Florida Water Products and American Pool Supply, leaders in the wholesale distribution of swimming pool products, have entered into an agreement to merge the two companies. The transaction details are undisclosed, but the merger is expected to close before Dec. 31, 2018. The newly combined entity creates a footprint of 16 distribution centers servicing a customer network of 8,500 swimming pool retailers, service companies and pool builders in nine states across the Sunbelt.
Florida Water Products, headquartered in Tampa, Fla., operates 12 distribution centers throughout Florida and Texas. “American Pool Supply is a natural strategic fit,” says President and CEO Louis Mozas. “Their focus on providing exceptional service and value to customers, strong supplier relationships and expanding markets mirrors our own. Their expertise, earned in the world’s largest commercial swimming pool market, and the culture of the company were key factors in the merger.”
American Pool Supply, with headquarters in Las Vegas, Nev., operates three locations in Nevada and Utah, with a fourth location scheduled to open in fall 2018. “We are pleased to join forces with Florida Water Products, who will provide additional technology, sales, marketing, supply and operational solutions to our valued customers. The opportunity to provide additional resources to our customers, as well as enhanced benefits and growth opportunities for our employees, were paramount in our decision to merge,” said Rick Crockett, president of American Pool Supply.
Florida Water Products and American Pool Supply are both mature companies founded in 1983 and 1972, respectively, with strong and consistent growth over the past decades. Neither company has any customer or regional concentrations. Both are family owned, independent distributors with no outside investors.
Initially, all Florida Water Products and American Pool Supply locations will continue to do business under these well-established names.
Both companies are also longstanding members of the WINDO Group, the largest collective of independently owned wholesale distributors in the swimming pool industry. The group consists of 24 privately owned distributors located primarily in the Snowbelt and Canada.