In a world where product sales often come before partnerships, O-Care has quietly taken a different route — one grounded in trust, support, and a belief that true growth happens together.
When O-Care entered the UK market more than a decade ago, the goal wasn’t just to sell a water care product. “We never saw O-Care as something you just put on a shelf,” explains co-founder Roel Fassbender. “We’ve always seen it as a concept— with a great product at its core but built around convenience for customers and simplicity for dealers.”
From the beginning, the O-Care team recognised that even the best product wouldn’t move unless it fit naturally into a dealership’s daily routine. That meant training front-line staff, supporting business processes, and designing a subscription model that delivered real long-term value.
“It’s not about the next sale,” says international sales manager and co-founder Barry Vorstenbosch. “It’s about being a long-term partner that makes life easier.” As online shopping changed customer behaviour, O-Care focused on helping dealers stay close to their clients — not just at the point of sale, but over time. Repeat business through convenient subscriptions became a cornerstone of the concept, and the brand worked closely with each dealer to help them implement it in their own way. That hands-on approach earned trust. And trust led to introductions — not just to other UK retailers, but to international dealers as well. “We’re lucky,” Roel admits. “Because we’re open, honest, and solution- focused; people like working with us. And that gets noticed.”
O-Care’s steady growth came not from big marketing campaigns, but from being present — at trade shows, in training rooms, and through everyday support. The brand became known as approachable, helpful, and genuinely invested in dealer success. Then COVID hit. Just as O-Care had launched with a new distributor and trained a full team of reps in the US, the world shut down.
“It felt like the start of a new chapter,” Roel says. “And suddenly we were grounded. Face-to-face sales and support became impossible for a brand new product that had to go to market.”
But while expansion was slowed down in the US, demand in Europe surged. More people were buying hot tubs, and new and existing O-Care subscriptions fuelled growth, vitally it fuelled long term growth. Business grew — not because people went to stores, but because their water care arrived on their doorstep…..frequently and automatically.
To learn more or get in touch, visit www.o-care.com
