Howards Hydrocare Ltd of Nazeing, Essex, was contracted to install a combined water feature and swimming pool within a walled area of a Hertfordshire home. The customers wanted a black finish to the pool – with a sparkle – and after much searching, they settled on a glass mosaic from Bisazza. The Mask of Neptune […]
Author: Ashleigh MacKenzie
Although this summer has been the coolest for some 18 years, Woodgreen Leisure Centre’s open air pool in Oxfordshire, attracted over 19,000 customers – 2000 more visits this season than last. The busiest day was July 28 when almost 1,000 people used the pool. Cherwell District Council’s portfolio holder for environment, Cllr James Macnamara, said: […]
Mineral Supplies International, the European distributors of the best selling Auto Cruiser pool cleaner, has announced a streamlining of its UK and European supply routes enabling retailers to order in smaller quantities with drastically reduced delivery times. The ‘just in time’ ordering strategy better reflects the economic climate, say MSI, who will no longer ask […]
Soft, luminescent copings from Global Resins are not only the safest option for pool edges but give off an amazing glow all year round with endless possibilities for design and also corporate or safety messaging. The patented Global Resins copings are: • Extremely light but will not damage in transit • Simpler […]
EXACTLY one year ahead of London 2012 Games, the Aquatics Centre
is now complete, the last of the six main Olympic Park venues to
finish construction.
The Aquatics Centre was officially unveiled with British Olympic
hopeful Tom Daley making the first dive into the pool.
Offering the largest stock of pool tiles in the country, Waxman
Ceramics, one of the UK’s leading distributors of tiles for water
leisure environments, provided the finishing touches for the learner
pool at the Haverfordwest Leisure Centre in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Origin Leisure has been at the top of the swimming pool industry
for thirty years. To celebrate this milestone the company has
rebranded its entire look, with a bright new logo, an all-new
website, and redesigned vans.
But the ethic of the company remains unchanged. They are still
adopting their programme of constant improvement, and their
products are more adventurous, more imaginatively designed and
more perfectly built than ever.
The UK water leisure trade has traditionally been unwilling to
overcome its one-piece pool prejudice.
Popular in the southern hemisphere markets such as Australia
and South Africa, the all-in-one option has also gained a
significant following across France and mainland Europe.
Meanwhile, the sceptical UK pool traditionalists stone-walled the
‘washing up bowl’ option in favour of more conventional home pool
building methods such as block and liner and panel pools.
International trade makes good business sense for small to medium sized business – the type of business that is the bread and butter of the water leisure markets.
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.
