AT YOUR SERVICE

Maximise the potential of your site service visits… The lifeblood of the majority of specialist UK and Ireland swimming pool companies, service calls offer a steady income stream that is manageable, profitable, both most crucially, predictable. While emergency call outs can carry a premium for unpredicted works, planned service contracts can be scheduled and completed […]

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POOL PEOPLE – LEWIS ROOKE

Lewis Rooke of Aqua Platinum Projects was delighted, after 11 years in the industry, to have his pool engineering work recognised when he shared the title of Pool Technician Of The Year in the recent UK Pool & Spa Awards … LOCATION Lives in his hometown, Southampton in Hampshire, with his beloved pet dog, Dora….. […]

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WHAT IS LURKING IN POOL WATER?

Lovibond® Tintometer has many testing options available to meet the needs of today’s pool water professional. With modern pool or spa water quality and safety essential, having a good testing protocol and an accurate testing system is equally essential. If you are not testing the levels of key parameters regularly using a recognised professional system […]

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HEATSTAR CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF BUSINESS

2020 marks the 40th anniversary of Heatstar. Four decades in which Heatstar have pioneered the genuine application of ‘top end quality’ and highly energy efficient, climate control systems for swimming pools and the company shows no signs of slowing down. Heatstar’s ‘story’ is one of not only success but of hard work along with the […]

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Hi De Hi

Butlin’s has been a part of the British holiday scene for more than 70 years and its pools are a central feature of each resort. But what have they to offer the 21st century holidaymaker? Jan Hurst reports…

Transforming the British holiday experience, the vision of Butlin’s founder, Billy Butlin’s, back in the 1930s, was to provide affordable, fun holidays for British families. The mission statement stays the same but today’s facilities, with multi-million water leisure investments are a world away from the chalet-style accommodation of the original Butlins’ camps.

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Happy And Glorious

Lidos have a special meaning for those of us of a certain age. They evoke childhood memories of style and glamour with outdoor swimming, ice creams by the pool and art deco buildings, often gleaming white. But the development of modern indoor pools saw a great number of these outdoor pleasure palaces disappear as they fell into disrepair and failed to compete with modern local sports facilities.

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Sister Act Underlines Family Values

When the JC Leisure team was recently invited to a three-day seminar
with one of the company’s major clients, they hired a formula one
replica car that proved to be the talking point of the event.
It is not only their promotional flair that ensures JC Leisure
stands out from the crowd.
The company prides itself on offering top level expertise at best
value with the backing of a customer care service that is second
to none.
Based in Essex, the company provides water side facility
support 24/7 and 365 days a year with engineers strategicallybased
around the UK to ensure a prompt attendance.
The company has more than 300 clients both commercial and
residential and is currently contracted on a national basis to Hilton
Hotels, LA Fitness, Esporta and work on an ad-hoc basis for David
Lloyd, Virgin Active, Park Inn and various council-run leisure centres.
Expanding both in the UK and in Europe, the company is
growing its supply side with the recent launch of a new catalogue.
JCL was formed in Nov 2005, by Alan Lester, the current CEO
and Jamie Brewers, now Director of Engineering.
RETIRED BANKER
Alan had retired from a major High Street bank after 30 years
where he was managing a £16 billion turnover. He drifted into the
leisure industry for ‘something to do’ in his spare time and soon spotted
the potential for an ‘out of hours’ pool maintenance company.
A chance meeting with pool engineer, Jamie Brewer proved the
catalyst and the business began to make its first tentative steps.
When Alan’s wife Jacqui joined the business, she brought her
experience in sales, marketing and accounts which prompted the
first major breakthrough, a service contract for 80 leisure site
nationwide.
As the company thrived, Craig White then joined as a partner in
2006, strengthening the team with 15 years industry experience.
With a workforce in excess of 30, three significant players
are Alan’s three daughters. Alan’s youngest daughter, Ria, had
just graduated from the University of Essex in June 2007 when
she joined as logistics co-ordinator and she ran this side of the
business single-handed for nearly a year.
Nicole, Alan’s eldest daughter, joined in October 2007 after a
marketing/events career in radio. Coming with a BA Hons degree
in marketing and six years’ marketing experience, Nicole worked
on generating awareness of the brand and launched the sales/
consumables side of the business.
The third and final daughter to join was at the time working
for a major European soft-drinks company, again in sales and
marketing. Natalie was a BA Hons Business graduate with an
outstanding head for strategy and HR.

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