S.R.Smith, a leading manufacturer of swimming pool deck equipment, lighting and access product, has announced two acquisitions: Sunbather in Melbourne, Australia, and T-Star Enterprises of Oakland, Calif.
Sunbather is a leading manufacturer of pool energy saving solutions for residential and commercial facilities. The company’s portfolio includes solar pool heating panels and accessories, thermal covers and rollers, automatic security covers, hidden pool covers, heat pumps and gas heaters. As part of the purchase, S.R.Smith also acquired a 50% ownership stake in Aspire Energy Australia, a manufacturer of rigid solar panels.
Tom Boadle, CEO of Sunbather, will remain with the company as general manager and COO of Sunbather. “We are excited to become part of S.R.Smith and look forward to continuing to grow our Australian and international business,” Boadle says.
“As customers look for ways to lower costs and increase pool utilization, we believe these products represent a growth category," says Richard Laitta, president and CEO of S.R.Smith. “By utilizing our existing relationships in Australia and the U.S., we see an opportunity to expand the market by educating pool owners and operators.”
The Sunbather manufacturing operations will continue to be run out of the Melbourne office under the leadership of Tom Boadle and operate independently from Brisbane-based S.R.Smith Australia led by Keith Hall.
T-Star Enterprises of Oakland, Calif. T-Star is a leading manufacturer of custom thermal pool covers for commercial pools. The T-Star operations will relocate the S.R.Smith headquarters location in Canby, Ore.
