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If you haven’t considered vinyl liner replacements as a new source of revenue for 2021, Val Simoncic’s story might change your mind.
The owner of Carolina Pool and Spa in Columbus, N.C., had been in business for a decade — primarily as a maintenance and service professional — before he met Gregg Minton in 2015. That’s when Minton, a regional sales manager for Alabama-based Tara Pool & Outdoor Products, introduced Simoncic to the company’s line of replacement vinyl liners and safety covers.
“He taught me how to measure on three different types of pools,” Simoncic says. “He got me into the vinyl liner replacement business, and it’s been non-stop ever since.”
Carolina Pool and Spa appears on Tara’s list of preferred dealers, and the company has expanded to specialize in new construction and remodels, using Tara liners exclusively.
Tara has been manufacturing vinyl liners since 1984 and has earned attention for its precision sizing and attention to detail. By using virgin vinyl, Tara can guarantee a perfect fit and a long life, as well as patterns with vivid colors that don’t lose their brilliance over the years.
“What you can do with vinyl liners today is unlimited,” Simoncic says. “You can do any size and shape of pool in so many different patterns, and they fit tanning ledges and benches, too. Anything you can do on a gunite pool — except for a vanishing edge — you can do on a vinyl pool.”
And you can do it for a lot less money than a gunite pool.
No wonder the liner replacement business is booming. Most pool liners have a lifespan of seven 10 years before they start looking outdated, fading or tearing. Constant exposure to the sun also releases plasticizers that hold the vinyl together, eventually causing it to become brittle.
Liner replacements are quick and can be a lucrative addition to a suite of builder and dealer services. Tara offers more than 26 contemporary patterns featuring tile, marble and stone styles in a variety of colors and shades, and pool owners can mix and match borders and bottoms. What’s more, the company’s 20-year pro-rated warranty includes two years of full replacement coverage.
New Visualization Tool
Simoncic recently used the Envision Pool Designer to sell a brand-new Tara pattern, called “Aquamarine,” to a customer — without even providing a liner sample.
“They saw it on the Internet and said, ‘We want that one,’” Simoncic recalls. “When I told them I didn’t have a sample, they said that didn’t matter. We were in their backyard, and they accessed the visualizer on their phone. I sold them the liner on the spot. I think we’re going to be one of the first builders to install that pattern.”
Tara’s stylish liner patterns have played a significant role in combating negative customer perceptions about vinyl liners. “I had one customer that had owned nothing but gunite pools, and when she moved she wanted to downsize to a smaller pool,” Simoncic says. “I asked if she wanted me to price a vinyl pool for her, and she told me they were ugly. So I gave her my book of samples, and she said, ‘Oh, those are nothing like they used to be.’”
‘A Great Opportunity to Increase Your Sales’
Tara was busy in 2020, expanding its sales force and doubling its manufacturing capacity, and the company recently rolled out a major rebranding. Through it all, Tara retains a golden reputation for the way it treats industry professionals.
Ordering a liner is easy: The builder takes the measurements and sends them to Tara, which creates a computer-aided design drawing with the appropriate shape, depths and angles. The builder then confirms the drawing and signs off, and the ready-to-install liner typically is delivered within a week.
And then there’s the customer service, which Simoncic calls “phenomenal.”
“Liner replacements offer a great opportunity to increase your sales, because all it takes is one good liner installation, and the word will get out,” Simoncic says. “If you have questions, ask. Tara is there for you. They’ll come out to a site and help you take measurements and show you how to install the liners — giving guidance and sharing techniques. Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet in this category.”
