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BRISBANE franchisor PoolWerx is enjoying growth well above industry trend, recently reporting an 8 per cent increase in revenue for the six months to January 1.
The pool maintenance contractor, insurer and retailer is on track to exceed $75 million in sales, with retail sales up 12 per cent, excluding the impact of recent store openings.
PoolWerx founder and CEO John O’Brien (pictured) says it is the best first half for the company in a decade,” says O’Brien.
“The pool and spa care industry has almost fully recovered from the double decline; low spending in the wake of the GFC and water restrictions during drought years,” he says.
Technological advances in pool equipment, allowing for significant energy and water savings, is driving growth in those categories, while demand for traditional pool chemicals remained steady.
PoolWerx has opened six retail shops nationally, including one competitor acquisition since July 1 and is in the process of opening four more before the end of the financial year.
The company, which recently took out its second successive Multi-unit Franchise of the Year award, has welcomed 22 new franchise partners in that period, taking total franchise numbers to 225. O’Brien says he is confident the pool network can reach 350 stores and 1,000 mobile vans by 2020.
PoolWerx general manager Lee Moore says New South Wales is where the company sees the most growth potential, with many more franchising opportunities than the other states.
The company has developed proprietary software which pinpoints the best locations for new PoolWerx stores.
PoolWerx also recently invested about $150,000 in a new training centre at Brisbane, where all new franchisees are educated. The industry has recently had pool and spa maintenance qualifications gazetted at certificate III and IV levels to provide a career pathway for workers in the sector.
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