Getting Serious About the Leisure Water Market
Everybody into the pool!
That's the new battle cry for ITT Industries companies competing in the leisure water market, which includes pools, water parks, whirlpool baths, spas, fountains, miniature golf courses and aquariums. ITT businesses have a long history in leisure water -- including selling pumps for the White House pool -- but now they're building sales by bundling products.
"It's all about realizing the 'power of one' by offering combined product offerings across our divisional and unit boundaries," says John Koenig, manager of Direct and National Sales for ITT Industries' Fluid Handling Division.
ITT Industries brands that serve the leisure water market include Marlow, Bell & Gossett, Rule, McDonnell & Miller, Flygt, Goulds, Wedeco and HydroAir. Several recent water park projects highlight the multi-brand selling approach.
When it's completed, the Kalahari Huron Resort in Ohio will have Marlow pumps and Bell & Gossett heat exchangers for the pool, plus Flygt pumps for the Flow Rider attraction. And a new water park in North Naples, Florida will feature two types of Goulds Pumps and a line of Bell & Gossett pumps.
The key players in this multi-product approach are the Fluid Technology sales people who have to look beyond their traditional business boundaries for additional opportunities. One example is Bill Linder, manager of New Market Development for Fluid Handling Division.
"I'm primarily pushing Marlow pumps, but whenever I see an opportunity to get our other brands specified for these projects, I go for it," says Linder. "The way I see it, we're ITT -- not a bunch of standalone brands."
This year, Linder helped Wedeco sell ultraviolet equipment for a pool project and sold Goulds submersible pumps for towers being used to cool swimming pools out in Texas' hot summer sun. He was also involved in the Ohio and Florida water park projects.
These cool rides represent a very hot market. Leisure water is growing 20-30 percent a year, driven in large part by the boom of indoor water parks being built at ski resorts and in cold weather cities. "People are realizing water rides can be a year-round activity," Linder says.
ITT brands that play in the leisure water market don't generate gigantic revenues on their own. But taken together, it has the potential to be a $60 to $70 million market for ITT Industries. "It's a niche market for our big pump companies," says Linder, "but by presenting a united front, we can make it a valuable overall contributor to our company’s bottom line."
"Leisure water is a niche market for our big pump companies. But by presenting a united ITT front, we can make it a valuable contributor to our company's bottom line."
– Bill Linder, Fluid Handling Division