fittings importer to the water treatment and swimming pool equipment manufacturing giant of today, Waterco has gone from strength to strength in just under 40 years. How’s business Scott? Our business, like many, has been COVID19 affected. We’ve seen about a 10 - 15% reduction. As a wholesaler, we’re generally as busy as other members at any given point in time. The second COVID-19 wave coming in Victoria could signal tougher times ahead but we are ready to face it with the members. The last recession we had really benefitted our industry as people stayed home and wanted to spend money on their own backyards.

Could you give me a brief history of Waterco and how it has become the water treatment and swimming pool equipment manufacturing giant of today? Soon Sinn Goh started the business in 1981, almost 40 years ago. Back then it was Dronaco, his first operation importing PVC pipe & fittings to supply to plumbers and builders. He grew this business once he noticed an opening in the market when he opened his first Swimart franchise, which has now grown into 70 stores across Australia and NZ. In 1986, Zane solar was introduced to the market to service pool heating, then in 1989, Waterco became listed on the ASX, so we’re very proud to be one of the few remaining Australian businesses still around and enjoying such longevity within our industry, particularly as a manufacturer. We’ve got manufacturing warehouses in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, the U.K, Canada and U.S.A. and have distribution warehouses in all states of Australia and New Zealand. In 2003, Waterco acquired Lacron, a fibreglass pump and filter manufacturing company in Britain. Then in 2005, from the US we acquired Focus-Temp electro-heat heat pumps and also in the same year, Baker Hydro, a filtration manufacturer.

When did you enter the pool and spa industry and what changes have you seen over the years? I came into the pool and spa industry in late 2009 from the hardware industry selling paint brushes and accessories. I saw an ad on SEEK.com and applied for the job at Waterco. It was a big change but it was what I needed, as I’d been in the hardware game for 20 years.

The only downside to our industry is that it’s seasonal, so the Winter time can seem long, although pools are becoming swimmable for more and more of the year now due to more effective heating solutions. I’ve been with the company for over 10 years in sales, and just over twelve months in my current role. I was very fortunate when I started at Waterco as the Waterco Multi-cyclone product had just come onto the market. It’s an award-winning pre-filter which revolutionised our industry as a water-saving concept. It saves a lot of water and means that filter backwashing is reduced. You don’t have to clean the elements in your cartridge filter for up to 12 months. This was the decade that the concept of water saving and energy saving originated. There has also been a massive change from single speed pumps to variable speed pumps reducing electricity costs. Automation from your phone has also been a massive change. Climate Care certification has been a huge focus for Waterco due to consumer demand for environmental responsibility and sustainability. The Waterco Multicyclone, 50mm Micron media filters, Waterco Glass Pearl media and 50mm sweep elbows are all Climate Care Certified, and just recently the first environmentally friendly, Climate Care Certified, residential pool chlorinator the Waterco Electrochlor chlorinator has been added, to make pools smarter and more energy efficient. This makes Waterco the first manufacturer to supply a full package of pool equipment that has achieved certification. So, what we say about our products and what is on our brochures regarding flow rates is validated. We see this as our real point of difference.

What have been the biggest challenges as a supplier? Due to COVID19 getting stock in from overseas has been a recent challenge, although we have excellent stock forecasting which manages our stock levels really well. We have kept up-to-date with stock during this period, only having a couple of chemical products short which we bring out from China. We implemented new COVID-19 restrictions such as erecting sneeze guards and serving one customer only at a time at the Trade Desk, and all our customers have been compliant with this. It’s still funny that shaking hands has disappeared - but we’re all probably going to settle in to this ‘new normal’ over time.

“At Waterco we are continuously in the pursuit of reliable water solutions for healthy, safe water environments. We are always looking at innovating and seeking solutions. We invest heavily in trying to bring the best possible products to the industry and I think we’re doing a great job of that at the moment.”

What opportunities does the current climate present to suppliers such as Waterco? Opportunities through the COVID-19 lockdown period has allowed our staff time to learn and train themselves on our Waterco e-learning system in order to better serve our customers. Having the time to educate themselves better has been a huge opportunity for all our staff. As a branch, we really focussed on our online product training (Waterco Advance) and our team went from 40-50% to 90-100% completion, so having that opportunity to study and understand the products gave staff the confidence to sell them better. Finding the time to complete the courses – one being 11 hours in length! – was a real advantage. Our focus is also on providing better customer service, so having this information helps with this objective.

Waterco recently acquired AutoPool – what will this mean for consumers and how will it benefit the industry? The acquisition of AutoPool will benefit our industry as it operates in markets that Waterco wasn’t already in. The two businesses are complementary and bringing us together means that we can attract a new revenue stream. Autopool will retain its own identity, staff and customer base, and will operate as a separate entity.

How do you see the industry pivoting and innovating in the future? I think that there will be a definite push towards going chlorine-free, or getting pool water to be as natural as possible. In any case, lowering chlorine production is a good thing. Automation is another one. Everyone has something that uses automation and how much easier is life when you can turn things on from your phone! How much easier can we get? Fully automated backwashing would mean the end-user only needs to think about pool chemicals. At the end of the day, you’ve got a complete system, then you can just relax and enjoy your pool. At Waterco we are continuously in the pursuit of reliable water solutions for healthy, safe water environments, we are always looking at innovating and seeking better ways to do things. We invest heavily in trying to bring the best possible products to the industry and I think we’re doing a great job of that. We’ve got Climate Care Certification across our core products so we must be doing something right, and we look forward to more opportunities in the future.