Enduring Quality, Chris Samatzis, Master Pool Builders Association Australia

Enduring Quality

Chris Samartzis

CEO – Master Pool Builders Association Australia

Welcome to the spring edition of AQUA Magazine. In this issue we are excited to launch our new brand - Master Pool Builders Association Australia.

With NSW and Victoria gripped by lockdowns, consumers (now more than ever) are looking for a trusted and respected brand to connect with as they embrace their love affair with the Australian backyard pool and spa.

After a range of feedback from our member base, it came to our attention that the vetting process used by SPASAVIC for several decades had come under threat.

We commissioned a range of consultants to look at our industry in-depth and the feedback amongst industry members was for a focused association that elevates and differentiates itself with purpose and conviction. There was clear demand for a brand that exerts leadership, advocacy, and confidence for all participants in the swimming pool and spa industry. One of the clear takeaways was that consumers want to feel like they are in control. They need to see with clarity how using your product or service will provide them with the aspirational view of success and status that they desire.

In short, our consumers need and want a high degree of confidence when dealing with builders and our organisation has led the way through various platforms to deliver on that consumer promise for 60 years. The long-term viability of our industry as professional and masterful trades who can deliver this integrity, trust and enduring quality is of paramount importance to our model of trust and connection with our consumers going forward. To ensure only the most ethical and professional pool builders and associates continue to carry our logo - organisations who commit to the vision and values of our brand - differentiating ourselves was seen as the only way to combat the perceived dilution of the SPASA name.

Master Pool Builders Association Australia has been 18 months in the making and we know that pool builders and associates across Australia will embrace this pivot towards meeting consumer expectations.

From SPAV to CASPA to SPASA and more recently SPASAVIC, the time has arrived to move the organisation up a level to become the Master Pool Builders Association Australia (MPBAA). Nobody understands the consumer model better than us, and our legacy of trust and engagement with the consumer has never been more important to the sustainability and growth of the pool and spa industry.

We are excited to launch the Master Pool Builders Association Australia brand.

We were founded by a group of dedicated industry members who recognised the need to raise standards within our industry. Today, some 60 years later, it is these standards now that need to be re-embedded within our brand to distinguish ourselves as the home of the highest calibre Pool Builders, Retailers, Technicians, and industry members.

The Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Victoria (SPASAVIC) has undergone several name changes throughout the years but remains the peak body of the pool and spa industry for others to follow. Many have adopted our initiatives over the years, and we continue to innovate and lead where needed.

Our Master Pool Builder members want to be recognised nationally for their outstanding craftsmanship, innovation, and professionalism. The MPBAA will facilitate a new standard across Australia, with higher levels of entry that the Australian consumer can trust implicitly and that the member can be immensely proud of.

As a member of MPBAA you will be a beacon for professionalism, ethical behaviour, enduring quality and commitment to customer service above and beyond the ordinary.

Simply put, the MPBAA will become a family of craftsmen and women, supporting each other to push the boundaries of pool & spa design, construction, retail offerings and customer service excellence. This development will help cement, within the consumers mind, those pool builders, retailers, technicians, and associates who belong to this elite organisation and who have proven themselves via our rigorous process of vetting new and existing entrants to our industry.

We ask all members and the industry at large to embrace the new brand with pride and passion as we move to capture the growth of the backyard revolution.

We are excited to differentiate ourselves in a way where there is no doubt as to what constitutes a professional and ethical pool & spa builder, retailer, technician, or associate within our industry. In our 60th year of existence, where we have evolved over the decades, we now move and evolve further to represent the need for a focused professional body that delivers to our growing family of builders and associates.

The pool is a part of the core fabric of Australia, a place of connection and a symbol of progress over generations. For 60 years, our association has built a legacy of enduring quality, sustaining, and celebrating Australia’s innate connection to, and love of, the pool. We are both a facilitator for our country’s aspired outdoor lifestyle and vital regulator for industry excellence.

An Australian Master Pool Builder embraces quality in all aspects of their business. They take pride not only in their workmanship but in their values of integrity, ingenuity, and mastery. Our members represent the best and most respected professionals in the industry.

Together we commit to delivering inspired, quality pool and spa solutions that bring Australian families enjoyment, connection, and wellbeing for years to come. That is what enduring quality means to us.

The Master Pool Builders Association Australia will be the new gold standard that protects everything that we have built together over six decades for our great industry.

When it comes to all things swimming pool and spa, make sure you choose a Master Pool Builder Association Australia member.

We stand for enduring quality of life, character, workmanship, product and service.

Our vision

Leading voice for the pool industry in Australia

We are the go-to voice representing the industry - a recognised advocate for our country’s aspired outdoor lifestyle and leading source for industry standards of excellence.

Facilitating enduring quality through innovation, education, advice and community

We rally behind the pool and spa industry, using our experience and ingenuity to stand up for enduring quality and progress for the industry. Our commitment to quality spans lifestyle, business, product, people and service.

Elevating ethical behaviour and standards

We strive for continuous improvement to elevate ethics and standards in the industry. The Australian ‘Master Pool Builder’ is recognised as synonymous with quality, integrity and excellence.

Our Values

Act with Integrity

We do what we say we’re going to do. We are honest and transparent. We stand for what is just and right and hold ourselves to a high level of ethical standards.

Insist on Quality

Quality for us means maintaining rigorous standards for our work and the work of our industry. We care about providing excellent solutions and customer service for our members and the community.

Model Leadership

We lead by example ensuring our actions match our values and vision for our organisation and the future of the industry.

Continuously Improve

We embrace change and seek to continuously improve our service and solutions offered by the industry.

Build Community

We work with the industry, our members and the community toward common goals and values; meaningful collaboration and mutual support is central to our mission.

Pursue Balance

Like the pool, it’s the balance of freedom and rules that guarantee a great experience for all. We strive to bring balance to the lives and work of our team, our members and Australian families. In the long-run, balance ensures sustainability.

Brand Attributes that differentiate our brand and define who we are

Enterprising & Forward-Thinking

We develop and provide a variety of tailored ‘Mastery’ offerings, which are valuable and specifically relevant to pool builders and our associates

We adapt and evolve to help Australia and the pool industry continue to thrive into a new future.

Exclusive / High Standards

• We are for the best in the industry

• Committed to maintaining a higher standard of governance for our members

• All our members go through a rigorous vetting process and are peer-reviewed to be accepted

• Members undertake continuous education and meet industry standards and compliance

• Like the pool, it’s the balance of freedom and rules that guarantee a great experience for all

Enduring Quality

• We are advocates for quality in all aspects - From quality workmanship and integrity in the industry to quality of life for Australian families – this is what the pool symbolises and why we exist

• We are an enduring organisation having been around since 1961

• Advocate for the best in the industry and the best for the industry

Builders for Builders

• Our team is comprised of pool builders, and we lean on their expertise to engage, consult and mentor our members

• Share meaningful insight and expertise

True Partners

• We work alongside our members and their businesses, our industry, and

Australian families to facilitate growth

• Our collaborative nature and drive for improvement motivates us to support, connect and advocate for our members and community

We ask all members and the industry at large to embrace the new brand with pride and passion as we move to a new paradigm shift where we will continue to capture the growth of the backyard revolution.

We are excited to differentiate ourselves so there is no doubt as to what constitutes a professional and ethical pool builder or associate within our industry.