Paramount Pool and Spa Systems

Paramount is extending a great offer this month. During March you can now get double and triple points on almost all Paramount products. We are so excited about our upcoming trip to Spain, that we want everyone to take part in racking up as many points as possible.

PLUS – Here’s an easy and fun way to get 50 free points towards your Spain trip.

Come away with us on an exotic adventure to beautiful and luxurious Spain. There is plenty to explore in this Mediterranean paradise. Partake in the vibrant culture, sample the local delicacies and wander along the ancient sunlit streets.

This year, we visit Barcelona, which, while being Spain’s most cosmopolitan city and a bountiful seaside port, also has a rich history. Enjoy this vibrant city with its views of the relaxing Mediterranean coast and the spectacular Montserrat mountain range.

More breathtaking sights and experiences await you in Marbella. This gem of the Costa del Sol boasts amazing beaches, and an exciting restaurant and night life. Be sure to visit old town Marbella and take in the mountains of Ronda.

The Federal Open Market Committee recently (Dec. 1) released a report showing slow but continued improvement in the economy for October thru November. The report in general was positiveshowing increased consumer spending.  Consumer confidence also recently showed some improvement.  While these are good trends it will still take some time and more positive economic news to see any real impact on lending and financing overall.  Credit rating and debt ratio remain the two most important factors for consumers in obtaining a loan right now.  The large banks are once again posting large profits but have not loosened their lending guidelines due to a number of factors.  Some of which include employment, the economy as a whole and the banks anticipated losses from ongoing and future foreclosures (along with the government reviewing all banks foreclosure processes).

Interest rates remain very attractive, both on the secured and unsecured sides of lending.  Mortgage rates are still hovering around historic lows for both 30 year and 15 year terms.  Rates for home equity lines of credit (HELOC) and second mortgages are also doing very well.  Unsecured loans and credit lines of credit carry higher rates than mortgage/secured products but continue to be low, relatively speaking.  Here at Paramount Capital, we continue to educate customers on the current “cost of money” as it compares not only to the past but also to the near future, as rates will have to rise at some point.  Interest rates have remained historically low for quite some time now, so it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when interest rates will rise.  The Federal Reserve will have to raise interest rates when the economy demonstrates sustained economic growth and to combat possible inflation. If a customer is in the market and wants/needs to finance, it is a great time to take advantage of the current interest rates and overall cost of financing a pool.

Despite the conservative lending market that continued this year, 2010 produced some successes here at Paramount Capital.  One of which was our ability to partner with new lenders and offer some of the most aggressive lending programs out there. It has been refreshing to find and work with excellent lending institutions that still believe in “make sense” lending.  We will continue to be proactive and aggressive in getting out in front of new lending opportunities and programs in 2011.

The enhancement of the Paramount Capital web-link program this year was also a success worth highlighting (available to all approved Paramount dealers only) and we are excited to announce a whole new look to our site for 2011.  With applications for 2010 up over 2009, along with a large increase in traffic on our Paramount Capital website, we feel this is a great time to enhance and improve our website for our dealers and their customers.  Keep an eye out for our official announcement but our target date is early 2011.  There will be a whole new look to the site and we are very pleased to announce a new “resource” page/tool for the site, where Paramount dealers can go and utilize different marketing tools, icons, and announcements to compliment and enhance their current websites for financing. The Paramount Capital website link is providing leads for many of our dealers and our goal is to help all our dealers in communicating to customers that there are financing options out there and that Paramount dealers can provide that thru their partnership with Paramount Capital’s services.

Through the Holiday Season our thoughts turn to the closing year and to the New Year ahead and all we have experienced together, both the successes and the challenges. We feel a deep sense of gratitude for our association with you and a great sense of pride for the enduring commitment of our Paramount team.

In the face of challenging circumstances that tested us, individually and as an enterprise we are proud to have met these tests with character and dignity, putting the interests of our customers first and remaining true to our values. In doing so we continued to add market share and are well positioned as our industry recovers. This was evidenced by the fact that 70% of the top pool builders in the United States are Paramount dealers.

We are also blessed to have excellent representation internationally where, in countries like Australia, we enjoyed significant growth this year. The efforts of Compass Pools, Waterline Pool Innovations and Pool Water Products were certainly some of the highlights of 2010. In addition, Compass Pools Europe expanded their efforts throughout Western and Eastern Europe thus extending Paramount’s reach into a number of new markets.

So there is much to be thankful for and we believe we have the dealers and internal team in place to tackle the job ahead. And what a great job it is, making backyard dreams a reality and allowing pool owners to maximize their enjoyment with family and friends alike. We’ve kept our footing in a shifting landscape by remaining true to our mission and we thank you for your contributions.

This is the time of year that people of all faiths and backgrounds embrace a common sense of festivity. We offer heartfelt holiday greetings and a sincere wish for a happy and healthy New Year! Let’s work together to make it a great 2011.

Buzz Ghiz
President
bghiz@1paramount.com

Bill Burt
Direcotr of Sales & Marketing
bburt@1paramount.com

Poppy
Director of PLS
poppy@1paramount.com

Last week, Paramount Capital Finance announced that one of our partnered lenders just extended their loan terms on a popular UNSECURED program. For now this program is only available in the following states: AL, AZ, CA, FL, NM and TX

Since the Top 50 Builders list debuted nearly a decade ago, the industry has seen historic highs and lows. Each year, Pool & Spa News gathers information from builders all over the nation and ranks them from 1 to 50. The information gathered includes both commercial and residential revenues, renovations, areas served, number of pools built, etc. We congratulate everyone who has made this year’s list.

For the past several years, the percentage of the top 50 builders who are Paramount Authorized Dealers continues to grow. This year is no different. In 2007, the percentage of Paramount Authorized dealers was 62%, a strong number. In 2008 it grew to 70%. Last year, the number jumped again to 72%. If you are an Authorized Dealer, we congratulate you as being part of an elite group. If you are not, we encourage you to see why this percentage continues to grow every year.

The chemicals used in a swimming pool pose a definite hazard to occupants and equipment. A few simple guidelines should be followed to ensure the safety of everyone. In this context, a “chemical” includes, but is not limited to, chlorine, acid, soda ash, any algaecide, diatomaceous earth, silica sand, and any cleaning agent.

· Never mix any two chemicals together, either away from or in the pool water.

· Never add water to a chemical . . . always add the chemical to water.

· Never handle a chemical without the use of protective gloves and a form of nose-mouth protection. This can be a disposable fabric mask or a respirator.

· Never add two different chemicals to the pool water at the same time . . . always allow at least 4 hours between applications unless otherwise directed by the chemical manufacturer.

· Never allow anyone to use the pool within 4 hours after the addition of chemicals.

· Never store any chemicals inside the house, in direct sunlight, or near the pool area.

· Keep all pool chemicals out of the reach of children.

· Never store two different chemicals adjacent to one another. Leak- age of one could cause them to mix and a chemical reaction could result.

· Avoid contact of any chemical with the skin or mucous membranes, such as those in the mouth, eyes, and nose. If this occurs, flush the area with water and consult a physician immediately. Be sure to have the container of the chemical nearby to inform the physician of the agent involved.

· Be aware of the addition of any pool chemicals by another person, to avoid interaction or overdose.

And destination for the annual Passport to Paradise Incentive Vacation for 2012 is……….SPAIN! In Spain, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful southern coast as well as experience many other interesting sights. Qualifying for the trip starts September 1st, 2010 and continues through August 31st, 2011.

Spain was selected after careful consideration, which included surveys of many past trip participants and reviews of several other destinations.  Bill Burt, Director of Sales and Marketing, said “Many of the dealers who participated on our last trip to Spain over 10 years ago had commented that it was one the best trips they had ever been on.  We thought that more than enough time has passed and we had such great times there that why not return”.

What do you think of the 2012 España destination? Please leave us a comment.

From Molly Hammant, Passport to Paradise Coordinator:

I hope everybody is gearing up for our upcoming Passport to Paradise trips to the Caribbean in January and Alaska in August.

This is a friendly reminder that Vendor points need to be submitted no later than September 15, 2010.

Below is a contact list for your reference. Please note that there will not be a representative available as in years past from Pebbletec to take point exceptions after the 15th.

As always please e-mail me to call me with any questions you may have.

Pentair (Crystal P. Stubits) – 800-693-0171
Fiberstars (Donna Prunetti) – 888-704-2276
WetEdge (Lora Sharp) – 877-984-4687
Structure Studios – 800-778-8996
Pebble Tec (Christine Fox ) – 480-948-5058
King Technology – 800-222-0169
Pool Cover Specialists – 801-255-6124
Jandy – 800-822-7933