#16: Well-Designed Spas – Made in Europe

Theme of episode 16: “Well-Designed Spas – Made in Europe”

In this episode, we sit down with Artur Deu, General Manager of Aquavia Spa, to explore what defines well-designed spas made in Europe. From the company’s heritage to the question “Why a spa?”, we dive into how design, engineering, and quality standards come together to create a true wellness product. We discuss built-in vs. freestanding solutions, materials built for extreme temperatures, and the realities of water treatment, durability, and maintenance. We also explore key technologies – pumps, alternative heating like solar, and the role of spa covers – before turning to what has changed the most over the years. At the heart of the episode is a powerful story: how a major fire became a defining moment for the company, bringing the team closer together and reshaping its future.

LINKSAMMLUNG FOLGE 16:

www.swimmingpool-podcast-com
https://www.behncke.com
https://www.schmalenberger.de
https://fluvo.de/
https://aquaviaspa.com/de/blog/asofap-interviewt-artur-deu-ceo-von-iberspa

www.swimmingpool-podcast-com
https://www.behncke.com
https://www.schmalenberger.de
https://fluvo.de/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Swimming pool international, the swimming pool podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

A warm welcome to our international swimming pool podcast. In front of me sits Angela, Angela Hermann, Export Manager at Banker Manufacturing in Germany. How are you today, Angela?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

I'm very well. Thank you. I'm just saying one more sentence because in front of me sits Michael, as you probably already know. Michael Frisert, he's export manager at uh Fluvor Schmalenberger from Germany in Tübingen. And yes, I am very well, and I am so well because I was in Germany, which is also very nice. I like Bavaria, and the football game was yesterday. Uh but uh yeah, here's the sun. To be honest, here's the sun, and it it is really true, you can say what you want, but it gives a better mood.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

Yes, exactly, and that's the same like in Holland, where I I'm from. I left there with terrible weather, and then when you arrive here, it's so nice, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

And yeah, we are not here again to talk about weather, we are here to talk and with uh we are here with Artodeo, the general manager at Aquavia Spa in Severa, in Spain. And yeah, we we want to know actually what what you do.

SPEAKER_03 1:36

And uh we specifically would like to talk about well-designed spas. And it's a very interesting uh topic for me as I'm more uh working in in the pool area, and spas is totally new for me, so I'm really really interested in what uh Arthur has to tell us about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Yes, hello Arthur.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Hello, hello, hello, thank you, thank you very much, Angela and Michael. Thank you for being here. It's a pleasure to have you here with sun.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Yes, and even covered snow in the mountains, still snow. Yeah, you can see that. Yes, Arthur, uh yeah. Please tell us a bit first. We would like to know a bit about yourself, about the history of the company. Just yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Okay, well, uh, as you said, I'm the CEO of the company. I've been here for many, many years. I started uh 25, 26 years ago with the company, so I know very well this business. Okay. And uh we we are we are a company focused on on selling, selling and developing a space. Our main brand is known as Aquavia. It's the the brand we push in the in the market. And this uh well, later we can go deeper, no, but uh now we are in the in the facilities, the the factory, it's the the second factory. Well, the really it's the third factory because we had a fire, no, but that this is the the second place where we we developed the the project. Okay, before we were in the center of Catalonia, and when then uh uh 20 years ago we moved to to this area to grow the company.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

And the company really really grew as we saw today. I mean it's pretty amazing, we have to say, no. Also, the building, I think you added on, also, you know, it's it's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Uh as I as I said in 2019 we had a fire, and this destroys totally the factory and the offices and everything. And we we take that moment to as a as a challenge, no, but we we we take the advantage of this moment to to improve the company and to create a new new very modern factory. Okay, I think we have the one of the the the modern the best the best factory in in Europe for producing a spa. And and uh site of the factory, we also improve a lot the offices and to to to enhance our our our options to give good services to the to the customers.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

No, yeah. And I like to go back a little bit into history again because you really started from from the scratch. I mean, now we are sitting here in this very modern building, but I know that is I mean, you started very simple, let's say, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Before me, the company started just like a shop. I I think that the first shop it was the well, the the first I ever spied was in San Cugat. It's uh sitting next to Barcelona, and they had uh just a small shop for selling espace. It was a new new product here in Spain, and they they tried to sell it. But uh as soon as they saw that uh there was a business, they decided to start manufacturing. The first step was manufacturing, just importing shells, no, but uh very quickly in around 1990, they they built the first thermal machine in a very, very old factory, very, very different than the compared to what we have right now. No, and they they start producing uh totally the 100% the spa there in uh and then in in 2000 I arrived at around 2020, then we start focusing on developing new products, developing new new ranges, new improving the models. No, before when we start, we just were a company that were following what the Americans do. No, now I think we are creating our our designs online, or we are different, and and we we compete in the market uh with uh our own proposal, no different.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And we are here on a podcast, so you cannot see the listeners cannot see, but uh the models which are here now are I would even say breathtaking. You know, they are so very impressive, yeah. Well designed. It's uh I I also think it's still one of the one of the best for sure. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

It's it's it's the for us as I said, is the is the way of competing. No, if we do the same as everybody, or like Chinese or Americans, finally you just as everybody says, No, just compete in prices, no. And this this is not our battle. We we know that we have to be different. We are a European company, you know, we are here, and then I think this is an advantage for us because we are able to to understand more the the style, the designs, and the the things that Europeans appreciate, no, and then we for sure and and uh also we are in the south of Europe. No, we are Mediterranean people. Uh that we are used to have sun to be outside, so this also it's uh when we design products we think in this in these things. You have to spare it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

Yeah, and for me, as uh with my uh more of a pool background, uh I always uh ask myself why would a person want to have a a spa? Let's say instead of a pool or in addition to a pool.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

Well, I would say that is in addition to a pool. But uh it's it's um it's another product, it offers another things, no, the spa. The biggest difference compared to a pool, it's normally a pool could be used during three months, five months. In in South Europe, maybe five months. But in winter, you have the pool, you can watch, you can it's in the garden, but you cannot use. A spa it's another thing. Spa could be used all year round. And a spa in a pool is a pool is a place where you can enjoy with family, friends, and no, and and you can take the bath. But the spa has a something magical, no, it's different. It's a place where we concentrate sensations. It's a tiny place where you can share with your family, with your friends, no, and it's uh it's an environment that makes easy the communication, even no. This is an important point, no, because you have warm water, you feel the water in your body, you are floating, you can relax, there are lights, there are if you want, you can have music, no, you can have message, no, but you have an uh environment that facilitates the communication and the relationship between people, no. This is one important point. The other it's for health, spa, it's prepared mainly for relaxing, for for improving the the health of the people. No, if you if you get into the spa, you will have your 20 minutes, 30 minutes where you get massage to your body, you feel warm temperature, you can float. So all these things that people uh love, no, because it's it's nice to relax after work or something like that.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Yes. Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

Okay, and another important point the spa, it's it's ready to be used, it's there prepared. No, when you arrive at home, it's not like a bath. You you when if you have a bath or shower, you have to, especially the bath, you have to fill fill up the the bath with the spa. No, you arrive, you just open the cover, that the water is ready, prepared for you, waiting for you, no, and you can switch on or not switch on the the message, no, because it's I I repeat uh everybody loves warm water around his body, no.

SPEAKER_03 10:13

Yeah, and and one other thing that uh that really uh what I feel as a as a very important point is you don't need as much space as a pool. Even like in Holland, we have very small gardens, very little space, a spa is easier to achieve, it is achievable for most people, and a pool is not so easy.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Yeah, at least you have a very small pool now. That's why we have this plunge, you know, the smaller pools, yeah. But still, yeah, uh it's true.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

It's true, yeah, totally. It's uh and and uh with just four square meters or three square meters, you can have a spa. We we have many options, no. Uh you know, through for two people, three people, five people, you can find an uh but normally uh a spa could could take just a corner of the garden and and could be integrated or or or plaque and play. I mean we we arrived with the spa with the installation, it's very easy. It's you don't need to to do uh some uh job uh works for preparing the the to match the area. No, if you if you need a spa in one week, you can have it in three days. Just just it's easy to to to arrive to to move to the garden, connect. So the homeowner can do it themselves. Well, yeah, but um there is electrical connection that should be done by a professional, no, but it's very easy.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

And you already mentioned okay, you have the spa, the spa is coming. Um so what is I mean, you know, I always think it's very beautiful if you have an in-ground spa, no, that that looks very nice. But what is disadvantages or advantages of in-ground or standing spa?

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Yeah. I would say uh yeah, it's it's something that we we we take it in account, no, because it's true that when you have a spa in the garden or in the terrace, no, you have to integrate this product with uh with your style, uh the the the furniture you have, and and when you do a spa in ground, it's it it integrates better with the landscape, no, or or the style you have there. And and and uh but uh so that the advantage of having ground, it's that it's it's more accessible because it's easy to access and it's more integrated. But aside from that, portables, well when I mean portables, I mean above ground standing space, these also uh have to be integrated in the in the environment. And here is where in Aquavia we take a lot of care of that. No our design team it's it's uh looking for materials and uh and styles that that and and even in now right now. If you check the our website, you will find many different collections in styles, no, to facilitate to to make it easy to to to integrate in the in the in the in the garden or the terrace. No?

SPEAKER_03 13:28

Okay. Yeah, sorry. Um when you have uh in-ground, I would assume it's more difficult for maintenance to uh access your pumps or something if there's something, or do you make special like with pools areas where you can open the the spa uh we designed the spa that the main maintenance could be done from outside the spa.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Right. And when the spa is in round, mainly you have to do take you have to take care of the filter or and and some verifications. No, eventually you will need to do some some work with the filtration pump, no, but it is every two years, maybe no. And then if you do a spa in ground, it's true that you have to prepare uh access to this to the to the pumps. No, when we design the spas, and normally I would say 95% of our spas has all the equipment in one side. We take care of that, no, to make easy that in case you have to do maintenance, you you have easy access to the the pums and and the devices. No. Uh of course, if the spiding above brown and it's with cabinet, it's easier to have access. But I repeat, uh for as a user, we don't need to access to the inside of the palm constantly. Just during the installation and mainly every every two years or three years, maybe we have to do something with uh uh after sales.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

But yeah, but you're also making the uh professional and private, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Yeah, well, this is a yeah. Um this is another another another range of a spas. No, we we produce uh here we in Aqua Bear we have ranges, many ranges for for for as as residential use, no. But aside of that, we have commercial spas. Commercial spas normally are uh overflow spas is a is a product totally different, no, because if we think about hotels, campings, uh gyms, then the the level of the water treatment, the level of the quality of the water, uh we need to treat it in a different way. Then what we use for this this kind of uh uh this kind of business. We we we use overflow spas with a separate filtration kit with a sun filter bigger with an automatic dozing system, no, but and it's and in this case uh the the pams and filters are not next to the spa. Normally I they are in the in a technical room area that it's three meters away, five meters away, seven meters away. No, but it's and and with the in this uh as commercial spas, we have a wide also wide range of products. We we have rounds, square, uh octagonal, and prepared for five, six, ten, eleven people.

unknown 16:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

I think here we come also. I have uh sometimes I write questions down, you know. But uh I have one question here, and um, it comes closer to to that. Uh so um you already have talked about this wide range. So why should people buy an Aqua Via Spa?

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Whoa. Uh well, I will I will find many points. First of all, we are a reliable company, I would say. No, we have been in the market for more than 35 years, and I think we will remain for 30 more. Yeah. No, we are we are a company with a long history that means that we learn from the past, we understand the product, we understand the customers, no, and this is one important point, and we are reliable. We are a company that not just produces products and sell products. We we know that the service is very important. I always say to my team, when there is um a customer that has a problem, we have a problem, so we have to solve it, no, and and that this for for in B2B business, I think it's and B2C also, it's I think it's something very important. No, and we we have these services, we have the the right departments for attending the the people, and we try to do it fast. No, the second is um it's what I said. No, we have a lot of products uh with a special design, with a different design, okay, that fits with the uh the uh what Europeans are looking for, you know with different materials, with different styles. No, so it's very easy that inside Aquavia you will find a solution for for you know, and we are third, we are a flexible company. We are a company that uh we listen to customers, and if there are special projects, we also we have the technical departments prepared to to develop special things, no, and and uh we are able to supply to cruise uh projects to shipyards. We are able to produce stainless steel spas, yeah. So it's uh and it's something that uh we we are already have, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

So you can do uh uh in certain cases do uh almost like custom build?

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Yeah, if it's very, very special custom build, then we move to stainless steel.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

We have the option of with the stainless steel, we we can we can do whatever you want. We could say okay, yes. If you would like to have uh overflow stainless steel spa, we can do it. If you would like to have it with a glass in one side, we can do it. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Yeah, and one of the things when I walk through your showroom that no that I notice very much is uh is the design that you do that makes you so much different than uh you know me as a a non-specialist in spas. When I look at uh uh the the uh exhibition in Lyon, you have a whole hall with spas, and almost all of them look the same. And yours are completely different. You can see that from a uh design point of view, and uh yeah, so uh yeah, as you already said, you know, uh I don't actually have to ask uh because you said you design very much to the customer needs, Europeans uh mainly, and the others that are being imported are designed for a different market, more or less. Yeah. That's a nice way how you put it.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah, yeah. Well, it's it's it's not easy because when uh follow other people, it's easier. Yes. But when you have to develop design and and break some rules, no, then it's always you are you are in in in areas that you you you you don't know what will you will find. No, and but it this is the the key of our organization. No. If we speak about design, uh we we are trying to create a strong uh design, internal design team, but we also you we are using external uh designers with a good name, no, that uh that and we do that because from these outside ideas, no, sometimes it's easier to break some some rules, no, and and and to to be out of the paper we have to say here. I don't know if in English exists. Yeah. No, and and it's it's a it's a nice job. No, it's it's it's difficult because it takes more time than just copy, you could say. Yes. But it's it's uh it's nice because you in all this process, no, you it's like a spiral that you turn to with ideas, and then you finally you have to find a way of of being able to produce that, no, and and and and with the right cost, no, but it's it's something that we we have the organization for doing that. Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

And talking about the design, uh you also need the right material for it, right? You are in you are standing in a Desert, no, maybe, and you're also standing on a high mountain with I don't know minus twenty degrees. How is that?

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Yeah, well, yeah, before we we we said that when we visited the the showroom, no uh 95 of our sales for portable spas, oh no, commercially different, but for portables, they go outside. They go outdoors in the garden, in the terrace, no. So all the materials and all the spas we we we develop are prepared 100% for being outside. No. Yeah, and and not all the materials are suitable. No, in the past, sometimes we we put some materials that we had to take it out because it was not right. And now even um there is a problem, the climate change is real. And and and the temperatures before arrived to 40. Now in south of Spain you can find 50 degrees, and yeah, and depending on the cabinets you have, you it will bend, no, so it's in it's important thing that you and it's true. We but we it's uh it's our our world, no. We we we we find to find the right materials to test them. We have a climate uh climate room for testing the materials, no, and and it's something that we have to do. Not only the external materials, also we we as you said, if we sell products to Norway or Switzerland, we have to isolate in the right way, no, and then we we develop a different lines of isolation because the the energy consumption to reduce the energy consumption is very important, no? So it's yeah, yes. So yeah, yeah, it's definitely every every time we develop a product, we take care of the the right materials, we have to test them, and and then also we the the how how we build a spot to avoid problems, no?

SPEAKER_03 23:52

But the the materials used uh inside, let's say the shell, it doesn't matter whether it's sold to a 50-degree climate or to a minus 15, the shell is the same. It can go between these temperatures.

SPEAKER_02 24:07

Yeah, the the shell, yeah. Then with extreme uh weather or extreme uh countries like Middle East, sometimes I will recommend to use white colors.

SPEAKER_03 24:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

Okay, if you put black colors there, that uh then it uh can can can reach 90 degrees with if that sun touched uh that it's not suitable even for for touching, no? So it's like the pools.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

We yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

If you have overflow, it's different. But uh no. And and not also um uh so see, yeah, uh answering your question, the the materials are are the same. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:45

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:46

But we we have different uh options in isolation. You can have more strong isolation if you would like to put the the spine in Norway, for example.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Oh, you put the front, yeah. Yeah, you have an extra or something.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

Yeah, that are all that that it's a it's an option that we also recommend if you are in Germany or or in England or in Spain, because uh finally energy has cost, and and if you we think in in in an ecological way, it's the best way of of reducing consumption. No, and it's good isolation in the spa reduces a lot the the the energy that uses the spa. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

And uh talking about challenges for the material, you only you not only have the challeng challenge outside, you also have the challenge inside the pool because you're we are dealing here with very warm water. Yeah, and uh the the bacterial growth is I don't know. Yeah, I don't know how many multiplied.

SPEAKER_02 25:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it is yeah, I I I always say that a spa for bacteria should should be like uh uh uh attraction park, no? We have portabantura, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because it's you have uh warm temperature, sometimes uh air, uh oxygen, no, so the people, uh yeah, organic material sometimes, no, so it's yeah. But uh how do you do deal with that? The the the spas finally it's easy to the treatment is easy, no. We in in in terms of uh we have to differentiate here for residential use. Uh the treatment finally it's we have to use chemicals, chlorine, bromine, mainly the majority of people is using chlorine, no. And then we there are liquids for stabilizing the the water to make easy the treatment. And finally, the the treatment it's uh it's one one once per week you have to add uh uh a dose of chlorine. Aside from that, then we we have uh systems with uh ultraviolet and uh uh or or ozone or other other systems now that could be used to reduce the the quantity of chemicals. No, another important thing is the cover. The spa the spa uh has all the spas we recommend to have a cover, no, it's the best way for isolating the the spa because if you have evaporation you you lost temperature and this saves also the contamination of the spa, no right okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

And how often should you change the water?

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Of course, depending on your depending on people, but three months, six months, it's you don't need to if you treat it in the right way, no, and and if you uh uh in in every three months or six months, it spa do not consume um as much water as a pool or a bath. Oh it's it's totally different.

SPEAKER_03 27:46

Okay. Well, and then uh for me uh very interesting. Uh fluvo is uh for pools uh well well known for hydro massage. Yeah. And uh and um how do you uh the hydro massage or the massage in in in in spas is this actually uh uh a genuine uh massage or is it more like uh yeah like a soft effect to relax you?

SPEAKER_02 28:21

I would say that you can have both. No in in what we try to have in the spa is a circuit of massage, no? Yeah to take different kinds of massage for for legs, for the back, for body, neck, you know, feet. Um and it's not uh in in our spas in many models you can choose between hundred percent flow, 60% flow, or or or to reduce, no. So and you have jets that give a strong message and others that more soft message. No, they did the idea inside the same spa, you can do a circuit with different different kinds of massage. No, and and aside of the design is another important thing that we when we design a spa, we control very well the power of the pumps. Um it has to be the right for the quantity of jets, for the position of the jets, no, for the kind of the jets. No, we don't put hundred jets uh without any sense there just to have many jets. No, it we prefer to to have a um uh uh a circuit of massage with uh different positions with a different kind of jets and with the right flow proportion to have you can have a strong massage. If you if you want if you will if you like to heal to feel it strong, you can select a seat where you will find really pressure jets, no? And and we can find other seats with more soft massage.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

Okay, so when you say uh uh a circuit, you could start at let's say position one and have light massage, so to speak, and then you move to another seat, it's a bit stronger.

SPEAKER_02 30:05

You can have these kind of options, exactly, and you can uh even open and close the jets to have more pressure or yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

Okay, so you work with uh pumps with frequencies uh driven or something or you close valves?

SPEAKER_02 30:19

Not yet, maybe in the future. But you have all you also have deeper valves where you can put more flow to an area or not.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

Ah, okay, very, very interesting. Yeah, and uh um again, since uh uh we are uh also very much in hydro massage. What kind of pumps do you uh use for this?

SPEAKER_01 30:40

Is this uh Michael's a pump guy?

SPEAKER_02 30:44

No, wait. We mainly in Aquavia we we differentiate the filtration pumps from massage pumps, okay? Because there are people that use the the same pump for both. We we we we believe that it's it's better to have the filtration circuit dedicated 100% for filtering, no, and the right speed and the right flow. Then we have one uh pumps just for for that. And then we have massage pumps that uh are uh specific for um massage uh massage uh for for for spas. No, I mean that they are they don't have pre-filter, they don't they are because uh in the the problem we have to face with the portables mainly, it's we need we we don't have too much space. We have to integrate the pumps inside the spa. No, so what we use is pumps with uh the the right uh with a nice flow but uh compact that with a nice compact size that could be integrated easily inside the pump.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

No, yes, I totally agree uh that you should always separate filtration from uh from the application. Uh and some people also in pools do the same, just one pump for everything, and that's not the way to go. So that is uh really yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

Um I I have a question since you said application. Um is that now um nowadays? So if you're decide okay, you're I don't know, you're in Germany, you feel oh I'm flying to Spain in my nice home, I want to have my spa ready in three hours. So is that possible that I have an app that I control everything?

SPEAKER_02 32:28

It's uh in three hours. If you don't have the spa, you will anyways. But if you already have a spa, yeah, we have options that you can you could control the spa from your home or from from your mobile. No, there is there we have connections, we have application that you be could be connected to the system, and you can set the temperature, you can set the filtration time, whatever you want. No, yeah, yeah. So that is possible.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

So you can do it from everywhere and you say, okay, I want to have it ready at that time.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

Uh yeah, exactly. And you can know where what's the temperature in real online? No, you yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Okay, nice. Uh yeah, and now uh I'm coming to general uh things. So um maintenance. Um I think that's uh that's quite still an issue, even we are so modern nowadays. So what should uh should an end user should do?

SPEAKER_02 33:27

End user. If they are in charge of maintenance, they will only need to clean the filters once every 15 days. It's very easy. You it's a cartridge filter normally. You you you can wash it with just water. And then every week put uh uh a pill, I don't know how the tablet. Tablet, sorry. A ta uh chlorine tablet or bromine tablet. No, we we have a kit, we we have a kit that is called Aquabia care kit, and and then you you have a liquid, and there is a liquid that you can drop a little uh dosing and put the tablet, and and that's all that's all. Uh mainly and every three months maybe you will have to change the water, but it's that's all yeah. The cover something no the cover, they are suitable for outdoors. Now we we improve the the materials we are using for the covers. We use uh we use another material that it's more that the it's textile, so the in it integrates better with uh with uh with the style. Um and of course it's important to have to use the cover, it's what I said. No, it's um if you have the spa the you you can open, but when you when you don't use it's better to have it to have the cover.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Yes. And and and that cover is besides of course keeping out uh dirt, it's also to uh save energy when you want to keep it.

SPEAKER_02 35:02

Mainly it's for saving energy.

SPEAKER_03 35:04

Ah, okay. Well, talking about energy, uh is this something does it already exist? Uh sparse running on solar panels, or is this some crazy question?

SPEAKER_02 35:17

No, it's not a crazy question, of course. Uh uh and and and uh not it's not a crazy question here in Spain where we that the solar panels are very very very developed right now. Um no, but I I would say there are many many spas that right now it's running with solar panels. For me, the ideal that the solar panels should be not on top of the spa. For me, it's a ideal to have the solar panels on the roof. Yes, no, yes, because uh and then use this energy for the spa. And then what we can do is thanks to the applications and the systems, we can control when we hit the spa. So uh if we we could say during uh uh taking advantage of the advantage of the sun, during the hours we where where we have the sun and we have energy from coming from the sun, then we can hit the in the this moment the the spa. Now we can select the time. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

This is important if we speak about uh saving energy, no, this is a key point, uh also we we have other options. A site of solar panels, the ideal should be to use a heat pump, for example. No, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because the spas are prepared, we have a range of spas prepared for running with also with a heat pump. And then you aside of using cheap energy or more uh ecological energy, we can reduce the the the consume taking advantage of the heat pump, no? Especially if we have swim spas. That is something is a subject that we we didn't talk, but we also have swimming spas. Because we are poor people, yeah. Yeah. Oh, you also have swimming spots. Yeah, we have swimming spas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have swimmers. Four meters, four point five, six meters, six point half. So we have a wide range of swimming spas.

SPEAKER_03 37:14

Oh, that's very interesting. That's like a counter current.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Uh yeah, with uh a massage and counter current, yeah, or or uh or a compact pool, also we have, yeah. Is this very popular product? Uh it was uh it's popular, it was very popular after COVID because we have people were crazy looking for pools and and there was a it was fast, yeah. Because once again, the advantage of the Suma Spa is uh is like a plaque and play product, no? You and and if it's a bone ground, you don't need to do a license, so you don't it's it's easy exactly yeah exactly. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Talking about all of this about uh energy consumption and uh having an app and all of this. So what are the trends in the industry? Can you can you tell us something where where is it leading to uh let me think about in trends?

SPEAKER_02 38:08

Uh I think I think the the market the the market these last years has changed a lot in terms of aesthetics. No the products, at least here in Europe, are more minimalistic. I would say that people have moved from brown to to more straight lines to different materials. The what we call a standard spas, the spas could be important, all it has the fashion of being a plastic product, no? Yes and uh especially the cabinet. So here there are um uh Aquavia and other brands we are fighting to have different materials, different styles. No, um, this is this is one important point. No, uh then I would say that also in in inside a spano uh people try to have the the the the the the seeds and the message no in not just as I said before 200 jets inside a spano to to put uh to put uh language to to to to put um how how can I say uh uh organization no to to to have the uh a style of what how the spas are are distributed in the spa, no, with following a lines or a style. Right. This is also important thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

So can you talk also to the spa and say more light? I want this jet on the right side more intense. Like I talk to my like now I talk to my AI every day.

SPEAKER_02 39:45

This is something that uh we have projects working on that. It's not okay. We have some ideas. Uh in the next in the next podcast, maybe we can speak about that.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Yeah, and um coming a little bit to the end, uh one of my uh nice favorite questions is also yeah, do you have any story like uh breath, you know, like a story happened with a project, no, where you say this was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 40:13

Oh yeah, well, we I can I can speak about the special projects that we suffered to develop the it or it's special because it was different, like for example, we did uh we did a spa for a shipyard very special with a very strange design that um with a glass uh overflow, and then we we had to fight to find the solutions because one thing is the idea that the customer has, no, and and finally the what it's really could be possible and and and and suitable for for using, even no, because sometimes they are ideas that are too much out of the paper. No. But I will not speak about that. If you ask me for a special project, a special moment, I have to speak about the fire. Yeah, the fire we had uh imagining in six hours the company was in 1st of July 2019, the company was totally destroyed. Totally, totally. Facilities, machines, uh offices, uh only two things were not uh burned were the a copy of the server, uh the software, we could say no, and people. Yes. Okay, and in that moment that it it was a critical moment, no, uh finally we realized that was a strong moment for the company because the team reacted as never. We start working, working with I think I would say with a good organization, with uh with a right determination to rebuild. And uh would say that in six months, just in six months, we were another time in the market uh beating our records of sales. So and it was a strange moment because there were a lot of tension, a lot of work, no, but we we feel that that that moment we realized that we were a strong brand, no? Because normally when you uh I think everybody feels the same. No, sometimes you feel that oh uh competitors are better than us, or we don't we we have this problem. Uh but when you have a moment like this and you realize that you you see that the customers have to look for another option, no, because we we disappear, but all of them return to us, no? That that is a moment that's you think and and and you realize that that uh the we have a strong things that we didn't realize, no, and and uh the brand was important. And it was is a special, special moment I will remember forever. Yes, yes, I we will not repeat it because it's we uh but it it was the the the best the best I would say the best experience professionally.

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Yeah, it even gives a shiver when your talent is.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

Yes, yeah, yeah, goosebumps.

SPEAKER_04 43:14

Yeah, really, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:15

Yeah, so well, thank you very much, uh Arthur. It was it was really for me an eye-opener. Uh I learned a lot about spas and uh Angela knows more about it, but for me, uh very, very interesting. And uh so if you ask me what did I learn today, that a spa is in in uh the first of all the the difference between private and commercial spas, and that in commercial spas the water treatment is not so different than from a pool. No uh it's exactly the same. That's what I what I learned. I I always thought about spas uh what I've seen on in the Pichin uh plastic looking Very let's say almost yeah like uh one uh one uh thirteen out of a dozen. Everything looks the same. But I've learned today that there is also a different spa market. So yes, so thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Yes, thank you very much Arthur.

SPEAKER_03 44:23

You can write us with any comments or questions at mail at swimmingpool minus podcast.com. Goodbye.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Okay, and I will add Moltasgracias in Catalan Moltas Gracias Angela, Multas Michael. Thank you very much for being here. It has been a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

Thank you, Arto.

SPEAKER_00 44:53

Swimming Pool International, the swimming pool podcast.