(824,1,'2013-01-02 20:19:19','2013-01-02 20:19:19','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\n\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\n\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\n\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same. Well the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\n\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\n\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\n\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\n\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\n\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\n\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\n\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision','','','2013-01-02 20:19:19','2013-01-02 20:19:19','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=824',0,'revision','',0),(825,1,'2013-04-17 18:44:21','2013-04-17 18:44:21','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\r\n\r\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\r\n\r\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\r\n\r\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWell the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\r\n\r\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\r\n\r\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\r\n\r\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\r\n\r\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\r\n\r\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:44:21','2013-04-17 18:44:21','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=825',0,'revision','',0),(826,1,'2012-01-12 21:13:31','2012-01-12 21:13:31','<h1>The Buck Stops Here</h1>\nHappy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.\n\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\n\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...<!--more-->\n\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.\n\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\n\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented,\n\nbullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\n\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\n\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\n\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\n\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\n\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision','','','2012-01-12 21:13:31','2012-01-12 21:13:31','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=826',0,'revision','',0),(827,1,'2011-12-21 18:40:47','2011-12-21 18:40:47','<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Dave-Sizelove.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-528\" title=\"Dave Sizelove\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Dave-Sizelove-226x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\n\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\n\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors:\n\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\n\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\n\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\n\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\n\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\n\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\n\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\n\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\n\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision','','','2011-12-21 18:40:47','2011-12-21 18:40:47','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=827',0,'revision','',0),(828,1,'2011-11-11 19:17:43','2011-11-11 19:17:43','Last June as part of a contingent for SEIA’s \"Solar Heating and Cooling Lobby Day,\" Dan, Kevin and I met with several congressional legislative aides on Capital Hill, including our own Senator Menendez’s staff educating them on the merits of solar pool heating and pledging our case as to why commercial solar pool heating should be included in the current 30% tax credit.\n\nYesterday, Senator Menendez introduced the \"Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act.” We are awaiting the bill\'s numerical designation. Section 3 of the bill contains the same language as in Senator Feinstein\'s previous version in the 111th Congress and would extend the 30% tax credit if businesses choose to add solar pool heating to their property\'s swimming pool.\n\nWe are moving forward to create a coalition of national organizations, representing the major commercial establishments in this country who have swimming pools as part of their businesses, who will simply \"sign-on\" at this juncture to support this effort. We already have commitments from the Solar Energy Industries Association, the World Waterpark Association and the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. We anticipate having the support of the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the American Hotel &amp; Lodging Association, the National Apartment Association and the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.\n\nIn addition to the fact that Sen. Menendez is a member of the Senate Finance Committee to which this bill will certainly be assigned, we have support from New Jersey’s Chris Smith, a long-time republican member of the House.\n\nSenator Menendez’s legislation couldn’t come at a better time considering the recent antidumping and countervailing duty petition filed against Chinese PV manufacturers by U.S. manufacturers.\n\nI think that the bill has a reasonable shot at passage sometime in the first half of 2012.\n\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','479-revision','','','2011-11-11 19:17:43','2011-11-11 19:17:43','',479,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=828',0,'revision','',0),(829,1,'2013-04-17 18:46:03','2013-04-17 18:46:03','Last June as part of a contingent for SEIA’s \"Solar Heating and Cooling Lobby Day,\" Dan, Kevin and I met with several congressional legislative aides on Capital Hill, including our own Senator Menendez’s staff educating them on the merits of solar pool heating and pledging our case as to why commercial solar pool heating should be included in the current 30% tax credit.\n\nYesterday, Senator Menendez introduced the \"Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act.” We are awaiting the bill\'s numerical designation. Section 3 of the bill contains the same language as in Senator Feinstein\'s previous version in the 111th Congress and would extend the 30% tax credit if businesses choose to add solar pool heating to their property\'s swimming pool.\n\nWe are moving forward to create a coalition of national organizations, representing the major commercial establishments in this country who have swimming pools as part of their businesses, who will simply \"sign-on\" at this juncture to support this effort. We already have commitments from the Solar Energy Industries Association, the World Waterpark Association and the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. We anticipate having the support of the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the American Hotel &amp; Lodging Association, the National Apartment Association and the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.\n\nIn addition to the fact that Sen. Menendez is a member of the Senate Finance Committee to which this bill will certainly be assigned, we have support from New Jersey’s Chris Smith, a long-time republican member of the House.\n\nSenator Menendez’s legislation couldn’t come at a better time considering the recent antidumping and countervailing duty petition filed against Chinese PV manufacturers by U.S. manufacturers.\n\nI think that the bill has a reasonable shot at passage sometime in the first half of 2012.\n\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','479-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:46:03','2013-04-17 18:46:03','',479,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=829',0,'revision','',0),(830,1,'2011-08-30 17:14:48','2011-08-30 17:14:48','Pat recently got me an iPad for my birthday and I love it. When I’m home at night it rarely leaves my side. It’s the newspapers I read, the book I’m reading, as well as the ones I’ve read and my connection to the world through the internet, email and social networking – even the TV shows I’ve missed; all in my hand. Another use for it when I have an idle moment is traveling the world with Google Earth. What do I look for you ask – same thing as you do of course… pools!\n\nOne night I decided to take a “trip” to my brother’s house in Florida. We were close growing up, enjoying sailing and fishing together and when he moved to Cape Coral from New Jersey 23 years ago, I thought that I would hardly ever get see him. Funny how things turn out - I think over the last 23 years, I’ve spent just as many nights staying with him when I visit southwest Florida as I have in hotel rooms elsewhere.\n\nI easily located his house by the eight west facing collectors. As I zoomed out, I pretty much saw what I expected - a lot of houses with a lot of pools. But it seemed a lot of the houses with perfectly good roofs didn’t have any collectors. So I started to count; first the houses with pools on his street – 66. Then I went back just counting houses with pool collectors – 22. Wow, I thought – a nearly perfect example of the age-old rule of market saturation, which says generally the most folks you’ll ever get to buy a product they can use are 35 – 40%. That adage also tends to hold true for markets with at least three competitors – rarely does one have more than a 35 - 40% market share.\n\nThen I turned my attention to my neighborhood here in New Jersey. Within a half-mile I counted 100 pools – how many with solar you ask? One. I kept zooming out, counting the new pools as well as solar heaters I could find. I stopped at a little over a mile when I hit 500 pools – and how many solar heaters? Five. Now that’s a long way from the rule of market saturation.\n<div>\n\nThe point is that with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to apply the age-old number one rule of successfully marketing solar pool heating systems – know your market.\n\nLastly, make sure to check-out the Products News and Updates section of the AI Network. You’ll find an <a title=\"Update: Aluminum Header Clamps &amp; 2? Molded Couplers\" href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/?p=321\" target=\"_blank\">update on Aluminum Outlet Header Brackets and the 2” molded couplers</a> plus a first-look at a <a title=\"New Patent-Pending Mounting Accessory\" href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/?p=327\" target=\"_blank\">new patent pending mounting accessory</a>!\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\n</div>\n&nbsp;','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','341-revision','','','2011-08-30 17:14:48','2011-08-30 17:14:48','',341,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=830',0,'revision','',0),(831,1,'2011-04-14 16:41:42','2011-04-14 16:41:42','[caption id=\"attachment_87\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"226\" caption=\"Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Dave-Sizelove1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-87\" title=\"Dave Sizelove\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Dave-Sizelove1-226x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nA few days ago I drove past a local high school where a sign in front read, “Order your yearbook this week.” That’s when it hit me that despite the cold, rainy weather that has plagued most of the country this winter and early spring, warm days and sunshine can’t be far away. In Florida though, some Chamber of Commerce weather during the first quarter drove sales up 40% over the same period last year. So despite fears of $5.00 a gallon gas, nuclear fallout, political unrest and a stagnant housing market, consumers seem to be shaking off the economic woes of the last few years.\n\nWith that said, I’ve spent much of the last month speaking with many of you in person or on the phone. Some of what I’ve seen and heard is indicating that the solar pool heating market is actually contracting instead of growing. We constantly monitor ours, as well as our competitors’ websites for traffic. In some cases, visitors are off as much as 80% from last year.\n\nWe all know that our products need to be marketed and both of our main competitors seemed to have lost some focus in solar pool heating. Fafco is still heavily pushing their unglazed SDHW unit. I was in attendance at last fall’s Solar Power International in Los Angeles when Freeman gave a presentation saying the future of solar thermal in this country was going to be SDHW in big box stores. UMA / Helicol is going around the country setting up distributorships to handle solar electric systems, SDHW products as well as their solar pool heating products.\n\nWhile Aquatherm participates in number of non-solar pool heating markets, they are what I call “at an arm’s length” OEM level. Our main focus has always and continues to be residential and commercial solar pool heating markets. I view all of this as an opportunity – a moment in time to build presence and market share just not for ourselves, but for our entire distribution and dealer network.\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\nA “P.S.” nugget – I was training a new salesman last week when he asked me “how is the Helicol product made in one piece?” “It isn’t” I said, “but their literature says it is”, he replied. I guess a mistake I often make, is that like most of you, we have the curse of knowledge. I know it isn’t and can’t possible be made in one piece, but he didn’t know that and point made… neither does your customer. I went on to explain that each one foot section has 40 individual tubes and with headers that are molded over them, then each one foot section is thermally butt-welded to the next. That means a four foot collector has a total of <strong>168 separate components with 320 individual tube connections, six thermal butt welds and four o-ring connections!</strong> And a SunStar collector has ten thermal welds including the four end square-to-round adapters.\n\nIt’s good to get out of the office.','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','240-revision','','','2011-04-14 16:41:42','2011-04-14 16:41:42','',240,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=831',0,'revision','',0),(832,1,'2013-04-17 18:45:33','2013-04-17 18:45:33','<h1>The Buck Stops Here</h1>\nHappy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.\n\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\n\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...<!--more-->\n\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.\n\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\n\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented,\n\nbullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\n\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\n\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\n\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\n\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\n\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:45:33','2013-04-17 18:45:33','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=832',0,'revision','',0),(833,1,'2013-04-17 18:47:05','2013-04-17 18:47:05','<h1><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span></h1>\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented,\r\n\r\nbullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 18:47:05','2013-04-17 18:47:05','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=833',0,'revision','',0),(834,1,'2013-04-17 18:45:51','2013-04-17 18:45:51','<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Dave-Sizelove.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-528\" title=\"Dave Sizelove\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Dave-Sizelove-226x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\n\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\n\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors:\n\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\n\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\n\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\n\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\n\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\n\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\n\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\n\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\n\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here - December 2011','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:45:51','2013-04-17 18:45:51','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=834',0,'revision','',0),(835,1,'2013-04-17 18:48:26','2013-04-17 18:48:26','This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\r\n\r\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\r\n\r\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors:\r\n\r\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\r\n\r\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\r\n\r\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\r\n\r\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\r\n\r\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\r\n\r\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here - December 2011','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 18:48:26','2013-04-17 18:48:26','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=835',0,'revision','',0),(836,1,'2013-04-17 18:49:05','2013-04-17 18:49:05','This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\r\n\r\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\r\n\r\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\r\n\r\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\r\n\r\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\r\n\r\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\r\n\r\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\r\n\r\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here - December 2011','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision-4','','','2013-04-17 18:49:05','2013-04-17 18:49:05','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=836',0,'revision','',0),(837,1,'2013-04-17 18:49:33','2013-04-17 18:49:33','This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\r\n\r\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\r\n\r\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\r\n\r\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\r\n\r\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\r\n\r\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\r\n\r\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\r\n\r\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here - December 2011','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision-5','','','2013-04-17 18:49:33','2013-04-17 18:49:33','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=837',0,'revision','',0),(838,1,'2013-04-17 18:45:05','2013-04-17 18:45:05','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\r\n\r\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\r\n\r\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\r\n\r\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWell the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\r\n\r\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\r\n\r\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\r\n\r\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\r\n\r\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\r\n\r\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 18:45:05','2013-04-17 18:45:05','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=838',0,'revision','',0),(839,1,'2012-11-09 20:46:45','2012-11-09 20:46:45','My Mom used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” - but apparently, not all Mom’s say that.\n\nLast February, UMA / Heliocol released their 2012 Solar Pool Heating Comparison vs. Aquatherm products which we rebutted with our own counterclaim comparison. Next, Heliocol took a stab at additional competitors with a <a title=\"Compare Heliocol to Others\" href=\"http://www.heliocol.com/heliocol-vs\" target=\"_blank\">“Heliocol vs.” page on their website</a>. I addressed the inaccuracies repeatedly with Victor Eyal, who at the time was the President and CEO of UMA / Heliocol USA, but to no avail. After a heated conversation with Victor at Intersolar in July that went nowhere, I decide to take to take it up with Victor’s apparent successor, Itzik Amar from Magen Eco-Energy in Israel. I met with Itzik briefly at the SLASH Show in Brisbane at the end of July and he indicated that he would address any issues I had. Four months later, nothing on the site has changed.\n\nI will be seeing Itzik again next week at Piscine in Lyon, but I am not optimistic. To that end, we have put together the following counterclaims to the false and misleading information on the Heliocol site.<!--more-->\n\n<strong>More Heat</strong> – As stated in the disclaimer, Heliocol is using the SRCC Category A (-9 degrees F) / Clear Day (2,000 Btu’s per day) rating. As I’m sure you are aware, these conditions would represent a pool temperature of 85 degrees F with an air temperature of 9 degrees higher, or 94 degrees F with 2,000 Btu’s per day of insolation. These conditions can be compared to Florida in June in terms of both temperature and solar radiation; hardly a set of circumstances where pool heating is even necessary.\n\nCategory B (+9 degrees F) / 1,500 Btu’s would mimic a pool temperature of 85 degrees and an air temperature of 76 degrees F; a time when pool heating is needed the most. At this rating, Aquatherm products are rated <strong>85% more efficient than Heliocol.</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong><strong>Better Warranty</strong> – Heliocol states that an Aquatherm panel is covered by a ten-year warranty with labor and that Heliocol covers the panel, plus parts and labor. As you know, any of our flagship collectors and parts are warranted for 12 years when installed by an authorized Aquatherm Industries Master Dealer. Additionally, Aquatherm does offer an optional 12-year labor warranty when a system is purchased through an authorized Master Dealer.\n\n<strong>No Muss, No Fuss </strong>– Heliocol states that all Heliocol components are manufactured using “medical grade plastic” and that Aquatherm connects its panel with “radiator type hoses”. I have inquired with numerous industry sources about what makes a plastic “medical grade” and have found that there is no such accepted designation within the industry. In other words, it appears that this claim is completely made up. As for the description of our collector connectors, they are made from a specially formulated, dual-durometer material and are patent-pending, not corded-reinforced radiator hose as implied.\n\n<strong>More Choices</strong> – Initially, Heliocol’s terracotta and grey collectors require as much as 30% more surface area when compared to black collectors. Additionally, because they can not use carbon black, a proven UV degradation blocker, they have been known to fade, which will further reduce performance.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Follow the Leader</strong> – Heliocol indicates that they are an ISO registered company. We attempted to verify their claim with the International Standards Organization, but they do not list Heliocol as an ISO registered company. Only a company can be ISO registered – not a product.\n\nMagen Eco-Energy is listed as being ISO 14000 registered, which is when a company agrees to operate in an environmentally friendly fashion; turn off lights, recycle, etc. This registration has nothing to do with product quality. Heliocol as a product again, is not ISO registered.\n\nHeliocol further indicates that Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 listing in 2011, the same year as the Helicol product. In fact, Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 system listing in September of 2010 and the Helicol product was not listed until June of 2011. And mind you, that listing occurred only after Heliocol was issued two regulatory actions by NSF for falsely promoting the Helicol product as being NSF-50 listed.\n\nLastly, the material used to manufacture Heliocol collectors is in fact NSF-61 listed, but only since 2011, not 2009. This listing is based an “open method” test with potable water – not in a closed recirculating system under swimming pool water conditions. This listing has no validity in a swimming pool environment.\n\n<strong>More Satisfied Customers</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm has produced only 25 million square feet of panel area vs. 60 million for Helicol. Their source for this information was an Aquatherm press release that was for only two of our product lines, Sunlite and Ecolite produced between 2000 and 2011. Though we do not openly disclose Aquatherm’s total sales, our total collector sales for all of our solar pool heating product lines has far exceed the 60 million square feet that Helicol claims it has produced.\n\n<strong>Protect Your Roof</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm panels are of a “monolithic” design. The definition of monolithic is a solid or impenetrable shape. Aquatherm panels are not monolithic, but vented to allow for wind relief and venting of the mounting surface, such as a roof.\n\nThey also claim that their plastic Gator clamp allows for fewer penetrations to the roof. In fact, each Gator clamp requires two penetrations, and Heliocol recommends four per collector, for a total of eight penetrations per collector. Aquatherm’s standard installation with stainless steel mounting hardware requires just four penetrations and up to eight for high-wind installations.\n\nLastly, we would like to address two new Heliocol collectors; the <strong>eco-Flare </strong>and <strong>ECO-Spark</strong>. The Flare is a glazed, vented box version of the SunStar product – it was certified in May of 2011 and is being marketed as a domestic water heating product. The Spark, just introduced this summer, is a semi-glazed version of the Heliocol collector. This product is being heavily marketed as a “super-collector” for solar pool heating. The product uses a rectangular polycarbonate glazing over the loose tubes which end several inches from each header. This product has also entered the DIY market in a 2 x 4 ft. size through Maytronics – an Israeli pool cleaner manufacturer. They are promoting that one unit can heat an above ground pool up to 21 ft. diameter and two units for a 21 ft. or over, or a 15 x 30 ft. oval pool. We’ve even seem them marketed for inground pool with three recommended for a 16 x 32 ft. pool and four, for an 18 x 36 ft. pool.\n\nEven with a pool temperature at 85 degrees and the air at 76 degrees F, the only thing a glazing does is block sunlight from hitting the absorber surface. There is no “greenhouse effect” as claimed. As time goes on, the glazing will even begin to loose some of its transmitivity, so performance will even get worse.\n\nThe SRCC ratings for each of these products can be downloaded using this link: <a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/New-HC-Product-SRCC-Ratings.pdf\">Heliocol New Product SRCC Ratings</a>\n\nReferring again to Category B at 1,500 Btu’s, the Flare is rated at 15,400 Btu’s / 24.22 sq. ft., or .6 and the Spark at 30,600 Btu’s / 42.64 sq. ft., or .7. Since Aquatherm’s rating in this category is .9, <strong>our rating is 50% higher than the Flare and 29% higher than the Spark</strong>.\n\nAs I mentioned, I’ll be in Lyon, France next week at Piscine 2012 – the largest swimming pool show in the world, which only occurs every two years. This is the 10<sup>th</sup> time since 1994 that Aquatherm has exhibited. I know it sounds glamorous, but the Expo is four days, from 9 to 6 everyday. Add to that an hour metro / bus ride to the convention center, plus a six-hour time difference and some of the glamour starts to fade. Speaking of the time difference (Jim, Tom Lane, and Bill Park – listen up), no 5 pm cell phone calls please!','The Buck Stops Here - November 2012','','inherit','open','open','','772-revision','','','2012-11-09 20:46:45','2012-11-09 20:46:45','',772,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=839',0,'revision','',0),(840,1,'2013-04-17 18:47:40','2013-04-17 18:47:40','<h1><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span></h1>\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-4','','','2013-04-17 18:47:40','2013-04-17 18:47:40','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=840',0,'revision','',0),(841,1,'2013-04-17 18:52:03','2013-04-17 18:52:03','<h1><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span></h1>\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-5','','','2013-04-17 18:52:03','2013-04-17 18:52:03','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=841',0,'revision','',0),(842,1,'2013-04-17 18:52:16','2013-04-17 18:52:16','<h2><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span></h2>\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-6','','','2013-04-17 18:52:16','2013-04-17 18:52:16','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=842',0,'revision','',0),(843,1,'2013-04-17 18:50:09','2013-04-17 18:50:09','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\r\n\r\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\r\n\r\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\r\n\r\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWell the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\r\n\r\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\r\n\r\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\r\n\r\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\r\n\r\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\r\n\r\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision-4','','','2013-04-17 18:50:09','2013-04-17 18:50:09','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=843',0,'revision','',0),(844,1,'2013-04-17 18:52:32','2013-04-17 18:52:32','<h1><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span></h1>\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-7','','','2013-04-17 18:52:32','2013-04-17 18:52:32','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=844',0,'revision','',0),(845,1,'2013-04-17 18:54:25','2013-04-17 18:54:25','<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span>\n\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\n\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\n\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\n\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\n\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\n\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\n\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\n\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\n\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\n\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-autosave','','','2013-04-17 18:54:25','2013-04-17 18:54:25','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=845',0,'revision','',0),(846,1,'2013-04-17 18:49:51','2013-04-17 18:49:51','This year leaves us as one of the most challenging of our first twenty two. We all know that solar pool heating is a product which has to be marketed, but since our two main competitors, as well as their dealers have drifted off into other markets, the solar pool heating industry is experiencing a market-altering contraction. Additionally, the economy has reduced the builder market to almost nothing; the above-ground DIY market has lost market share to Chinese products and the warranty burden of past business in terms of system owners that are not moving every five years is affecting every manufacturer and their dealers. Everyone except Mark Naylor I should say. A decade ago, Mark decided that he could successfully sell a 10-year limited, five year full warranty product in his marketplace, and the rest as they say, is history.\r\n\r\nHowever, in 2011, Aquatherm continued to reinvest in itself; we opened ourselves up to greater accountability by becoming the first and only US solar manufacturer to become <strong>ISO 9001:2008 registered</strong> and our Solar Industries and Ecosun brands becoming two of only three polymer unglazed collectors to receive <strong>CSA certification</strong>. Another milestone we’re achieving this month since their introduction in 2000, is that shipments of our patented insert molded Sunlite and Ecolite products will hit <strong>25,000,000 sq. ft.</strong>! Both of these products have deservedly earned the name of “the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet.”\r\n\r\nMoving ahead, Aquatherm has six new products slated to be introduced in 2012 - three are collectors.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Ultrasun</strong>, our highly anticipated third “flagship” product, is based on our patented and very successful Sunlite and Ecolite insert-molded designs, but in a 2” by 4 ft. header version. Ultrasun will also incorporate the patented venting system now exclusively used in Ecosun, offering a total of three patents in one breakthrough product.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sunlite ARC</strong> is a glazed, polymer collector, originally designed for the above-ground DIY pool market to compete against several imports that have already penetrated the marketplace. It features our Sunlite absorber housed between a vacuum formed base and cover. This product also has possibilities for use as a solar domestic water heating product in more temperate regions around the world.\r\n\r\nThe third collector will be our <strong>Sun-Swim FR</strong>. I don’t want to say too much about this product at the moment, but what I can tell you is that someone with the initials “FAF” is not going to be very happy with me. There will be more to come at our Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings, so be sure to attend.\r\n\r\nA fourth new product scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2012 is our new, patent-pending <strong>“Snap Cover.”</strong> The design combines the strength of our stainless steel mounting hardware with the aesthetic appeal of “blacked-out” hardware and provides for the protection of sealant from weather and sun.\r\n\r\nBeing introduced next month is an<strong> all-polypropylene version of our hold-down strap</strong>. This is a lower cost alternative and designed to be used in conjunction with our standard stainless steel strap brackets in areas where wind load may not be such a concern. The part no. is 30348 and the list price per foot is $0.30. It will only be available in 1400 ft spools.\r\n\r\nLastly, Aquatherm is working with one of the premier manufacturer of racking systems for the PV industry to <strong>integrate the mounting of our products into their racking systems.</strong> Aquatherm has designed and will provide a proprietary component that will adapt to their line of racking systems. Currently in the final design stage, introduction is expected by the end of the first quarter, 2012. We premiered a prototype at Solar Power International in October to rave reviews. Options will be available for traditional racks and pole mounts, as well as ballast systems.\r\n\r\nThe marketplace is changing around us and we all need to accept change as not something to run from, but as an opportunity for us all, where none may have existed before.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone has a chance to slow down and reflect, as well as enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. The New Year with its challenges and opportunities will be here soon enough.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President','The Buck Stops Here - December 2011','','inherit','open','open','','525-revision-6','','','2013-04-17 18:49:51','2013-04-17 18:49:51','',525,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=846',0,'revision','',0),(847,1,'2013-04-17 18:52:55','2013-04-17 18:52:55','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\r\n\r\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\r\n\r\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\r\n\r\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWell the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\r\n\r\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\r\n\r\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\r\n\r\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\r\n\r\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\r\n\r\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision-5','','','2013-04-17 18:52:55','2013-04-17 18:52:55','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=847',0,'revision','',0),(848,1,'2013-04-17 18:50:30','2013-04-17 18:50:30','My Mom used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” - but apparently, not all Mom’s say that.\r\n\r\nLast February, UMA / Heliocol released their 2012 Solar Pool Heating Comparison vs. Aquatherm products which we rebutted with our own counterclaim comparison. Next, Heliocol took a stab at additional competitors with a <a title=\"Compare Heliocol to Others\" href=\"http://www.heliocol.com/heliocol-vs\" target=\"_blank\">“Heliocol vs.” page on their website</a>. I addressed the inaccuracies repeatedly with Victor Eyal, who at the time was the President and CEO of UMA / Heliocol USA, but to no avail. After a heated conversation with Victor at Intersolar in July that went nowhere, I decide to take to take it up with Victor’s apparent successor, Itzik Amar from Magen Eco-Energy in Israel. I met with Itzik briefly at the SLASH Show in Brisbane at the end of July and he indicated that he would address any issues I had. Four months later, nothing on the site has changed.\r\n\r\nI will be seeing Itzik again next week at Piscine in Lyon, but I am not optimistic. To that end, we have put together the following counterclaims to the false and misleading information on the Heliocol site.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>More Heat</strong> – As stated in the disclaimer, Heliocol is using the SRCC Category A (-9 degrees F) / Clear Day (2,000 Btu’s per day) rating. As I’m sure you are aware, these conditions would represent a pool temperature of 85 degrees F with an air temperature of 9 degrees higher, or 94 degrees F with 2,000 Btu’s per day of insolation. These conditions can be compared to Florida in June in terms of both temperature and solar radiation; hardly a set of circumstances where pool heating is even necessary.\r\n\r\nCategory B (+9 degrees F) / 1,500 Btu’s would mimic a pool temperature of 85 degrees and an air temperature of 76 degrees F; a time when pool heating is needed the most. At this rating, Aquatherm products are rated <strong>85% more efficient than Heliocol.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong><strong>Better Warranty</strong> – Heliocol states that an Aquatherm panel is covered by a ten-year warranty with labor and that Heliocol covers the panel, plus parts and labor. As you know, any of our flagship collectors and parts are warranted for 12 years when installed by an authorized Aquatherm Industries Master Dealer. Additionally, Aquatherm does offer an optional 12-year labor warranty when a system is purchased through an authorized Master Dealer.\r\n\r\n<strong>No Muss, No Fuss </strong>– Heliocol states that all Heliocol components are manufactured using “medical grade plastic” and that Aquatherm connects its panel with “radiator type hoses”. I have inquired with numerous industry sources about what makes a plastic “medical grade” and have found that there is no such accepted designation within the industry. In other words, it appears that this claim is completely made up. As for the description of our collector connectors, they are made from a specially formulated, dual-durometer material and are patent-pending, not corded-reinforced radiator hose as implied.\r\n\r\n<strong>More Choices</strong> – Initially, Heliocol’s terracotta and grey collectors require as much as 30% more surface area when compared to black collectors. Additionally, because they can not use carbon black, a proven UV degradation blocker, they have been known to fade, which will further reduce performance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Follow the Leader</strong> – Heliocol indicates that they are an ISO registered company. We attempted to verify their claim with the International Standards Organization, but they do not list Heliocol as an ISO registered company. Only a company can be ISO registered – not a product.\r\n\r\nMagen Eco-Energy is listed as being ISO 14000 registered, which is when a company agrees to operate in an environmentally friendly fashion; turn off lights, recycle, etc. This registration has nothing to do with product quality. Heliocol as a product again, is not ISO registered.\r\n\r\nHeliocol further indicates that Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 listing in 2011, the same year as the Helicol product. In fact, Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 system listing in September of 2010 and the Helicol product was not listed until June of 2011. And mind you, that listing occurred only after Heliocol was issued two regulatory actions by NSF for falsely promoting the Helicol product as being NSF-50 listed.\r\n\r\nLastly, the material used to manufacture Heliocol collectors is in fact NSF-61 listed, but only since 2011, not 2009. This listing is based an “open method” test with potable water – not in a closed recirculating system under swimming pool water conditions. This listing has no validity in a swimming pool environment.\r\n\r\n<strong>More Satisfied Customers</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm has produced only 25 million square feet of panel area vs. 60 million for Helicol. Their source for this information was an Aquatherm press release that was for only two of our product lines, Sunlite and Ecolite produced between 2000 and 2011. Though we do not openly disclose Aquatherm’s total sales, our total collector sales for all of our solar pool heating product lines has far exceed the 60 million square feet that Helicol claims it has produced.\r\n\r\n<strong>Protect Your Roof</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm panels are of a “monolithic” design. The definition of monolithic is a solid or impenetrable shape. Aquatherm panels are not monolithic, but vented to allow for wind relief and venting of the mounting surface, such as a roof.\r\n\r\nThey also claim that their plastic Gator clamp allows for fewer penetrations to the roof. In fact, each Gator clamp requires two penetrations, and Heliocol recommends four per collector, for a total of eight penetrations per collector. Aquatherm’s standard installation with stainless steel mounting hardware requires just four penetrations and up to eight for high-wind installations.\r\n\r\nLastly, we would like to address two new Heliocol collectors; the <strong>eco-Flare </strong>and <strong>ECO-Spark</strong>. The Flare is a glazed, vented box version of the SunStar product – it was certified in May of 2011 and is being marketed as a domestic water heating product. The Spark, just introduced this summer, is a semi-glazed version of the Heliocol collector. This product is being heavily marketed as a “super-collector” for solar pool heating. The product uses a rectangular polycarbonate glazing over the loose tubes which end several inches from each header. This product has also entered the DIY market in a 2 x 4 ft. size through Maytronics – an Israeli pool cleaner manufacturer. They are promoting that one unit can heat an above ground pool up to 21 ft. diameter and two units for a 21 ft. or over, or a 15 x 30 ft. oval pool. We’ve even seem them marketed for inground pool with three recommended for a 16 x 32 ft. pool and four, for an 18 x 36 ft. pool.\r\n\r\nEven with a pool temperature at 85 degrees and the air at 76 degrees F, the only thing a glazing does is block sunlight from hitting the absorber surface. There is no “greenhouse effect” as claimed. As time goes on, the glazing will even begin to loose some of its transmitivity, so performance will even get worse.\r\n\r\nThe SRCC ratings for each of these products can be downloaded using this link: <a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/New-HC-Product-SRCC-Ratings.pdf\">Heliocol New Product SRCC Ratings</a>\r\n\r\nReferring again to Category B at 1,500 Btu’s, the Flare is rated at 15,400 Btu’s / 24.22 sq. ft., or .6 and the Spark at 30,600 Btu’s / 42.64 sq. ft., or .7. Since Aquatherm’s rating in this category is .9, <strong>our rating is 50% higher than the Flare and 29% higher than the Spark</strong>.\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I’ll be in Lyon, France next week at Piscine 2012 – the largest swimming pool show in the world, which only occurs every two years. This is the 10<sup>th</sup> time since 1994 that Aquatherm has exhibited. I know it sounds glamorous, but the Expo is four days, from 9 to 6 everyday. Add to that an hour metro / bus ride to the convention center, plus a six-hour time difference and some of the glamour starts to fade. Speaking of the time difference (Jim, Tom Lane, and Bill Park – listen up), no 5 pm cell phone calls please!','The Buck Stops Here - November 2012','','inherit','open','open','','772-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:50:30','2013-04-17 18:50:30','',772,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=848',0,'revision','',0),(849,1,'2013-04-17 18:53:21','2013-04-17 18:53:21','<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span>\r\n\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-8','','','2013-04-17 18:53:21','2013-04-17 18:53:21','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=849',0,'revision','',0),(850,1,'2013-04-17 18:46:46','2013-04-17 18:46:46','[caption id=\"attachment_87\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"226\" caption=\"Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Dave-Sizelove1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-87\" title=\"Dave Sizelove\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Dave-Sizelove1-226x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nA few days ago I drove past a local high school where a sign in front read, “Order your yearbook this week.” That’s when it hit me that despite the cold, rainy weather that has plagued most of the country this winter and early spring, warm days and sunshine can’t be far away. In Florida though, some Chamber of Commerce weather during the first quarter drove sales up 40% over the same period last year. So despite fears of $5.00 a gallon gas, nuclear fallout, political unrest and a stagnant housing market, consumers seem to be shaking off the economic woes of the last few years.\n\nWith that said, I’ve spent much of the last month speaking with many of you in person or on the phone. Some of what I’ve seen and heard is indicating that the solar pool heating market is actually contracting instead of growing. We constantly monitor ours, as well as our competitors’ websites for traffic. In some cases, visitors are off as much as 80% from last year.\n\nWe all know that our products need to be marketed and both of our main competitors seemed to have lost some focus in solar pool heating. Fafco is still heavily pushing their unglazed SDHW unit. I was in attendance at last fall’s Solar Power International in Los Angeles when Freeman gave a presentation saying the future of solar thermal in this country was going to be SDHW in big box stores. UMA / Helicol is going around the country setting up distributorships to handle solar electric systems, SDHW products as well as their solar pool heating products.\n\nWhile Aquatherm participates in number of non-solar pool heating markets, they are what I call “at an arm’s length” OEM level. Our main focus has always and continues to be residential and commercial solar pool heating markets. I view all of this as an opportunity – a moment in time to build presence and market share just not for ourselves, but for our entire distribution and dealer network.\n\nDave Sizelove, President\n\nA “P.S.” nugget – I was training a new salesman last week when he asked me “how is the Helicol product made in one piece?” “It isn’t” I said, “but their literature says it is”, he replied. I guess a mistake I often make, is that like most of you, we have the curse of knowledge. I know it isn’t and can’t possible be made in one piece, but he didn’t know that and point made… neither does your customer. I went on to explain that each one foot section has 40 individual tubes and with headers that are molded over them, then each one foot section is thermally butt-welded to the next. That means a four foot collector has a total of <strong>168 separate components with 320 individual tube connections, six thermal butt welds and four o-ring connections!</strong> And a SunStar collector has ten thermal welds including the four end square-to-round adapters.\n\nIt’s good to get out of the office.','The Buck Stops Here - April 2011','','inherit','open','open','','240-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 18:46:46','2013-04-17 18:46:46','',240,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=850',0,'revision','',0),(851,1,'2013-04-17 19:07:09','2013-04-17 19:07:09','','Dave Sizelove','','inherit','open','open','','dave-sizelove','','','2013-04-17 19:07:09','2013-04-17 19:07:09','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Dave-Sizelove.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(852,1,'2013-04-17 19:12:35','2013-04-17 19:12:35','','Dave_Sizelove_25','','inherit','open','open','','dave_sizelove_25','','','2013-04-17 19:12:35','2013-04-17 19:12:35','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Dave_Sizelove_25.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(853,1,'2013-04-17 18:41:55','2013-04-17 18:41:55','','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','67-revision-v1','','','2013-04-17 18:41:55','2013-04-17 18:41:55','',67,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=853',0,'revision','',0),(854,1,'2013-04-17 19:22:47','2013-04-17 19:22:47','','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','67-revision-v1','','','2013-04-17 19:22:47','2013-04-17 19:22:47','',67,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=854',0,'revision','',0),(855,1,'2013-04-17 19:23:44','2013-04-17 19:23:44','','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','67-revision-v1','','','2013-04-17 19:23:44','2013-04-17 19:23:44','',67,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=855',0,'revision','',0),(856,1,'2013-04-17 19:24:56','2013-04-17 19:24:56','','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','67-revision-v1','','','2013-04-17 19:24:56','2013-04-17 19:24:56','',67,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/67-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(857,1,'2013-04-17 20:23:59','2013-04-17 20:23:59','','The Buck Stops Here','','inherit','open','open','','67-revision-v1','','','2013-04-17 20:23:59','2013-04-17 20:23:59','',67,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/67-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(858,1,'2012-10-23 16:07:42','2012-10-23 16:07:42','','News','','inherit','open','open','','66-revision-2','','','2012-10-23 16:07:42','2012-10-23 16:07:42','',66,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/66-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(859,1,'2012-04-11 21:06:48','2012-04-11 21:06:48','Greetings, Network!\n\nI\'ve just added a new topic to the forum, and wanted to spread the word...\n\nHere\'s an excerpt, you can find the whole post in the Forum section of the AI Network Dealer Portal.\n<blockquote>Have you heard of Google Places? It\'s essentially a listing service provided by Google, for local businesses, and it\'s free. You set your service range, add a logo and some photos, and you\'re done. Beyond the obvious benefits of an additional listing on the most popular search engine, Places are also integrated into Google Maps, which display local listings at the top of Google search results.</blockquote>\nPlease take 5 minutes to read <a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/minibb/index.php?action=vthread&amp;forum=3&amp;topic=6\"> <strong>\"Increase Web Visibility Using Google Places Local Business Listing\"</strong></a> in the <strong>Online Marketing Forum</strong>.\n\nWarm Regards,\n\nDan Sizelove\nMarketing Coordinator','FORUM: Increase Web Visibility Using Google Places Local Business Listing','','inherit','open','open','','644-revision','','','2012-04-11 21:06:48','2012-04-11 21:06:48','',644,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/644-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(860,1,'2012-11-20 17:29:03','2012-11-20 17:29:03','Greetings!  In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, Aquatherm will be closed this Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23.  We will reopen Monday, November 26th. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!','Holiday Closure Notice','','inherit','open','open','','800-revision-v1','','','2012-11-20 17:29:03','2012-11-20 17:29:03','',800,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/800-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(861,1,'2012-10-23 15:57:53','2012-10-23 15:57:53','<em>Solar heating systems installed on California commercial pools will now qualify for the states current solar rebate incentive program. Governor Jerry Brown has just signed into law Assembly Bill 2249, an expansion on the Solar Water heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for solar water heating systems throughout the state. The bill, which had previously excluded swimming pools from eligibility under the program, redefines “solar water heating systems” to include solar pool heating systems at multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit facilities.</em>\r\n<div>Aquatherm Industries, U.S. manufacturer of solar pool heaters, applauds the California State Legislature’s successes in the introduction and subsequent passing of a Bill that will qualify commercial pool facilities to earn a rebate for the installation of a solar pool heating system.</div>\r\n“Swimming pools at businesses such as hotels, resorts, apartment complexes, homeowners associations, health clubs, camps, waterparks, and schools often have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature,” says Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO of Aquatherm.\r\n\r\n“This makes commercial pools perfect candidates for solar pool heating systems. Solar can provide a clean, domestic and affordable way to reduce the monthly energy bill for heating these facilities. It’s been said, ‘As California goes, so goes the country.’ We certainly hope that the California program will serve as a roadmap for other States to follow in the future.”\r\n\r\nHaving passed the California State Legislature in early September, Assembly Bill Number 2249 (AB2249) – which will extend eligibility for solar thermal incentives to public and semi-private commercial swimming pool solar heating– has been signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. The California Solar Energy Industry Association (CalSEIA) was instrumental in aiding the state Legislature’s efforts to introduce and pass the bill.\r\n\r\nAs part of the larger California Solar Initiative Thermal program, AB2249 is an amendment to the existing Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for the installation of 200,000 solar water heating systems in homes and businesses throughout the state by 2017.\r\n\r\nWhile the exact amount of the rebate has not yet been determined, early estimates among the industry indicate it will be between 35 and 50% of the cost of the system. Since performance of solar thermal systems is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), actual rebate figures will be determined by a price per averted therm.\r\n\r\nThough the Act specifically had excluded solar pool heaters in its definition of eligible solar water heating systems, AB2249 expands the current definition to include “multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems.” Single-family residential solar pool heating systems will continue to be excluded from the definition, and consequently, the rebate program.\r\n\r\nAccording to PK Data – which keeps statistics on the U.S. pool industry – there are over 186,000 heated commercial pools nationwide (approximately 45,000 in California – the most of any state). Of these pools, approximately 39%, or 115,540 are indoor; meaning they must be heated twelve months per year. Most of these pools are heated with fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, or heat pumps. This increases the U.S. dependence on imported fuels and pollutes the air. Assuming natural gas is used to heat these pools, the annual load of 261 trillion BTU’s is the equivalent CO2 of 6.6 millions of cars on the road per year.\r\n\r\nBased on the findings of the Legislature, “solar water heating systems represent the largest untapped natural gas saving potential remaining in California. The state is heavily dependent on natural gas, importing more than 80 percent of the natural gas it consumes. Water heating for domestic and industrial use relies almost entirely on natural gas and accounts for a significant percentage of the state’s natural gas consumption. Rising worldwide demand for natural gas and a shrinking supply create rising and unstable prices that can harm California consumers and the economy. Lastly, growing demand for these technologies will create jobs in California as well as promote greater energy independence, protect consumers from rising energy costs, and result in cleaner air.”','PRESS RELEASE: California’s New Commercial Solar Pool Rebate Legislation (AB2249)','','inherit','open','open','','51-revision-3','','','2012-10-23 15:57:53','2012-10-23 15:57:53','',51,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/51-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(863,1,'2012-10-04 20:22:31','2012-10-04 20:22:31','<strong>Lakewood, NJ -</strong> The largest U.S. manufacturer of solar pool heating systems has just released a redesigned vacuum breaker which is now compatible  with all brands of solar pool heating systems, including FAFCO Sunsaver  and Revolution, Techno-Solis, Solar Hydronics Hi-Tec, Guardian and  Suntrek collectors.\n\nThe newly released commercial heavy duty vacuum breaker includes a reinforced  housing, corrosion-free  stainless steel spring and filter screens, and a  chemical resistant Viton o-ring. The valve can be completely rebuilt in the field.\n\nPreviously, Aquatherm\'s design could not be used with competitive  systems due to the varying types of coupler hoses used to connect those  collectors. The addition of a proprietary slide-lock on the solar pool  vacuum breaker housing allows the part to be used in and make and model  collector with 2\" header manifolds.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_754\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Rendering of the improved design shows the new slide-locking cap.\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/VRV.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-754\" title=\"VRV\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/VRV-300x248.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"248\" /></a>[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&nbsp;</p>\nThe new vacuum breakers are currently available from all Aquatherm Regional Distribution Centers. The slide locking cap will be introduced on the 1.5\" vacuum relief valve in the first quarter of 2013.','Press Release: Design Upgrade for 2\" Solar Pool Vacuum Breaker ','','inherit','open','open','','753-revision','','','2012-10-04 20:22:31','2012-10-04 20:22:31','',753,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/753-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(865,1,'2012-08-14 17:20:21','2012-08-14 17:20:21','Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 27th. During this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal business hours.\n\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day.','Aquatherm\'s Annual Maintenance Shut-down','','inherit','open','open','','723-revision-v1','','','2012-08-14 17:20:21','2012-08-14 17:20:21','',723,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/723-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(866,1,'2012-04-05 16:13:09','2012-04-05 16:13:09','Just a reminder that Aquatherm Industries will be closed tomorrow, April 6th and will reopen on Monday, April 9th.\n\n&nbsp;','Reminder: Aquatherm Closed this Friday, April 6th','','inherit','open','open','','614-revision','','','2012-04-05 16:13:09','2012-04-05 16:13:09','',614,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/614-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(867,1,'2012-01-12 21:42:52','2012-01-12 21:42:52','For 2012 we’re excited to announce that we’ve revamped our entire printed price list structure which will make finding what you need and ordering a whole lot easier. For each product line, both 1 ½” and 2” collectors and their respective kits are now on the same price list. All hardware components, accessories and controls are now on a separate price list.<!--more-->\n\nThere are several price increases / reductions / kits realignments that we’re alerting you to. Please see the revised pricing below. These will all be effective with shipments beginning January 16. The new price lists will be distributed and put up on the portal shortly.\n\nCollector pricing should remain unchanged during the first half of 2012 due to stable natural gas prices.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Part Number</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Price Ea.</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Bulk</span>\n\n60003-1              Hose Clamp, 1 ½”                                 1.85              1.67\n\n60003-2              Hose Clamp, 2”                                     1.95              1.76\n\n60690-1              Coll. Conn. Hose, 1 ½”                          6.50              5.85\n\n60691-1              System Conn. Hose, 1 ½”                   11.00              9.90\n\n&nbsp;\n\n12034-1 / 2         Coll. Install. Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                             26.00 / 35.00\n\n12135-1 / 2         System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                                 169.00 / 183.00\n\n12017-1 / 2         Row Spacer Kit, 1 ½” /2”                               71.50 / 85.00\n\n12043-1 / 2         Add-a-Row Kit,                                              93.00 / 107.00\n\n&nbsp;\n\n18001-1 / 2         Coll. Install. Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                               29.00 / 38.50\n\n18002-1 / 2         Sun-Swim System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”               157.00 / 169.00\n\n18004-1 / 2         Row Spacer Kit, 1 ½” /2”                                59.00 / 69.00\n\n18005-1 / 2         Add-a-Row Kit,                                                  81.00 / 93.00\n\n18030-1 / 2         Ultraswim System Kit, 1 ½’ / 2”                 157.00 / 169.00\n\n18054-1 / 2         Ecosun System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                      169.00 / 183.00\n\n&nbsp;\n\n18044-1              Sunlite System Kit, 50mm                                       82.00\n\n18047-1              Ecolite / Sunlite Double Install. Kit                         62.00\n\n18045-1              Add-a-Row Kit, 50mm                                             81.00\n\n18046-1              Row Spacer Kit, 50mm                                             59.00\n\n18049-1              Sunlite System Kit, 1 ½”                                        148.00\n\n18055-1              Ecolite System Kit, 1 ½”                                         148.00\n\n18056-1              Ecolite System Kit, 50mm                                        82.00\n\n&nbsp;','New Price Lists and Updated Pricing','','inherit','open','open','','571-revision','','','2012-01-12 21:42:52','2012-01-12 21:42:52','',571,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/571-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(868,1,'2012-01-12 21:07:55','2012-01-12 21:07:55','&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SI-site-thumbnail.png\"><img class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-559\" title=\"SI site thumbnail\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SI-site-thumbnail-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>We’ve just gone live with our newly revised <a href=\"http://www.solarindustries.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.solarindustries.com</a>! I’d like to invite you to take a look around, and welcome any feedback or suggestions for improvement for the site.\n\nOne key change is a complete reversal in the way we capture leads. For years, we’ve asked visitors to give us their information before handing over any Dealer contact information.\n\nNow, as you’ll notice, we are offering up our Dealers’ contact information from the get-go.   Once a visitor lands on the Dealer Directory, there are call-to-action buttons offering the $200 coupon/savings certificate. That’s where we have an opportunity to capture their information and pass it along to you as a lead.\n\nI look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new site, and seeing many of you next week in Orlando (and others in San Diego in February) at the <a title=\"2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings\" href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/?p=541\" target=\"_blank\">2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings</a>!\n\n-Dan','SolarIndustries.com Redesign is Live!','','inherit','open','open','','560-revision','','','2012-01-12 21:07:55','2012-01-12 21:07:55','',560,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/560-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(869,1,'2012-01-04 17:20:23','2012-01-04 17:20:23','Happy New Year everyone!\n\nAquatherm Industries is pleased to announce our Annual Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings for 2012.\n\n<strong>The East Coast Master Dealer Meeting will be held on January 20th at the Holiday Inn - Main Gate East in Kissimmee.</strong>\n\n<strong>Our West Coast Meeting will be at the Holiday Inn - Downtown on February 9th in San Diego.</strong>\n\nEach meeting will start promptly at 12pm and will be followed by awards and dinner. A formal agenda will follow shortly, but here are a few of the exciting topics to be covered:\n<ul>\n	<li>New Sales Presentation Materials</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>AI Network Update</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Innovative mounting hardware developments</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Getting in the service door with the Sun-Swim FR</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>New industry association memberships that will generate more leads</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>How ISO registration has improved our quality with continual improvement</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Update on pending legislation for commercial pools</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>The new online commercial survey form</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Pre-engineered aluminum racking system for commercial bidding</li>\n</ul>\nThese meetings are a great opportunity to reconnect with your friends, exchange the latest ideas and just enjoy a productive day together. Again, we\'ll have a formal agenda to you shortly. In the meantime should you have any questions please don\'t hesitate to call me at 732-684-9353.\n\n&nbsp;','2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings','','inherit','open','open','','541-revision','','','2012-01-04 17:20:23','2012-01-04 17:20:23','',541,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/541-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(870,1,'2012-01-04 14:13:14','2012-01-04 14:13:14','<strong><img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://www.theaquapedia.com/images/thumb/3/35/Atlantic_City.png/300px-Atlantic_City.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"169\" />Atlantic City Pool &amp; Spa Show</strong> (Booth #2125)\n\nAtlantic City, NJ – January 24-26\n\nThe Atlantic City Pool &amp; Spa Show is where our industry meets! It has been bringing industry buyers and sellers together since 1982 and it is acclaimed as the industry\'s leading East Coast Marketplace.\n\n<a href=\"http://acpoolspaexpo.com/index.html\">http://acpoolspaexpo.com/index.html</a>','Upcoming: Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show','','inherit','open','open','','487-revision','','','2012-01-04 14:13:14','2012-01-04 14:13:14','',487,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/487-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(871,1,'2011-12-14 20:22:55','2011-12-14 20:22:55','<h1>Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone</h1>\n<h2>Manufacturer ships 25 million square feet of its breakthrough Sunlite™ Solar Pool Heating System</h2>\nAquatherm Industries is proud to announce it has reached a milestone in the production of its solar pool heating systems, having manufactured and shipped a combined 25 million square feet of its Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ solar pool heater collectors/panels.\n\nIf stretched end-to-end, the tubing the collectors are composed of could circle the Earth two-and-a-half times.\n\nA breakthrough in solar pool heating technology when introduced a decade ago in 2000, Sunlite™ and its vented counterpart, Ecolite™, still hold the title of the lowest cost solar thermal collector on the planet, per square foot. Aquatherm maintains two patents – one on the products, and one on the innovative insert-molding manufacturing process.\n\nAnother unique feature of the Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ products, up to 48 square feet of solar collector can be packaged in a lightweight 27” tall by 13” square box, as well as installation hardware. Convenient to inventory and easy to handle, the product is designed specifically with the retail, distribution, and do-it-yourself markets in mind.\n\nThough the heating of water is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), the combined solar thermal capacity of 25 million square feet of the low-temperature unglazed polymer solar collector can also be expressed as 8.53 gigawatts (GW). By comparison, New York City‘s annual power consumption is approximately 5 GW.\n\n&nbsp;','Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone','','inherit','open','open','','517-revision','','','2011-12-14 20:22:55','2011-12-14 20:22:55','',517,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/517-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(872,1,'2013-04-18 00:42:52','2013-04-18 00:42:52','','News','','inherit','open','open','','66-revision-3','','','2013-04-18 00:42:52','2013-04-18 00:42:52','',66,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/66-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(878,1,'2013-04-18 02:14:38','2013-04-18 02:14:38','','System Kit','','inherit','open','open','','system-kit','','','2013-04-18 02:14:38','2013-04-18 02:14:38','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/System-Kit.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(879,1,'2014-06-24 19:48:12','2014-06-24 19:48:12','','Product Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-autosave-v1','','','2014-06-24 19:48:12','2014-06-24 19:48:12','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(880,1,'2013-04-18 02:49:56','2013-04-18 02:49:56','','System Kit','','inherit','open','open','','system-kit-2','','','2013-04-18 02:49:56','2013-04-18 02:49:56','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/System-Kit1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(881,1,'2012-10-23 16:09:43','2012-10-23 16:09:43','','Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2012-10-23 16:09:43','2012-10-23 16:09:43','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(882,5,'2013-01-15 12:00:19','2013-01-15 12:00:19','Thank you to all who attended our <strong>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</strong>last week in Las Vegas! It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. I will review the meeting highlights in the next sales report, but I wanted to take the time to recognize all of the award winners this month.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s on to a fresh start for 2013, but first let\'s wrap up the numbers for 2012.\r\n\r\nWow, what a strong finish to the year! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for December with 27 sales. Way to go, Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! Rounding out the top 3 for the second month in a row is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 18 sales for December. Nice job, Scott! A combined 37 total sales for Stilwell - awesome!\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came out on top with 287 collectors installed for December. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>came in 2nd with 196 collectors - that\'s even more than last month Mark - Fantastic! 3rd place goes to <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 75 collectors for December. Way to go Rick and Maureen.\r\n\r\nWe had seven dealers hit the 100 sales mark for the year and one get really close! Also, based on your reporting, Aquatherm Master Dealers finished the year with 50 more systems installed than last year. Congratulations to you all and thank you for a great year.\r\n\r\nA big congratulations to <strong>Suncatcher of Atlanta</strong>, a Master Dealer since 1993, they officially achieved <strong>Lifetime Silver Master Dealer</strong> status in 2012. Congratulations to Gerry and his team and thank you for your years of commitment to Aquatherm Industries.\r\n\r\nHere\'s a summary of the awards from our meeting:\r\n\r\nThe <strong>2012 Top Ten Salesman</strong> in the Nation:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Park</strong> of Central Florida Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Scott Bologna</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Brandon Chase </strong>of SunChaser, Inc.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Richard Good </strong>of Solar Services</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Jim Roark </strong>of Roark Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Dave Setter </strong>of M &amp; K Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rick Vasquez </strong>of Vasco Solar</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Top Salesman of 2012</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top SI Salesman </strong>in the Nation was <strong>Bill Long</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top Ecosun Salesman </strong>in the Nation was presented to <strong>Bill Park</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One SI Dealer</strong> in the Nation was <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One Ecosun Dealer</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Rising Star Award</strong> for Outstanding Sales was presented to <strong>Roy Aghdam</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The High Impact Award</strong> for Largest Percentage Increase over last year was presented to <strong>Todd Franzen</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customer Satisfaction Awards</strong> based on submitted on-line registration comments were awarded to <strong>Solar Services, Vasco Solar and M &amp; K</strong> for Solar Industries and <strong>United Solar, Central Florida Solar and Compass Solar</strong> for Ecosun.\r\n\r\nFinally, the invitees were announced to the <strong>2013 Summer Sales Retreat</strong> which will be at the <strong>RUI Guanacaste in Costa Rica</strong>, July 29 to August 3. Attending will be Mark Naylor, Bill Long, Terry Naylor, Bill Park, Brandon Chase, Richard Good, Jim Roark and Dave Setter.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to all of our award winners and retreat invitees. Thank you again for your continued business - we are lucky to have such a talented group of individuals to call our Master Dealers!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Show, February 15 &amp; 16 in Orlando, Booth #1018</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','December 2012 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','december-2012-sales-memo','','','2013-05-07 15:52:38','2013-05-07 15:52:38','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=882',0,'post','',0),(883,1,'2013-04-18 16:26:44','2013-04-18 16:26:44','[promoslider]','','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision','','','2013-04-18 16:26:44','2013-04-18 16:26:44','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(884,1,'2013-04-18 16:26:45','2013-04-18 16:26:45','[promoslider]','','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 16:26:45','2013-04-18 16:26:45','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(885,1,'2013-04-17 16:45:30','2013-04-17 16:45:30','','Sales & Marketing','','inherit','open','open','','70-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 16:45:30','2013-04-17 16:45:30','',70,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/70-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(886,1,'2014-06-24 20:40:07','2014-06-24 20:40:07','[table id=9 /]','Warranties','','inherit','open','open','','77-autosave-v1','','','2014-06-24 20:40:07','2014-06-24 20:40:07','',77,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/77-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(887,1,'2012-10-23 16:23:07','2012-10-23 16:23:07','','Warranty','','inherit','open','open','','77-revision-v1','','','2012-10-23 16:23:07','2012-10-23 16:23:07','',77,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/77-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(888,1,'2013-04-18 18:08:39','2013-04-18 18:08:39','<h2>Ecosun</h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Standard 10-year Full / 20-year Limited</span></li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealer 12-year Full / 20-year Limited</li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealer 12-year Full w/ LABOR / 20-year Limited\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Labor Warranty Terms &amp; Conditions</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>','Warranties','','inherit','open','open','','77-revision-v1','','','2013-04-18 18:08:39','2013-04-18 18:08:39','',77,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/77-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(889,1,'2012-10-23 16:09:13','2012-10-23 16:09:13','','Technical & Engineering','','inherit','open','open','','73-revision-2','','','2012-10-23 16:09:13','2012-10-23 16:09:13','',73,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/73-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(890,1,'2013-04-18 18:08:56','2013-04-18 18:08:56','<h2>Ecosun</h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Standard 10-year Full / 20-year Limited</span></li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealer 12-year Full / 20-year Limited</li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealer 12-year Full w/ LABOR / 20-year Limited\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Labor Warranty Terms &amp; Conditions</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>','Warranties','','inherit','open','open','','77-revision-v1','','','2013-04-18 18:08:56','2013-04-18 18:08:56','',77,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/77-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(891,1,'2013-04-18 00:57:22','2013-04-18 00:57:22','','News','','inherit','open','open','','66-revision-4','','','2013-04-18 00:57:22','2013-04-18 00:57:22','',66,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/66-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(892,1,'2013-04-18 20:07:15','2013-04-18 20:07:15','','Ecosun Logo','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-logo','','','2013-04-18 20:07:15','2013-04-18 20:07:15','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Ecosun-Logo.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(896,1,'2013-04-18 20:11:13','2013-04-18 20:11:13','','layingOut','','inherit','open','open','','layingout','','','2013-04-18 20:11:13','2013-04-18 20:11:13','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/layingOut.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(897,1,'2013-04-18 20:11:14','2013-04-18 20:11:14','','sizeArray','','inherit','open','open','','sizearray','','','2013-04-18 20:11:14','2013-04-18 20:11:14','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sizeArray.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(898,1,'2013-04-18 20:11:14','2013-04-18 20:11:14','','systemType','','inherit','open','open','','systemtype','','','2013-04-18 20:11:14','2013-04-18 20:11:14','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/systemType.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(909,1,'2013-04-19 14:44:50','2013-04-19 14:44:50','Contains additional hold-down hardware, connection parts and adapters needed to complete water connections from the collectors to the system feed and return line. The pipe adapters that connect the system piping to the collectors are high temperature CPVC. The system check valve is 1 1/2” - 2” PVC.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><em><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span>Use Use one (1) kit per system.</em></li>\r\n	<li style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; display: inline !important;\"></li>\r\n	<li><em><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Installation and homeowner manuals are also included.</span></em></li>\r\n</ul>','1.5\" System Kit','Contains additional hold-down hardware, connection parts and adapters needed to complete water connections from the collectors to the system feed and return line.','publish','open','closed','','system-kit-1-5','','','2013-04-19 15:12:07','2013-04-19 15:12:07','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?post_type=product&#038;p=909',0,'product','',1),(910,1,'2013-04-19 15:13:15','2013-04-19 15:13:15','Contains additional hold-down hardware, connection parts and adapters needed to complete water connections from the collectors to the system feed and return line. The pipe adapters that connect the system piping to the collectors are high temperature CPVC. The system check valve is 1 1/2” - 2” PVC.\n<ul>\n	<li><em><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span>Use Use one (1) kit per system.</em></li>\n	<li style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; display: inline !important;\"></li>\n	<li><em><span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Installation and homeowner manuals are also included.</span></em></li>\n</ul>','1.5\" System Kit','Contains additional hold-down hardware, connection parts and adapters needed to complete water connections from the collectors to the system feed and return line.','inherit','open','open','','909-autosave','','','2013-04-19 15:13:15','2013-04-19 15:13:15','',909,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/909-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(911,1,'2013-04-19 15:29:28','2013-04-19 15:29:28','','Collector Kit','','inherit','open','open','','collector-kit','','','2013-04-19 15:29:28','2013-04-19 15:29:28','',1200,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Collector-Kit.bmp',0,'attachment','image/bmp',0),(912,1,'2013-04-18 03:14:44','2013-04-18 03:14:44','[sc-catalog]','Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2013-04-18 03:14:44','2013-04-18 03:14:44','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(913,1,'2013-04-19 15:50:39','2013-04-19 15:50:39','[Spider_Catalog_Category id=\"ALL_CAT\" details=\"1\" type=\"\" showsub=\"1\" showsubprod=\"1\" showprod=\"1\"]','Product Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2013-04-19 15:50:39','2013-04-19 15:50:39','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(914,1,'2013-04-19 15:54:32','2013-04-19 15:54:32','[Spider_Catalog_Category id=\"ALL_CAT\" details=\"1\" type=\"\" showsub=\"1\" showsubprod=\"1\" showprod=\"1\"]','Product Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2013-04-19 15:54:32','2013-04-19 15:54:32','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(915,1,'2013-04-19 16:03:51','2013-04-19 16:03:51','','12135-1','','inherit','open','open','','12135-1','','','2013-04-19 16:03:51','2013-04-19 16:03:51','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/12135-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(916,1,'2013-04-19 16:19:49','2013-04-19 16:19:49','','10003-1','','inherit','open','open','','10003-1','','','2013-04-19 16:19:49','2013-04-19 16:19:49','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/10003-1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(917,1,'2013-04-19 16:23:43','2013-04-19 16:23:43','','Figure 2','','inherit','open','open','','figure-2','','','2013-04-19 16:23:43','2013-04-19 16:23:43','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Figure-2.bmp',0,'attachment','image/bmp',0),(918,1,'2013-04-19 16:30:31','2013-04-19 16:30:31','','10008-1','','inherit','open','open','','10008-1','','','2013-04-19 16:30:31','2013-04-19 16:30:31','',1200,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/10008-1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(922,1,'2013-04-19 15:57:11','2013-04-19 15:57:11','[Spider_Catalog_Category id=\"ALL_CAT\" details=\"1\" type=\"\" showsub=\"1\" showsubprod=\"1\" showprod=\"1\"]','Product Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2013-04-19 15:57:11','2013-04-19 15:57:11','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(923,1,'2013-04-19 17:39:41','2013-04-19 17:39:41','[Spider_Catalog_Category id=\"ALL_CAT\" details=\"1\" type=\"\" showsub=\"1\" showsubprod=\"1\" showprod=\"1\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[Spider_Catalog_Category id=\"ALL_CAT\" details=\"1\" type=\"list\" showsub=\"1\" showsubprod=\"1\" showprod=\"1\"]','Product Catalog','','inherit','open','open','','75-revision-v1','','','2013-04-19 17:39:41','2013-04-19 17:39:41','',75,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/75-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(924,1,'2013-04-19 17:45:43','2013-04-19 17:45:43','','EcoSun Display Panel','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-display-panel','','','2013-04-19 17:45:43','2013-04-19 17:45:43','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/EcoSun-Display-Panel.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(925,1,'2013-04-19 17:47:50','2013-04-19 17:47:50','','EcoSun Display Panel','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-display-panel-2','','','2013-04-19 17:47:50','2013-04-19 17:47:50','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/EcoSun-Display-Panel1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(932,1,'2013-05-07 15:37:26','2013-05-07 15:37:26','Thank you to all who attended our <strong>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</strong>last week in Las Vegas! It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. I will review the meeting highlights in the next sales report, but I wanted to take the time to recognize all of the award winners this month.\n\nNow it\'s on to a fresh start for 2013, but first let\'s wrap up the numbers for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWow, what a strong finish to the year! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for December with 27 sales. Way to go, Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! Rounding out the top 3 for the second month in a row is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 18 sales for December. Nice job, Scott! A combined 37 total sales for Stilwell - awesome!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came out on top with 287 collectors installed for December. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>came in 2nd with 196 collectors - that\'s even more than last month Mark - Fantastic! 3rd place goes to <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 75 collectors for December. Way to go Rick and Maureen.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWe had seven dealers hit the 100 sales mark for the year and one get really close! Also, based on your reporting, Aquatherm Master Dealers finished the year with 50 more systems installed than last year. Congratulations to you all and thank you for a great year.\n\nA big congratulations to <strong>Suncatcher of Atlanta</strong>, a Master Dealer since 1993, they officially achieved <strong>Lifetime Silver Master Dealer</strong> status in 2012. Congratulations to Gerry and his team and thank you for your years of commitment to Aquatherm Industries.\n\nHere\'s a summary of the awards from our meeting:\n\nThe <strong>2012 Top Ten Salesman</strong> in the Nation:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\n	<li><strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\n	<li><strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\n	<li><strong>Bill Park</strong> of Central Florida Solar</li>\n	<li><strong>Scott Bologna</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\n	<li><strong>Brandon Chase </strong>of SunChaser, Inc.</li>\n	<li><strong>Richard Good </strong>of Solar Services</li>\n	<li><strong>Jim Roark </strong>of Roark Solar</li>\n	<li><strong>Dave Setter </strong>of M &amp; K Solar</li>\n	<li><strong>Rick Vasquez </strong>of Vasco Solar</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Top Salesman of 2012</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong>.\n\n<strong>Top SI Salesman </strong>in the Nation was <strong>Bill Long</strong>.\n\n<strong>Top Ecosun Salesman </strong>in the Nation was presented to <strong>Bill Park</strong>.\n\n<strong>Number One SI Dealer</strong> in the Nation was <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong>.\n\n<strong>Number One Ecosun Dealer</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong>.\n\n<strong>The Rising Star Award</strong> for Outstanding Sales was presented to <strong>Roy Aghdam</strong>.\n\n<strong>The High Impact Award</strong> for Largest Percentage Increase over last year was presented to <strong>Todd Franzen</strong>.\n\n<strong>Customer Satisfaction Awards</strong> based on submitted on-line registration comments were awarded to <strong>Solar Services, Vasco Solar and M &amp; K</strong> for Solar Industries and <strong>United Solar, Central Florida Solar and Compass Solar</strong> for Ecosun.\n\nFinally, the invitees were announced to the <strong>2013 Summer Sales Retreat</strong> which will be at the <strong>RUI Guanacaste in Costa Rica</strong>, July 29 to August 3. Attending will be Mark Naylor, Bill Long, Terry Naylor, Bill Park, Brandon Chase, Richard Good, Jim Roark and Dave Setter.\n\nCongratulations to all of our award winners and retreat invitees. Thank you again for your continued business - we are lucky to have such a talented group of individuals to call our Master Dealers!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Show, February 15 &amp; 16 in Orlando, Booth #1018</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','December 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 15:37:26','2013-05-07 15:37:26','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(933,1,'2013-05-07 15:38:05','2013-05-07 15:38:05','Thank you to all who attended our <strong>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</strong>last week in Las Vegas! It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. I will review the meeting highlights in the next sales report, but I wanted to take the time to recognize all of the award winners this month.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s on to a fresh start for 2013, but first let\'s wrap up the numbers for 2012.\r\n\r\nWow, what a strong finish to the year! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for December with 27 sales. Way to go, Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! Rounding out the top 3 for the second month in a row is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 18 sales for December. Nice job, Scott! A combined 37 total sales for Stilwell - awesome!\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came out on top with 287 collectors installed for December. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>came in 2nd with 196 collectors - that\'s even more than last month Mark - Fantastic! 3rd place goes to <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 75 collectors for December. Way to go Rick and Maureen.\r\n\r\nWe had seven dealers hit the 100 sales mark for the year and one get really close! Also, based on your reporting, Aquatherm Master Dealers finished the year with 50 more systems installed than last year. Congratulations to you all and thank you for a great year.\r\n\r\nA big congratulations to <strong>Suncatcher of Atlanta</strong>, a Master Dealer since 1993, they officially achieved <strong>Lifetime Silver Master Dealer</strong> status in 2012. Congratulations to Gerry and his team and thank you for your years of commitment to Aquatherm Industries.\r\n\r\nHere\'s a summary of the awards from our meeting:\r\n\r\nThe <strong>2012 Top Ten Salesman</strong> in the Nation:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Park</strong> of Central Florida Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Scott Bologna</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Brandon Chase </strong>of SunChaser, Inc.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Richard Good </strong>of Solar Services</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Jim Roark </strong>of Roark Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Dave Setter </strong>of M &amp; K Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rick Vasquez </strong>of Vasco Solar</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Top Salesman of 2012</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top SI Salesman </strong>in the Nation was <strong>Bill Long</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top Ecosun Salesman </strong>in the Nation was presented to <strong>Bill Park</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One SI Dealer</strong> in the Nation was <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One Ecosun Dealer</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Rising Star Award</strong> for Outstanding Sales was presented to <strong>Roy Aghdam</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The High Impact Award</strong> for Largest Percentage Increase over last year was presented to <strong>Todd Franzen</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customer Satisfaction Awards</strong> based on submitted on-line registration comments were awarded to <strong>Solar Services, Vasco Solar and M &amp; K</strong> for Solar Industries and <strong>United Solar, Central Florida Solar and Compass Solar</strong> for Ecosun.\r\n\r\nFinally, the invitees were announced to the <strong>2013 Summer Sales Retreat</strong> which will be at the <strong>RUI Guanacaste in Costa Rica</strong>, July 29 to August 3. Attending will be Mark Naylor, Bill Long, Terry Naylor, Bill Park, Brandon Chase, Richard Good, Jim Roark and Dave Setter.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to all of our award winners and retreat invitees. Thank you again for your continued business - we are lucky to have such a talented group of individuals to call our Master Dealers!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Show, February 15 &amp; 16 in Orlando, Booth #1018</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','December 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision-4','','','2013-05-07 15:38:05','2013-05-07 15:38:05','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(934,5,'2013-02-20 12:00:49','2013-02-20 12:00:49','<p align=\"left\">Thank you to all who attended our <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in Las Vegas</strong>! Since we all made it through the Mayan \"the end is near\", we decided the theme for our meeting should be \"The Beginning is Here\" and focused on a fresh start for a new year. It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. We covered many topics during the fast-paced meeting, so I wanted to take the time to review for those who may have missed something during this fast-paced event, and for those who were unable to attend.</p>\r\nThe meeting started with a Welcome Reception for all attendees at the hotel on Wednesday evening. We had Quickmount PV and Pentair representatives on-hand to discuss the latest in pumps, controls, and collector mounting. The evening found many old friends catching up after time apart and some new faces in the crowd as well. As usual, three hours just isn\'t enough and many stayed on well after the event to chat.\r\n\r\nThursday, we kicked-off with introductions by Dave that led into industry and Aquatherm updates. Dave discussed the new dual-durometer couplings and that there have only been two reported failures to date with over 200,000 in the field since the product\'s introduction in 2009. He also mentioned that a completely serviceable version of our 2\" VRV with the locking retainer design has begun shipping.\r\n\r\nDave also shared with us a bit about Aquatherm\'s \"why\". What is that, you ask? Well it is about why we get up every day and do what we do. Dave recently had the chance to spend a day with Simon Sinek, author of \"Start with Why\" and digs deep into the \"whys\" of Aquatherm. Since then, we have updated our Company Overview to include a letter from Dave that encompasses more of the \"why\" regarding Aquatherm. If you haven\'t had a chance to see the new version yet you can <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjhyI7l_FSxRu9PMjBjUZ5pw4X5vB5csV4MEaehKbTsGX\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">download it here</a>.\r\n\r\nIn Kevin\'s Engineering update, he reviewed the differences in standard organizations, accredited laboratories and certification bodies that are used in the industry and updated us on Aquatherm\'s ISO quality statistics. He presented a new online commercial survey form that is available for use now by going to <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjnjXWHSSJJu_td2VQWiI2FfprfkARDKPfqDRGdINdVtptd71l6PtakY=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/survey</a> and previewed the new on-line RMR / LAR form, which will be introduced in March. Aquatherm has also released a new installation manual that was presented and is available in PDF or in iBooks format. Kevin also showed us some new projects that Aquatherm is working on including a new polypropylene \"flashing base\" for the 50006 and 50069 mounting brackets; a collector rack that will be specifically designed with our mounting hardware in mind, and the concept of a ballast mounting system for those times when roof penetrations are not desirable.\r\n\r\nWe were treated to several \"Fifteen Minutes of Fame\" by a few of our dealers during the meeting. They included Ethan Horvitz from Solar Living who shared a presentation on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and how the Aquatherm systems fared far better than the competition during the storm; Daniel Garcia of Modulo Solar shared some of their recent large commercial projects that they have done; and Mark Turnbull of Ecosun Australia talked about his market and goals for the future. And, lastly, as a stand in for Rich Bonte, Ethan spoke about the Red Lion High School project that was done in Pennsylvania - a unique glycol based design. Thank you to all who participated in sharing your insights with us and some of the lessons you have learned along the way.\r\n\r\nIn the Sales breakout we spent time reviewing the sales presentation and we unveiled the updated Lessons Learned section for the presentation. The updates include new formatting and the information condensed to one sheet. We also reviewed the Heliocol BTU comparison sheets and handed out the new comparison showing the Eco-Spark from UMA. Should you need a copy of any of this information you will find it on the portal.\r\n\r\nWe continued the sales breakout with a rundown of the Master Dealer Status and levels for both yearly and lifetime status. We also covered the Master Dealer Coop Program and thank you and referrals gifts for homeowners. Lastly, we offered up the return of the Bounty Hunter Program for the month of February to start the year off right! Should you need additional information on any of the above please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me directly.\r\n\r\nDuring the Marketing Breakout, Dan reviewed some of the more popular social media and networking tools available today, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ (formerly Google Places), and YouTube. One key take away is to make sure you run a Google search for \"your business name here google plus\". You might be surprised to find your business already has a Google+ page, in which case you should claim it immediately by clicking the \"Manage this page\" button in the bottom right. Once you\'ve claimed your page, you\'ll unlock some features like the ability to add an \"About Us\" section and some photos. More importantly, claiming your page ensures you will be notified by email if a review is posted on your page.\r\n\r\nThere will always be a new social media tool popping up and generating hype - some of which may be helpful to your marketing efforts. However, there are also only so many hours in a day. By first researching a service\'s key user demographics, then considering potential marketing reach compared with time invested, you can maximize the effectiveness of social in your marketing plan. Dan went on to discuss current website best practices, such as making sure your website is \"mobile-friendly\" by pulling it up on your own smart phone and tablet. He also touched on how best to integrate social tools into your existing website, including the use of the Facebook \"Like\" and \"Share\" buttons.\r\n\r\nFinally, Dan and the groups discussed online review sites, including Yelp, Angie\'s List, Google+, and Facebook. These sites have the greatest potential to help or harm your businesses, and it\'s important to be aware of any reviews. Dan recounted a phone conversation with an exasperated Rick Vasquez of Vasco Solar last year, after Rick had just lost an all-but-closed sale due to a last minute search that turned up a negative review on Yelp. Unfortunately, much like Google+, businesses can often be listed on Yelp without any consent or knowledge from the business owner. It\'s a good idea to run a Google search for your business, as well as search on each of these sites individually. Claiming your listing on these sites allows you to respond to any reviews, whether positive or negative. If you have received a negative review for your business, Dan suggests the following: 1) Respond professionally by apologizing for their experience and asking them to call or email you directly. This response can benefit you two ways: you will have an opportunity to get your reviewer offline to resolve the conflict (many times they will agree to remove or edit their review if you resolve the issue; others will see you as an accountable business owner who doesn\'t hide from their problems.  2) Reach out to your best customers - start with those who have given you business through referrals - and ask them to leave a review on the site. When there are at least three or four positive reviews of your business, that one negative review is much less likely to scare away a potential customer.\r\n\r\nFeel free to contact Dan directly for any help with websites and social media.\r\n\r\nWe had several representatives from the industry come in to present and answer questions from the group. Tom from Pentair spoke about the Solar Touch control while Marshall from Quick Mount PV talked to us about the new flashing they will be offering to use with our systems. Lastly, Eric from EGIA spoke on the Geosmart financing program. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\r\n\r\nThat evening we met for some fun, camaraderie, and our annual Dealer Awards Ceremony at the Brio Restaurant. After a great dinner, we culminated our time together with the awards ceremony, where our Master Dealers and Salesmen were recognized for the outstanding sales performances in 2012. Our guest speaker, Ed Murray, Treasurer of CalSEIA and Board Member of National SEIA updated us on what is happening on the national and California solar thermal scenes. Lastly, invitees were announced to the 2013 Summer Sales Retreat, which will be in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July.\r\n\r\nFriday morning the California dealers, along with Ed Murray, met for a special breakfast meeting to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program. Although the program has yet to be instituted dealers were able to learn more about the California commercial market and the potential opportunities once the program is online.\r\n\r\nThank you to all who participated in the meeting and making it a great start to 2013!\r\n\r\nWell, this year is off to a great start for many of you! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for January with 26 sales. Way to start the year Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Nice job Scott! Rounding out the top 3 for the January is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 16 sales for January. Great month Bill!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> came out on top with 259 collectors installed for January. What a nice way to start the year for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2nd with 182 collectors. Well done Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 105 collectors for the month. Way to start the year off with a bang, Jim!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Association of Aquatic Professionals, March 2nd - 3rd in Austin, Texas</li>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nThis year is off to a great start. Now let\'s keep up the momentum!','January 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','january-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-05-07 15:51:51','2013-05-07 15:51:51','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=934',0,'post','',0),(935,1,'2013-05-07 15:39:30','2013-05-07 15:39:30','<p align=\"left\">Thank you to all who attended our <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in Las Vegas</strong>! Since we all made it through the Mayan \"the end is near\", we decided the theme for our meeting should be \"The Beginning is Here\" and focused on a fresh start for a new year. It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. We covered many topics during the fast-paced meeting, so I wanted to take the time to review for those who may have missed something during this fast-paced event, and for those who were unable to attend.</p>\n<p align=\"left\"></p>\nThe meeting started with a Welcome Reception for all attendees at the hotel on Wednesday evening. We had Quickmount PV and Pentair representatives on-hand to discuss the latest in pumps, controls, and collector mounting. The evening found many old friends catching up after time apart and some new faces in the crowd as well. As usual, three hours just isn\'t enough and many stayed on well after the event to chat.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThursday, we kicked-off with introductions by Dave that led into industry and Aquatherm updates. Dave discussed the new dual-durometer couplings and that there have only been two reported failures to date with over 200,000 in the field since the product\'s introduction in 2009. He also mentioned that a completely serviceable version of our 2\" VRV with the locking retainer design has begun shipping.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDave also shared with us a bit about Aquatherm\'s \"why\". What is that, you ask? Well it is about why we get up every day and do what we do. Dave recently had the chance to spend a day with Simon Sinek, author of \"Start with Why\" and digs deep into the \"whys\" of Aquatherm. Since then, we have updated our Company Overview to include a letter from Dave that encompasses more of the \"why\" regarding Aquatherm. If you haven\'t had a chance to see the new version yet you can <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjhyI7l_FSxRu9PMjBjUZ5pw4X5vB5csV4MEaehKbTsGX\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">download it here</a>.\n\nIn Kevin\'s Engineering update, he reviewed the differences in standard organizations, accredited laboratories and certification bodies that are used in the industry and updated us on Aquatherm\'s ISO quality statistics. He presented a new online commercial survey form that is available for use now by going to <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjnjXWHSSJJu_td2VQWiI2FfprfkARDKPfqDRGdINdVtptd71l6PtakY=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/survey</a> and previewed the new on-line RMR / LAR form, which will be introduced in March. Aquatherm has also released a new installation manual that was presented and is available in PDF or in iBooks format. Kevin also showed us some new projects that Aquatherm is working on including a new polypropylene \"flashing base\" for the 50006 and 50069 mounting brackets; a collector rack that will be specifically designed with our mounting hardware in mind, and the concept of a ballast mounting system for those times when roof penetrations are not desirable.\n\nWe were treated to several \"Fifteen Minutes of Fame\" by a few of our dealers during the meeting. They included Ethan Horvitz from Solar Living who shared a presentation on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and how the Aquatherm systems fared far better than the competition during the storm; Daniel Garcia of Modulo Solar shared some of their recent large commercial projects that they have done; and Mark Turnbull of Ecosun Australia talked about his market and goals for the future. And, lastly, as a stand in for Rich Bonte, Ethan spoke about the Red Lion High School project that was done in Pennsylvania - a unique glycol based design. Thank you to all who participated in sharing your insights with us and some of the lessons you have learned along the way.\n\nIn the Sales breakout we spent time reviewing the sales presentation and we unveiled the updated Lessons Learned section for the presentation. The updates include new formatting and the information condensed to one sheet. We also reviewed the Heliocol BTU comparison sheets and handed out the new comparison showing the Eco-Spark from UMA. Should you need a copy of any of this information you will find it on the portal.\n\nWe continued the sales breakout with a rundown of the Master Dealer Status and levels for both yearly and lifetime status. We also covered the Master Dealer Coop Program and thank you and referrals gifts for homeowners. Lastly, we offered up the return of the Bounty Hunter Program for the month of February to start the year off right! Should you need additional information on any of the above please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me directly.\n\nDuring the Marketing Breakout, Dan reviewed some of the more popular social media and networking tools available today, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ (formerly Google Places), and YouTube. One key take away is to make sure you run a Google search for \"your business name here google plus\". You might be surprised to find your business already has a Google+ page, in which case you should claim it immediately by clicking the \"Manage this page\" button in the bottom right. Once you\'ve claimed your page, you\'ll unlock some features like the ability to add an \"About Us\" section and some photos. More importantly, claiming your page ensures you will be notified by email if a review is posted on your page.\n\nThere will always be a new social media tool popping up and generating hype - some of which may be helpful to your marketing efforts. However, there are also only so many hours in a day. By first researching a service\'s key user demographics, then considering potential marketing reach compared with time invested, you can maximize the effectiveness of social in your marketing plan. Dan went on to discuss current website best practices, such as making sure your website is \"mobile-friendly\" by pulling it up on your own smart phone and tablet. He also touched on how best to integrate social tools into your existing website, including the use of the Facebook \"Like\" and \"Share\" buttons.\n\nFinally, Dan and the groups discussed online review sites, including Yelp, Angie\'s List, Google+, and Facebook. These sites have the greatest potential to help or harm your businesses, and it\'s important to be aware of any reviews. Dan recounted a phone conversation with an exasperated Rick Vasquez of Vasco Solar last year, after Rick had just lost an all-but-closed sale due to a last minute search that turned up a negative review on Yelp. Unfortunately, much like Google+, businesses can often be listed on Yelp without any consent or knowledge from the business owner. It\'s a good idea to run a Google search for your business, as well as search on each of these sites individually. Claiming your listing on these sites allows you to respond to any reviews, whether positive or negative. If you have received a negative review for your business, Dan suggests the following: 1) Respond professionally by apologizing for their experience and asking them to call or email you directly. This response can benefit you two ways: you will have an opportunity to get your reviewer offline to resolve the conflict (many times they will agree to remove or edit their review if you resolve the issue; others will see you as an accountable business owner who doesn\'t hide from their problems.  2) Reach out to your best customers - start with those who have given you business through referrals - and ask them to leave a review on the site. When there are at least three or four positive reviews of your business, that one negative review is much less likely to scare away a potential customer.\n\nFeel free to contact Dan directly for any help with websites and social media.\n\nWe had several representatives from the industry come in to present and answer questions from the group. Tom from Pentair spoke about the Solar Touch control while Marshall from Quick Mount PV talked to us about the new flashing they will be offering to use with our systems. Lastly, Eric from EGIA spoke on the Geosmart financing program. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\n\nThat evening we met for some fun, camaraderie, and our annual Dealer Awards Ceremony at the Brio Restaurant. After a great dinner, we culminated our time together with the awards ceremony, where our Master Dealers and Salesmen were recognized for the outstanding sales performances in 2012. Our guest speaker, Ed Murray, Treasurer of CalSEIA and Board Member of National SEIA updated us on what is happening on the national and California solar thermal scenes. Lastly, invitees were announced to the 2013 Summer Sales Retreat, which will be in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July.\n\nFriday morning the California dealers, along with Ed Murray, met for a special breakfast meeting to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program. Although the program has yet to be instituted dealers were able to learn more about the California commercial market and the potential opportunities once the program is online.\n\nThank you to all who participated in the meeting and making it a great start to 2013!\n\nWell, this year is off to a great start for many of you! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for January with 26 sales. Way to start the year Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Nice job Scott! Rounding out the top 3 for the January is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 16 sales for January. Great month Bill!\n\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> came out on top with 259 collectors installed for January. What a nice way to start the year for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2nd with 182 collectors. Well done Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 105 collectors for the month. Way to start the year off with a bang, Jim!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>Association of Aquatic Professionals, March 2nd - 3rd in Austin, Texas</li>\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nThis year is off to a great start. Now let\'s keep up the momentum!','January 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','934-revision','','','2013-05-07 15:39:30','2013-05-07 15:39:30','',934,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/934-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(936,5,'2013-03-15 12:00:34','2013-03-15 12:00:34','Happy first day of Spring everyone! Many of you are reporting that you\'ve already started to feel the season \"spring\" into action early this year. It is certainly a sign that we are starting to see glimmers in the economy coming back to life.\r\n\r\nWhen the recession hit five years ago, new pool construction abruptly stopped. Now that the economy is starting to recover, backhoes and workers are starting to fill backyards again and new pools are going in. Many of you know about Construction Monitor and more than likely stopped subscribing to the service after the economic downturn. For those of you who are not familiar with Construction Monitor, they are a web based company that has been in business since 1989 providing weekly building permit information to industry professionals. It is a subscription service and the reports are compiled by county. You can subscribe to one or all of the counties you service and compile a list of homeowners with pools for marketing purposes.\r\n\r\nI have heard many positive stories from those that already use the service. Getting this list gives them early access to those building a pool and the opportunity to sell the benefits of solar pool heating to them before their competition. Even if they don\'t buy initially, this same potential customer is perfect to market to after owning the pool for 2 -5 years since they are probably not enjoying it as much as they thought they would because the pool is just too cold.\r\n\r\nFor those of you interested in subscribing to Construction Monitor or learning more about their services their website is <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BG74qGV779iNa1vaHjYKELy7u5_SDZyvxFBz2t-E1VLskggRux2DQUF1viTc6wH-wc4Iu7mYHAVgxRdFDCwIewRmtN2Jx3jZisRxtUrj4g_7ymG7jztuCBTggrxcj-6xyjyAEWeQwb0=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">https://www.constructionmonitor.com/</a>\r\n\r\nNow for the numbers! First off - I try to get this memo and report out to you complete in a timely manner every month, but often find myself waiting weeks for just one or two more sales numbers. In the future, if I don\'t have your numbers by the 15th of the month I\'ll be using DNR, which will stand for DID NOT REPORT instead of a \"0\" from this point forward. Let\'s hope I\'ll never have to use it!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for February with 29 sales. Another great month Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 26 sales. Outstanding Bill! Rounding out the top 3 is <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 19 sales for February. Welcome back Dennis!!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> is the number one dealer with 301 collectors installed for the month. Congratulations to Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> Solar Specialists came in 2nd with 217 collectors. Nice job, Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 133 collectors for the month. Fabulous February, Dennis!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Solar Power International, October 21st - 24th in Chicago, Illinois</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAs a reminder, Aquatherm will be closed on Friday, March 29th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, April 1st.\r\n\r\nLastly, Dawn is out for eight weeks until mid-May. In her absence, Pati, Janet, Carol, Dan and I will all be doing their best to cover for her. Please be patient if we just don\'t get to something as quick as you\'re accustomed to. Dawn should be back just in time for the thick of the season.','February 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','february-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-05-07 15:52:25','2013-05-07 15:52:25','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=936',0,'post','',0),(937,1,'2013-05-07 15:41:02','2013-05-07 15:41:02','Happy first day of Spring everyone! Many of you are reporting that you\'ve already started to feel the season \"spring\" into action early this year. It is certainly a sign that we are starting to see glimmers in the economy coming back to life.\n\nWhen the recession hit five years ago, new pool construction abruptly stopped. Now that the economy is starting to recover, backhoes and workers are starting to fill backyards again and new pools are going in. Many of you know about Construction Monitor and more than likely stopped subscribing to the service after the economic downturn. For those of you who are not familiar with Construction Monitor, they are a web based company that has been in business since 1989 providing weekly building permit information to industry professionals. It is a subscription service and the reports are compiled by county. You can subscribe to one or all of the counties you service and compile a list of homeowners with pools for marketing purposes.\n\nI have heard many positive stories from those that already use the service. Getting this list gives them early access to those building a pool and the opportunity to sell the benefits of solar pool heating to them before their competition. Even if they don\'t buy initially, this same potential customer is perfect to market to after owning the pool for 2 -5 years since they are probably not enjoying it as much as they thought they would because the pool is just too cold.\n\nFor those of you interested in subscribing to Construction Monitor or learning more about their services their website is <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BG74qGV779iNa1vaHjYKELy7u5_SDZyvxFBz2t-E1VLskggRux2DQUF1viTc6wH-wc4Iu7mYHAVgxRdFDCwIewRmtN2Jx3jZisRxtUrj4g_7ymG7jztuCBTggrxcj-6xyjyAEWeQwb0=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">https://www.constructionmonitor.com/</a>\n\nNow for the numbers! First off - I try to get this memo and report out to you complete in a timely manner every month, but often find myself waiting weeks for just one or two more sales numbers. In the future, if I don\'t have your numbers by the 15th of the month I\'ll be using DNR, which will stand for DID NOT REPORT instead of a \"0\" from this point forward. Let\'s hope I\'ll never have to use it!\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for February with 29 sales. Another great month Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 26 sales. Outstanding Bill! Rounding out the top 3 is <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 19 sales for February. Welcome back Dennis!!\n\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> is the number one dealer with 301 collectors installed for the month. Congratulations to Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> Solar Specialists came in 2nd with 217 collectors. Nice job, Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 133 collectors for the month. Fabulous February, Dennis!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\n	<li>Solar Power International, October 21st - 24th in Chicago, Illinois</li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nAs a reminder, Aquatherm will be closed on Friday, March 29th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, April 1st.\n\nLastly, Dawn is out for eight weeks until mid-May. In her absence, Pati, Janet, Carol, Dan and I will all be doing their best to cover for her. Please be patient if we just don\'t get to something as quick as you\'re accustomed to. Dawn should be back just in time for the thick of the season.','February 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','936-revision','','','2013-05-07 15:41:02','2013-05-07 15:41:02','',936,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/936-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(938,1,'2013-05-07 15:41:34','2013-05-07 15:41:34','Happy first day of Spring everyone! Many of you are reporting that you\'ve already started to feel the season \"spring\" into action early this year. It is certainly a sign that we are starting to see glimmers in the economy coming back to life.\r\n\r\nWhen the recession hit five years ago, new pool construction abruptly stopped. Now that the economy is starting to recover, backhoes and workers are starting to fill backyards again and new pools are going in. Many of you know about Construction Monitor and more than likely stopped subscribing to the service after the economic downturn. For those of you who are not familiar with Construction Monitor, they are a web based company that has been in business since 1989 providing weekly building permit information to industry professionals. It is a subscription service and the reports are compiled by county. You can subscribe to one or all of the counties you service and compile a list of homeowners with pools for marketing purposes.\r\n\r\nI have heard many positive stories from those that already use the service. Getting this list gives them early access to those building a pool and the opportunity to sell the benefits of solar pool heating to them before their competition. Even if they don\'t buy initially, this same potential customer is perfect to market to after owning the pool for 2 -5 years since they are probably not enjoying it as much as they thought they would because the pool is just too cold.\r\n\r\nFor those of you interested in subscribing to Construction Monitor or learning more about their services their website is <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BG74qGV779iNa1vaHjYKELy7u5_SDZyvxFBz2t-E1VLskggRux2DQUF1viTc6wH-wc4Iu7mYHAVgxRdFDCwIewRmtN2Jx3jZisRxtUrj4g_7ymG7jztuCBTggrxcj-6xyjyAEWeQwb0=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">https://www.constructionmonitor.com/</a>\r\n\r\nNow for the numbers! First off - I try to get this memo and report out to you complete in a timely manner every month, but often find myself waiting weeks for just one or two more sales numbers. In the future, if I don\'t have your numbers by the 15th of the month I\'ll be using DNR, which will stand for DID NOT REPORT instead of a \"0\" from this point forward. Let\'s hope I\'ll never have to use it!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for February with 29 sales. Another great month Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 26 sales. Outstanding Bill! Rounding out the top 3 is <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 19 sales for February. Welcome back Dennis!!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> is the number one dealer with 301 collectors installed for the month. Congratulations to Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> Solar Specialists came in 2nd with 217 collectors. Nice job, Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 133 collectors for the month. Fabulous February, Dennis!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Solar Power International, October 21st - 24th in Chicago, Illinois</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAs a reminder, Aquatherm will be closed on Friday, March 29th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, April 1st.\r\n\r\nLastly, Dawn is out for eight weeks until mid-May. In her absence, Pati, Janet, Carol, Dan and I will all be doing their best to cover for her. Please be patient if we just don\'t get to something as quick as you\'re accustomed to. Dawn should be back just in time for the thick of the season.','February 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','936-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:41:34','2013-05-07 15:41:34','',936,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/936-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(939,5,'2013-04-15 12:00:32','2013-04-15 12:00:32','<p>Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.</p>\r\n<p>Eric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.</p>\r\n<p>On to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>If you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.</p>\r\n','March 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','march-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-05-07 15:52:21','2013-05-07 15:52:21','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=939',0,'post','',0),(940,1,'2013-05-07 15:45:42','2013-05-07 15:45:42','','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision','','','2013-05-07 15:45:42','2013-05-07 15:45:42','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(941,1,'2013-05-07 15:48:29','2013-05-07 15:48:29','','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:48:29','2013-05-07 15:48:29','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(942,1,'2013-05-07 15:49:32','2013-05-07 15:49:32','Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.\r\n\r\nEric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\r\n\r\nAquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.\r\n\r\nOn to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 15:49:32','2013-05-07 15:49:32','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(943,1,'2013-05-07 15:50:00','2013-05-07 15:50:00','Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.\r\n\r\nEric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\r\n\r\nAquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.\r\n\r\nOn to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-4','','','2013-05-07 15:50:00','2013-05-07 15:50:00','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(944,1,'2013-05-07 15:38:19','2013-05-07 15:38:19','Thank you to all who attended our <strong>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</strong>last week in Las Vegas! It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. I will review the meeting highlights in the next sales report, but I wanted to take the time to recognize all of the award winners this month.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s on to a fresh start for 2013, but first let\'s wrap up the numbers for 2012.\r\n\r\nWow, what a strong finish to the year! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for December with 27 sales. Way to go, Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! Rounding out the top 3 for the second month in a row is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 18 sales for December. Nice job, Scott! A combined 37 total sales for Stilwell - awesome!\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came out on top with 287 collectors installed for December. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>came in 2nd with 196 collectors - that\'s even more than last month Mark - Fantastic! 3rd place goes to <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 75 collectors for December. Way to go Rick and Maureen.\r\n\r\nWe had seven dealers hit the 100 sales mark for the year and one get really close! Also, based on your reporting, Aquatherm Master Dealers finished the year with 50 more systems installed than last year. Congratulations to you all and thank you for a great year.\r\n\r\nA big congratulations to <strong>Suncatcher of Atlanta</strong>, a Master Dealer since 1993, they officially achieved <strong>Lifetime Silver Master Dealer</strong> status in 2012. Congratulations to Gerry and his team and thank you for your years of commitment to Aquatherm Industries.\r\n\r\nHere\'s a summary of the awards from our meeting:\r\n\r\nThe <strong>2012 Top Ten Salesman</strong> in the Nation:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Park</strong> of Central Florida Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Scott Bologna</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Brandon Chase </strong>of SunChaser, Inc.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Richard Good </strong>of Solar Services</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Jim Roark </strong>of Roark Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Dave Setter </strong>of M &amp; K Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rick Vasquez </strong>of Vasco Solar</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Top Salesman of 2012</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top SI Salesman </strong>in the Nation was <strong>Bill Long</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top Ecosun Salesman </strong>in the Nation was presented to <strong>Bill Park</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One SI Dealer</strong> in the Nation was <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One Ecosun Dealer</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Rising Star Award</strong> for Outstanding Sales was presented to <strong>Roy Aghdam</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The High Impact Award</strong> for Largest Percentage Increase over last year was presented to <strong>Todd Franzen</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customer Satisfaction Awards</strong> based on submitted on-line registration comments were awarded to <strong>Solar Services, Vasco Solar and M &amp; K</strong> for Solar Industries and <strong>United Solar, Central Florida Solar and Compass Solar</strong> for Ecosun.\r\n\r\nFinally, the invitees were announced to the <strong>2013 Summer Sales Retreat</strong> which will be at the <strong>RUI Guanacaste in Costa Rica</strong>, July 29 to August 3. Attending will be Mark Naylor, Bill Long, Terry Naylor, Bill Park, Brandon Chase, Richard Good, Jim Roark and Dave Setter.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to all of our award winners and retreat invitees. Thank you again for your continued business - we are lucky to have such a talented group of individuals to call our Master Dealers!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Show, February 15 &amp; 16 in Orlando, Booth #1018</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','December 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision-5','','','2013-05-07 15:38:19','2013-05-07 15:38:19','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(945,1,'2013-05-07 15:50:05','2013-05-07 15:50:05','<p>Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.</p>\r\n<p>Eric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.</p>\r\n<p>On to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>If you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.</p>\r\n','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-5','','','2013-05-07 15:50:05','2013-05-07 15:50:05','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(946,1,'2013-05-07 15:51:24','2013-05-07 15:51:24','<p>Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.</p>\r\n<p>Eric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.</p>\r\n<p>On to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>If you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.</p>\r\n','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-6','','','2013-05-07 15:51:24','2013-05-07 15:51:24','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(947,1,'2013-05-07 15:39:49','2013-05-07 15:39:49','<p align=\"left\">Thank you to all who attended our <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in Las Vegas</strong>! Since we all made it through the Mayan \"the end is near\", we decided the theme for our meeting should be \"The Beginning is Here\" and focused on a fresh start for a new year. It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. We covered many topics during the fast-paced meeting, so I wanted to take the time to review for those who may have missed something during this fast-paced event, and for those who were unable to attend.</p>\r\nThe meeting started with a Welcome Reception for all attendees at the hotel on Wednesday evening. We had Quickmount PV and Pentair representatives on-hand to discuss the latest in pumps, controls, and collector mounting. The evening found many old friends catching up after time apart and some new faces in the crowd as well. As usual, three hours just isn\'t enough and many stayed on well after the event to chat.\r\n\r\nThursday, we kicked-off with introductions by Dave that led into industry and Aquatherm updates. Dave discussed the new dual-durometer couplings and that there have only been two reported failures to date with over 200,000 in the field since the product\'s introduction in 2009. He also mentioned that a completely serviceable version of our 2\" VRV with the locking retainer design has begun shipping.\r\n\r\nDave also shared with us a bit about Aquatherm\'s \"why\". What is that, you ask? Well it is about why we get up every day and do what we do. Dave recently had the chance to spend a day with Simon Sinek, author of \"Start with Why\" and digs deep into the \"whys\" of Aquatherm. Since then, we have updated our Company Overview to include a letter from Dave that encompasses more of the \"why\" regarding Aquatherm. If you haven\'t had a chance to see the new version yet you can <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjhyI7l_FSxRu9PMjBjUZ5pw4X5vB5csV4MEaehKbTsGX\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">download it here</a>.\r\n\r\nIn Kevin\'s Engineering update, he reviewed the differences in standard organizations, accredited laboratories and certification bodies that are used in the industry and updated us on Aquatherm\'s ISO quality statistics. He presented a new online commercial survey form that is available for use now by going to <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjnjXWHSSJJu_td2VQWiI2FfprfkARDKPfqDRGdINdVtptd71l6PtakY=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/survey</a> and previewed the new on-line RMR / LAR form, which will be introduced in March. Aquatherm has also released a new installation manual that was presented and is available in PDF or in iBooks format. Kevin also showed us some new projects that Aquatherm is working on including a new polypropylene \"flashing base\" for the 50006 and 50069 mounting brackets; a collector rack that will be specifically designed with our mounting hardware in mind, and the concept of a ballast mounting system for those times when roof penetrations are not desirable.\r\n\r\nWe were treated to several \"Fifteen Minutes of Fame\" by a few of our dealers during the meeting. They included Ethan Horvitz from Solar Living who shared a presentation on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and how the Aquatherm systems fared far better than the competition during the storm; Daniel Garcia of Modulo Solar shared some of their recent large commercial projects that they have done; and Mark Turnbull of Ecosun Australia talked about his market and goals for the future. And, lastly, as a stand in for Rich Bonte, Ethan spoke about the Red Lion High School project that was done in Pennsylvania - a unique glycol based design. Thank you to all who participated in sharing your insights with us and some of the lessons you have learned along the way.\r\n\r\nIn the Sales breakout we spent time reviewing the sales presentation and we unveiled the updated Lessons Learned section for the presentation. The updates include new formatting and the information condensed to one sheet. We also reviewed the Heliocol BTU comparison sheets and handed out the new comparison showing the Eco-Spark from UMA. Should you need a copy of any of this information you will find it on the portal.\r\n\r\nWe continued the sales breakout with a rundown of the Master Dealer Status and levels for both yearly and lifetime status. We also covered the Master Dealer Coop Program and thank you and referrals gifts for homeowners. Lastly, we offered up the return of the Bounty Hunter Program for the month of February to start the year off right! Should you need additional information on any of the above please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me directly.\r\n\r\nDuring the Marketing Breakout, Dan reviewed some of the more popular social media and networking tools available today, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ (formerly Google Places), and YouTube. One key take away is to make sure you run a Google search for \"your business name here google plus\". You might be surprised to find your business already has a Google+ page, in which case you should claim it immediately by clicking the \"Manage this page\" button in the bottom right. Once you\'ve claimed your page, you\'ll unlock some features like the ability to add an \"About Us\" section and some photos. More importantly, claiming your page ensures you will be notified by email if a review is posted on your page.\r\n\r\nThere will always be a new social media tool popping up and generating hype - some of which may be helpful to your marketing efforts. However, there are also only so many hours in a day. By first researching a service\'s key user demographics, then considering potential marketing reach compared with time invested, you can maximize the effectiveness of social in your marketing plan. Dan went on to discuss current website best practices, such as making sure your website is \"mobile-friendly\" by pulling it up on your own smart phone and tablet. He also touched on how best to integrate social tools into your existing website, including the use of the Facebook \"Like\" and \"Share\" buttons.\r\n\r\nFinally, Dan and the groups discussed online review sites, including Yelp, Angie\'s List, Google+, and Facebook. These sites have the greatest potential to help or harm your businesses, and it\'s important to be aware of any reviews. Dan recounted a phone conversation with an exasperated Rick Vasquez of Vasco Solar last year, after Rick had just lost an all-but-closed sale due to a last minute search that turned up a negative review on Yelp. Unfortunately, much like Google+, businesses can often be listed on Yelp without any consent or knowledge from the business owner. It\'s a good idea to run a Google search for your business, as well as search on each of these sites individually. Claiming your listing on these sites allows you to respond to any reviews, whether positive or negative. If you have received a negative review for your business, Dan suggests the following: 1) Respond professionally by apologizing for their experience and asking them to call or email you directly. This response can benefit you two ways: you will have an opportunity to get your reviewer offline to resolve the conflict (many times they will agree to remove or edit their review if you resolve the issue; others will see you as an accountable business owner who doesn\'t hide from their problems.  2) Reach out to your best customers - start with those who have given you business through referrals - and ask them to leave a review on the site. When there are at least three or four positive reviews of your business, that one negative review is much less likely to scare away a potential customer.\r\n\r\nFeel free to contact Dan directly for any help with websites and social media.\r\n\r\nWe had several representatives from the industry come in to present and answer questions from the group. Tom from Pentair spoke about the Solar Touch control while Marshall from Quick Mount PV talked to us about the new flashing they will be offering to use with our systems. Lastly, Eric from EGIA spoke on the Geosmart financing program. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\r\n\r\nThat evening we met for some fun, camaraderie, and our annual Dealer Awards Ceremony at the Brio Restaurant. After a great dinner, we culminated our time together with the awards ceremony, where our Master Dealers and Salesmen were recognized for the outstanding sales performances in 2012. Our guest speaker, Ed Murray, Treasurer of CalSEIA and Board Member of National SEIA updated us on what is happening on the national and California solar thermal scenes. Lastly, invitees were announced to the 2013 Summer Sales Retreat, which will be in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July.\r\n\r\nFriday morning the California dealers, along with Ed Murray, met for a special breakfast meeting to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program. Although the program has yet to be instituted dealers were able to learn more about the California commercial market and the potential opportunities once the program is online.\r\n\r\nThank you to all who participated in the meeting and making it a great start to 2013!\r\n\r\nWell, this year is off to a great start for many of you! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for January with 26 sales. Way to start the year Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Nice job Scott! Rounding out the top 3 for the January is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 16 sales for January. Great month Bill!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> came out on top with 259 collectors installed for January. What a nice way to start the year for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2nd with 182 collectors. Well done Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 105 collectors for the month. Way to start the year off with a bang, Jim!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Association of Aquatic Professionals, March 2nd - 3rd in Austin, Texas</li>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nThis year is off to a great start. Now let\'s keep up the momentum!','January 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','934-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:39:49','2013-05-07 15:39:49','',934,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/934-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(948,1,'2013-05-07 15:51:40','2013-05-07 15:51:40','<p align=\"left\">Thank you to all who attended our <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in Las Vegas</strong>! Since we all made it through the Mayan \"the end is near\", we decided the theme for our meeting should be \"The Beginning is Here\" and focused on a fresh start for a new year. It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. We covered many topics during the fast-paced meeting, so I wanted to take the time to review for those who may have missed something during this fast-paced event, and for those who were unable to attend.</p>\r\nThe meeting started with a Welcome Reception for all attendees at the hotel on Wednesday evening. We had Quickmount PV and Pentair representatives on-hand to discuss the latest in pumps, controls, and collector mounting. The evening found many old friends catching up after time apart and some new faces in the crowd as well. As usual, three hours just isn\'t enough and many stayed on well after the event to chat.\r\n\r\nThursday, we kicked-off with introductions by Dave that led into industry and Aquatherm updates. Dave discussed the new dual-durometer couplings and that there have only been two reported failures to date with over 200,000 in the field since the product\'s introduction in 2009. He also mentioned that a completely serviceable version of our 2\" VRV with the locking retainer design has begun shipping.\r\n\r\nDave also shared with us a bit about Aquatherm\'s \"why\". What is that, you ask? Well it is about why we get up every day and do what we do. Dave recently had the chance to spend a day with Simon Sinek, author of \"Start with Why\" and digs deep into the \"whys\" of Aquatherm. Since then, we have updated our Company Overview to include a letter from Dave that encompasses more of the \"why\" regarding Aquatherm. If you haven\'t had a chance to see the new version yet you can <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjhyI7l_FSxRu9PMjBjUZ5pw4X5vB5csV4MEaehKbTsGX\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">download it here</a>.\r\n\r\nIn Kevin\'s Engineering update, he reviewed the differences in standard organizations, accredited laboratories and certification bodies that are used in the industry and updated us on Aquatherm\'s ISO quality statistics. He presented a new online commercial survey form that is available for use now by going to <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AWXK82mF6yHVaOMtTGmCh2O6bWKuXaYFA3Jm9nvvehyMSz1Jy5p4Dfo6WNBDmEtu8OVHVXXdmQUvBtFIHPwOjnjXWHSSJJu_td2VQWiI2FfprfkARDKPfqDRGdINdVtptd71l6PtakY=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/survey</a> and previewed the new on-line RMR / LAR form, which will be introduced in March. Aquatherm has also released a new installation manual that was presented and is available in PDF or in iBooks format. Kevin also showed us some new projects that Aquatherm is working on including a new polypropylene \"flashing base\" for the 50006 and 50069 mounting brackets; a collector rack that will be specifically designed with our mounting hardware in mind, and the concept of a ballast mounting system for those times when roof penetrations are not desirable.\r\n\r\nWe were treated to several \"Fifteen Minutes of Fame\" by a few of our dealers during the meeting. They included Ethan Horvitz from Solar Living who shared a presentation on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and how the Aquatherm systems fared far better than the competition during the storm; Daniel Garcia of Modulo Solar shared some of their recent large commercial projects that they have done; and Mark Turnbull of Ecosun Australia talked about his market and goals for the future. And, lastly, as a stand in for Rich Bonte, Ethan spoke about the Red Lion High School project that was done in Pennsylvania - a unique glycol based design. Thank you to all who participated in sharing your insights with us and some of the lessons you have learned along the way.\r\n\r\nIn the Sales breakout we spent time reviewing the sales presentation and we unveiled the updated Lessons Learned section for the presentation. The updates include new formatting and the information condensed to one sheet. We also reviewed the Heliocol BTU comparison sheets and handed out the new comparison showing the Eco-Spark from UMA. Should you need a copy of any of this information you will find it on the portal.\r\n\r\nWe continued the sales breakout with a rundown of the Master Dealer Status and levels for both yearly and lifetime status. We also covered the Master Dealer Coop Program and thank you and referrals gifts for homeowners. Lastly, we offered up the return of the Bounty Hunter Program for the month of February to start the year off right! Should you need additional information on any of the above please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me directly.\r\n\r\nDuring the Marketing Breakout, Dan reviewed some of the more popular social media and networking tools available today, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ (formerly Google Places), and YouTube. One key take away is to make sure you run a Google search for \"your business name here google plus\". You might be surprised to find your business already has a Google+ page, in which case you should claim it immediately by clicking the \"Manage this page\" button in the bottom right. Once you\'ve claimed your page, you\'ll unlock some features like the ability to add an \"About Us\" section and some photos. More importantly, claiming your page ensures you will be notified by email if a review is posted on your page.\r\n\r\nThere will always be a new social media tool popping up and generating hype - some of which may be helpful to your marketing efforts. However, there are also only so many hours in a day. By first researching a service\'s key user demographics, then considering potential marketing reach compared with time invested, you can maximize the effectiveness of social in your marketing plan. Dan went on to discuss current website best practices, such as making sure your website is \"mobile-friendly\" by pulling it up on your own smart phone and tablet. He also touched on how best to integrate social tools into your existing website, including the use of the Facebook \"Like\" and \"Share\" buttons.\r\n\r\nFinally, Dan and the groups discussed online review sites, including Yelp, Angie\'s List, Google+, and Facebook. These sites have the greatest potential to help or harm your businesses, and it\'s important to be aware of any reviews. Dan recounted a phone conversation with an exasperated Rick Vasquez of Vasco Solar last year, after Rick had just lost an all-but-closed sale due to a last minute search that turned up a negative review on Yelp. Unfortunately, much like Google+, businesses can often be listed on Yelp without any consent or knowledge from the business owner. It\'s a good idea to run a Google search for your business, as well as search on each of these sites individually. Claiming your listing on these sites allows you to respond to any reviews, whether positive or negative. If you have received a negative review for your business, Dan suggests the following: 1) Respond professionally by apologizing for their experience and asking them to call or email you directly. This response can benefit you two ways: you will have an opportunity to get your reviewer offline to resolve the conflict (many times they will agree to remove or edit their review if you resolve the issue; others will see you as an accountable business owner who doesn\'t hide from their problems.  2) Reach out to your best customers - start with those who have given you business through referrals - and ask them to leave a review on the site. When there are at least three or four positive reviews of your business, that one negative review is much less likely to scare away a potential customer.\r\n\r\nFeel free to contact Dan directly for any help with websites and social media.\r\n\r\nWe had several representatives from the industry come in to present and answer questions from the group. Tom from Pentair spoke about the Solar Touch control while Marshall from Quick Mount PV talked to us about the new flashing they will be offering to use with our systems. Lastly, Eric from EGIA spoke on the Geosmart financing program. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.\r\n\r\nThat evening we met for some fun, camaraderie, and our annual Dealer Awards Ceremony at the Brio Restaurant. After a great dinner, we culminated our time together with the awards ceremony, where our Master Dealers and Salesmen were recognized for the outstanding sales performances in 2012. Our guest speaker, Ed Murray, Treasurer of CalSEIA and Board Member of National SEIA updated us on what is happening on the national and California solar thermal scenes. Lastly, invitees were announced to the 2013 Summer Sales Retreat, which will be in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July.\r\n\r\nFriday morning the California dealers, along with Ed Murray, met for a special breakfast meeting to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program. Although the program has yet to be instituted dealers were able to learn more about the California commercial market and the potential opportunities once the program is online.\r\n\r\nThank you to all who participated in the meeting and making it a great start to 2013!\r\n\r\nWell, this year is off to a great start for many of you! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for January with 26 sales. Way to start the year Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Nice job Scott! Rounding out the top 3 for the January is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 16 sales for January. Great month Bill!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> came out on top with 259 collectors installed for January. What a nice way to start the year for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2nd with 182 collectors. Well done Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 105 collectors for the month. Way to start the year off with a bang, Jim!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Association of Aquatic Professionals, March 2nd - 3rd in Austin, Texas</li>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nThis year is off to a great start. Now let\'s keep up the momentum!','January 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','934-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 15:51:40','2013-05-07 15:51:40','',934,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/934-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(949,1,'2013-05-07 15:42:32','2013-05-07 15:42:32','Happy first day of Spring everyone! Many of you are reporting that you\'ve already started to feel the season \"spring\" into action early this year. It is certainly a sign that we are starting to see glimmers in the economy coming back to life.\r\n\r\nWhen the recession hit five years ago, new pool construction abruptly stopped. Now that the economy is starting to recover, backhoes and workers are starting to fill backyards again and new pools are going in. Many of you know about Construction Monitor and more than likely stopped subscribing to the service after the economic downturn. For those of you who are not familiar with Construction Monitor, they are a web based company that has been in business since 1989 providing weekly building permit information to industry professionals. It is a subscription service and the reports are compiled by county. You can subscribe to one or all of the counties you service and compile a list of homeowners with pools for marketing purposes.\r\n\r\nI have heard many positive stories from those that already use the service. Getting this list gives them early access to those building a pool and the opportunity to sell the benefits of solar pool heating to them before their competition. Even if they don\'t buy initially, this same potential customer is perfect to market to after owning the pool for 2 -5 years since they are probably not enjoying it as much as they thought they would because the pool is just too cold.\r\n\r\nFor those of you interested in subscribing to Construction Monitor or learning more about their services their website is <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BG74qGV779iNa1vaHjYKELy7u5_SDZyvxFBz2t-E1VLskggRux2DQUF1viTc6wH-wc4Iu7mYHAVgxRdFDCwIewRmtN2Jx3jZisRxtUrj4g_7ymG7jztuCBTggrxcj-6xyjyAEWeQwb0=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">https://www.constructionmonitor.com/</a>\r\n\r\nNow for the numbers! First off - I try to get this memo and report out to you complete in a timely manner every month, but often find myself waiting weeks for just one or two more sales numbers. In the future, if I don\'t have your numbers by the 15th of the month I\'ll be using DNR, which will stand for DID NOT REPORT instead of a \"0\" from this point forward. Let\'s hope I\'ll never have to use it!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for February with 29 sales. Another great month Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 26 sales. Outstanding Bill! Rounding out the top 3 is <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 19 sales for February. Welcome back Dennis!!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> is the number one dealer with 301 collectors installed for the month. Congratulations to Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> Solar Specialists came in 2nd with 217 collectors. Nice job, Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 133 collectors for the month. Fabulous February, Dennis!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Solar Power International, October 21st - 24th in Chicago, Illinois</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAs a reminder, Aquatherm will be closed on Friday, March 29th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, April 1st.\r\n\r\nLastly, Dawn is out for eight weeks until mid-May. In her absence, Pati, Janet, Carol, Dan and I will all be doing their best to cover for her. Please be patient if we just don\'t get to something as quick as you\'re accustomed to. Dawn should be back just in time for the thick of the season.','February 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','936-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 15:42:32','2013-05-07 15:42:32','',936,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/936-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(950,1,'2013-05-07 15:51:29','2013-05-07 15:51:29','<p>Earlier this year at the Aquatherm National Dealer meeting Eric Howarth, from EGIA, presented an opportunity for all of you to sign up for their financing programs. Not only is financing a great way to offer homeowners additional options for payment with the CSI program looming in California, there are thousands of smaller commercial pools that could benefit from financing options.</p>\r\n<p>Eric spoke about the <strong>Geosmart Financing Program</strong> that is available to all of you. The cost to join is only $250 per year and Master Dealers may use their coop funds towards membership. EGIA offers multiple programs to suit your needs including unsecured loan programs with financing of up to $40,000. Please contact me directly if you are interested in financing programs and I will connect you with Eric.</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>press releases</strong> to promote new projects, announce new products and happenings to the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to promote your noteworthy commercial projects as well. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for a future release.</p>\r\n<p>On to the numbers, amazingly enough the top three in each category were the same!<strong> Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman and Dealer in the country for March with 52 sales and 392 collectors sold! Amazing month Mark! Coming in 2nd with 25 sales and 294 collectors is <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar. Fabulous job Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! Rounding out the top three is a tie between <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar and <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 23 sales and 161 collectors each for March. Marvelous March, Bill and Dennis!!</p>\r\n<p>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>CSI Stakeholders Meeting, April 23rd in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco</li>\r\n<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, November 12th - 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>If you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.</p>\r\n','March 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','939-revision-7','','','2013-05-07 15:51:29','2013-05-07 15:51:29','',939,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/939-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(951,1,'2013-05-07 15:51:59','2013-05-07 15:51:59','Happy first day of Spring everyone! Many of you are reporting that you\'ve already started to feel the season \"spring\" into action early this year. It is certainly a sign that we are starting to see glimmers in the economy coming back to life.\r\n\r\nWhen the recession hit five years ago, new pool construction abruptly stopped. Now that the economy is starting to recover, backhoes and workers are starting to fill backyards again and new pools are going in. Many of you know about Construction Monitor and more than likely stopped subscribing to the service after the economic downturn. For those of you who are not familiar with Construction Monitor, they are a web based company that has been in business since 1989 providing weekly building permit information to industry professionals. It is a subscription service and the reports are compiled by county. You can subscribe to one or all of the counties you service and compile a list of homeowners with pools for marketing purposes.\r\n\r\nI have heard many positive stories from those that already use the service. Getting this list gives them early access to those building a pool and the opportunity to sell the benefits of solar pool heating to them before their competition. Even if they don\'t buy initially, this same potential customer is perfect to market to after owning the pool for 2 -5 years since they are probably not enjoying it as much as they thought they would because the pool is just too cold.\r\n\r\nFor those of you interested in subscribing to Construction Monitor or learning more about their services their website is <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BG74qGV779iNa1vaHjYKELy7u5_SDZyvxFBz2t-E1VLskggRux2DQUF1viTc6wH-wc4Iu7mYHAVgxRdFDCwIewRmtN2Jx3jZisRxtUrj4g_7ymG7jztuCBTggrxcj-6xyjyAEWeQwb0=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">https://www.constructionmonitor.com/</a>\r\n\r\nNow for the numbers! First off - I try to get this memo and report out to you complete in a timely manner every month, but often find myself waiting weeks for just one or two more sales numbers. In the future, if I don\'t have your numbers by the 15th of the month I\'ll be using DNR, which will stand for DID NOT REPORT instead of a \"0\" from this point forward. Let\'s hope I\'ll never have to use it!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for February with 29 sales. Another great month Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 26 sales. Outstanding Bill! Rounding out the top 3 is <strong>Dennis Esposito</strong> from Performance Solar with 19 sales for February. Welcome back Dennis!!\r\n\r\n<strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> is the number one dealer with 301 collectors installed for the month. Congratulations to Bill and the entire team at Stilwell! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> Solar Specialists came in 2nd with 217 collectors. Nice job, Mark! 3rd place goes to <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 133 collectors for the month. Fabulous February, Dennis!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 12th  - 14th in Malta, NY</li>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th - 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Solar Power International, October 21st - 24th in Chicago, Illinois</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAs a reminder, Aquatherm will be closed on Friday, March 29th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, April 1st.\r\n\r\nLastly, Dawn is out for eight weeks until mid-May. In her absence, Pati, Janet, Carol, Dan and I will all be doing their best to cover for her. Please be patient if we just don\'t get to something as quick as you\'re accustomed to. Dawn should be back just in time for the thick of the season.','February 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','936-revision-4','','','2013-05-07 15:51:59','2013-05-07 15:51:59','',936,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/936-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(952,1,'2013-05-07 15:50:31','2013-05-07 15:50:31','Thank you to all who attended our <strong>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</strong>last week in Las Vegas! It was a great meeting that included vendors, guest speakers, breakout sessions and a wonderful awards dinner. I will review the meeting highlights in the next sales report, but I wanted to take the time to recognize all of the award winners this month.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s on to a fresh start for 2013, but first let\'s wrap up the numbers for 2012.\r\n\r\nWow, what a strong finish to the year! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> is the top salesman in the country for December with 27 sales. Way to go, Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar came in 2nd place with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! Rounding out the top 3 for the second month in a row is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar with 18 sales for December. Nice job, Scott! A combined 37 total sales for Stilwell - awesome!\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came out on top with 287 collectors installed for December. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>came in 2nd with 196 collectors - that\'s even more than last month Mark - Fantastic! 3rd place goes to <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 75 collectors for December. Way to go Rick and Maureen.\r\n\r\nWe had seven dealers hit the 100 sales mark for the year and one get really close! Also, based on your reporting, Aquatherm Master Dealers finished the year with 50 more systems installed than last year. Congratulations to you all and thank you for a great year.\r\n\r\nA big congratulations to <strong>Suncatcher of Atlanta</strong>, a Master Dealer since 1993, they officially achieved <strong>Lifetime Silver Master Dealer</strong> status in 2012. Congratulations to Gerry and his team and thank you for your years of commitment to Aquatherm Industries.\r\n\r\nHere\'s a summary of the awards from our meeting:\r\n\r\nThe <strong>2012 Top Ten Salesman</strong> in the Nation:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of Naylor Solar Specialists</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Bill Park</strong> of Central Florida Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Scott Bologna</strong> of Stilwell Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Brandon Chase </strong>of SunChaser, Inc.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Richard Good </strong>of Solar Services</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Jim Roark </strong>of Roark Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Dave Setter </strong>of M &amp; K Solar</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rick Vasquez </strong>of Vasco Solar</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Top Salesman of 2012</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top SI Salesman </strong>in the Nation was <strong>Bill Long</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Top Ecosun Salesman </strong>in the Nation was presented to <strong>Bill Park</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One SI Dealer</strong> in the Nation was <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Number One Ecosun Dealer</strong> in the Nation was presented to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Rising Star Award</strong> for Outstanding Sales was presented to <strong>Roy Aghdam</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>The High Impact Award</strong> for Largest Percentage Increase over last year was presented to <strong>Todd Franzen</strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customer Satisfaction Awards</strong> based on submitted on-line registration comments were awarded to <strong>Solar Services, Vasco Solar and M &amp; K</strong> for Solar Industries and <strong>United Solar, Central Florida Solar and Compass Solar</strong> for Ecosun.\r\n\r\nFinally, the invitees were announced to the <strong>2013 Summer Sales Retreat</strong> which will be at the <strong>RUI Guanacaste in Costa Rica</strong>, July 29 to August 3. Attending will be Mark Naylor, Bill Long, Terry Naylor, Bill Park, Brandon Chase, Richard Good, Jim Roark and Dave Setter.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to all of our award winners and retreat invitees. Thank you again for your continued business - we are lucky to have such a talented group of individuals to call our Master Dealers!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Show, February 15 &amp; 16 in Orlando, Booth #1018</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.','December 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','882-revision-6','','','2013-05-07 15:50:31','2013-05-07 15:50:31','',882,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/882-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(953,1,'2012-12-17 18:55:26','2012-12-17 18:55:26','Happy Holidays everyone!\n\nLast year it took<strong> </strong>until December for <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar to knock Mark Naylor off the number one salesman perch. Bill is the top salesman for November in the country with 31 sales. Way to go Bill! Staying strong in California is <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> in that 2<sup>nd</sup> place spot with 23 sales - great finish to November Mark. Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> for the month of is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar<strong>. </strong>Well done, Scott!\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Stilwell Solar</strong> who claimed the top dealer spot two months in a row with 336 collectors installed for November. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 175 collectors - Mark, great job! And in 3<sup>rd</sup> place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 77 collectors for November. Back in the top three two months in a row – Go Jim!\n\nSix members of the Top 10 Club have already hit 100 sales for the year and three more are within striking distance. Dave hasn’t divulged the location of our 2012 Summer Sales Retreat yet, but he’s hinted that it’s one of the locations he visited during his international travels this year.\n\nI recently spoke with Rob Shepherd from Daystar Energy and he shared a new marketing technique he tried in Canada. Rob’s season normally comes to a halt in early October but this year has been particularly tough in his market. Rob tried to think outside the box to do something that would add additional installs before winter kicked-in up in Canada. He ran an ad in his local newspaper for under $50 that offered <strong>“Free Installation”</strong> with the purchase of a system. Well, it worked! Rob has sold 6 systems from this ad and received additional referrals as well from this one advertisement. He has priced the systems in such a way that he is still profiting well from each sale and is extremely excited to do this again next year. He stated, “This was just one newspaper imagine the sales opportunities once I try five or six of my area papers!” Thanks for sharing your success story Rob.\n\nOur <strong>Distribution Center and</strong> <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-Off Meeting</strong> is fast approaching and we’re excited for the opportunity for you to connect with other dealers and distributors from throughout the Aquatherm Network. Be on the look-out for the formal agenda and memo with additional travel details shortly. The Distribution Center Meeting will take place from 1:00 to 5:00 the afternoon of the 23<sup>rd</sup> with a reception for all that evening; the National Dealer Kick-Off Meeting is from 9:00 to 5:00 on the 24th with an Awards Dinner and speaker to follow. There will be also be a special breakfast meeting the morning of the 25th from 8:00 to 10:00 for the California attendees to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program.\n\nWe look forward to seeing you all in January!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Distribution Center and National Dealer Meeting, January 23rd - 25th at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, January 29th- 31st in Atlantic City, Booth #2125</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>MiaGreen Expo and Conference, January 31<sup>st</sup> – February 1<sup>st</sup> in Miami Beach, Booth #428</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<strong>Aquatherm will be closed</strong> on Monday, December 24<sup>th</sup> and Tuesday, December 25<sup>th</sup> for the Christmas holiday and Monday, December 31<sup>st</sup> and Tuesday, January 1<sup>st</sup> for New Year’s. We wish you all a fabulous holiday season with your friends and families! We thank you for your continued relationship with Aquatherm and appreciate your business. Here’s to a strong start to 2013!\n\nBest to you all,\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMolly\n\n&nbsp;','November 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','814-revision','','','2012-12-17 18:55:26','2012-12-17 18:55:26','',814,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/814-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(954,1,'2012-11-17 18:47:41','2012-11-17 18:47:41','I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and were able to spend some time with your family and friends! As I take time to reflect on the year I just wanted to thank you all for your business and look forward to many more years together.\n\nWith 33 sales <strong>Mark Naylor </strong>again took the top Salesperson spot for October. What a month Mark! In a tie for 2<sup>nd</sup> is the team at Stilwell Solar - with 22 sales each, <strong>Bill Long</strong> and <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> had a fabulous month. Nice job gentlemen! In 3<sup>rd</sup> place for October, with 15 sales, is <strong>Jim Roark</strong> of Roark Solar – now that’s our Jim!\n\nAs they often do this time of year,<strong> Stilwell Solar </strong>took the top Dealer spot with 308 collectors sold for October. Great month Bill and Scott! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2<sup>nd</sup> place with 245 collectors sold. Nice Job Mark! And jumping into 3<sup>rd</sup> place for October with 105 collectors sold is <strong>Roark Solar</strong>.<!--more-->\n\nIn the northeast, Superstorm Sandy left a huge path of destruction and many thousands are still displaced from their homes. Though Aquatherm did not sustain any damage, many of our staff were without power for over a week. As in every situation, there are always some positive stories. Ethan and Rich from Solar Living passed on some solar pool heating stats from the storm that we thought were worth sharing with all of you.\n<ul>\n	<li>Since the storm, Solar Living has received over 65 service calls. Of those calls, 25 of the systems were not installed by Solar Living and all of these were from homeowners whose systems came off the roof during the storm.</li>\n	<li>Ethan and Rich found these systems were installed using plastic mounting hardware or incorrectly installed strapping. Two of the systems were loose tube collectors that had no straps.</li>\n	<li>Nearly 40 of the calls were from system owners who had damage to their collectors or feed and return piping from falling trees.</li>\n	<li>Of the 2,000 systems that Solar Living has installed in their history, only three suffered wind damage.</li>\n</ul>\nRich said that he couldn’t be more pleased that his installations and the stainless steel mounting hardware withstood the elements when put to the test. Ethan plans to make this a big selling point in the spring. Both Rich and Ethan will be at this year’s National Dealer Meeting and Ethan will be doing a presentation showing the storm damage they encountered.\n\nSpeaking of our meeting, it is really shaping up to be quite the event. Over 40 Distributors, Dealers and staff will be in attendance. Pentair and Quick Mount PV will be in attendance at the reception and will also be presenting during the meeting. Quick Mount PV will be introducing a custom flashing that they have designed for our stainless steel mounting hardware. If you have any topics that you’d like us to address during the meetings or other industry vendors you think we should invite, please let me know.\n\n<strong>Aquatherm’s upcoming events:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Solar Thermal 2012 Conference and Exhibition, December 6th – 7th in Milwaukee.</strong> Dave will be presenting during the Conference on the topic of “Saving Energy and Money: Hybrid Solar Pool Heating for Commercial Pools.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Distribution Center and National Dealer Meeting, January 23rd – 25<sup>th</sup> at the </strong><strong>South Point Hotel Las Vegas.</strong> The Distribution Meeting will be from 1:00 to 5:00 the afternoon of the 23<sup>rd</sup>; the National Dealer Meeting from 9:00 to 5:00 on the 24<sup>th</sup> and there will be a special breakfast meeting the morning of the 25<sup>th</sup> from 8:00 to 10:00 for the California attendees to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program.</li>\n	<li><strong>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, January 29th<sup> </sup>– 31<sup>st </sup>in </strong><strong>Atlantic City, Booth #2125</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nMay you all enjoy the holiday season ahead and I’m looking forward to seeing you all in January!\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nBest,\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMolly\n\n&nbsp;','October 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','808-revision','','','2012-11-17 18:47:41','2012-11-17 18:47:41','',808,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/808-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(955,1,'2012-10-23 15:59:37','2012-10-23 15:59:37','Fall is officially upon us and with the change in the air we finally have a shake up in the top three numbers this month. With 27 sales, <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> remains at the top Salesperson spot for September. Way to go Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 14 sales for the month – nice job Terry. In 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <strong>Gerry Kilgore </strong>of Suncatcher of Atlanta with 13 sales for September. Gerry shared with me that he had one of his best months ever in business in September. Fantastic job Gerry!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists</strong> stayed in the top spot for September with 217 collectors sold. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Stilwell Solar </strong>took the 2<sup>nd</sup> place spot with 126 collectors sold for September. Great month Bill and Scott – your fall season is just about to rev up! And rounding out the top three with 113 collectors sold is <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong>. Excellent September Terry!\r\n\r\n<strong>Richard Good</strong> and his team at <strong>Solar Services</strong> recently participated in the 2012 National Solar Tour of the American Solar Energy Society. In the last two years of participation, they have had more than 80 visitors tour their facility, his home and the homes of his employees that have installed solar technologies.  Now in its 17<sup>th</sup> year, the ASES National Solar Tour offers the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how homeowners can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills. This is a <strong>FREE</strong> open house to all homeowners and each business is able to be the expert on-hand to answer questions and set the stage for a follow up appointment with all interested leads.\r\n\r\nMore than 165,000 participants will visit some 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the U.S. Most tours occur on a Saturday in early October, but be sure to check for earlier dates and even some week-long celebrations in your community! There are also sponsorship opportunities and promotion help for those that participate and wave the solar flag to make this a successful event for everyone involved. For more information on how you can participate in this event in the future please visit <a href=\"http://www.nationalsolartour.org/\">www.nationalsolartour.org</a>.\r\n\r\nThe <strong>National Dealer and Distribution Center Meeting in Las Vegas </strong>is starting to take shape and we are getting excited to share the details with you. Look for my detailed memo the week of October 22<sup>nd</sup> that will include the agenda and particulars for this event. As a reminder the dates of the meeting will be<strong>January 23<sup>rd</sup> – 25<sup>th</sup></strong>, <strong>2013 </strong>and will take place at the <strong>South Point Hotel Casino</strong>. We look forward to seeing you all there and starting 2013 off with a bang!\r\n\r\nAquatherm will be exhibiting at the following upcoming shows:\r\n\r\n<strong>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 6<sup>th</sup> – 8<sup>th\r\n</sup></strong>New Orleans, LA – Booth #1051\r\n\r\n<strong>Piscine 2012 Show Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 16th\r\n</strong>Lyon, France – Stand # 5B32\r\n\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nMay you all have a safe and fun Halloween!\r\n\r\n<strong>Best,</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Molly</strong>','September 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','54-revision-3','','','2012-10-23 15:59:37','2012-10-23 15:59:37','',54,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/54-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(956,1,'2013-05-07 15:53:07','2013-05-07 15:53:07','Happy Holidays everyone!\n\nLast year it took<strong> </strong>until December for <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar to knock Mark Naylor off the number one salesman perch. Bill is the top salesman for November in the country with 31 sales. Way to go Bill! Staying strong in California is <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> in that 2<sup>nd</sup> place spot with 23 sales - great finish to November Mark. Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> for the month of is <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar<strong>. </strong>Well done, Scott!\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Stilwell Solar</strong> who claimed the top dealer spot two months in a row with 336 collectors installed for November. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 175 collectors - Mark, great job! And in 3<sup>rd</sup> place goes to <strong>Roark Solar</strong> with 77 collectors for November. Back in the top three two months in a row – Go Jim!\n\nSix members of the Top 10 Club have already hit 100 sales for the year and three more are within striking distance. Dave hasn’t divulged the location of our 2012 Summer Sales Retreat yet, but he’s hinted that it’s one of the locations he visited during his international travels this year.\n\nI recently spoke with Rob Shepherd from Daystar Energy and he shared a new marketing technique he tried in Canada. Rob’s season normally comes to a halt in early October but this year has been particularly tough in his market. Rob tried to think outside the box to do something that would add additional installs before winter kicked-in up in Canada. He ran an ad in his local newspaper for under $50 that offered <strong>“Free Installation”</strong> with the purchase of a system. Well, it worked! Rob has sold 6 systems from this ad and received additional referrals as well from this one advertisement. He has priced the systems in such a way that he is still profiting well from each sale and is extremely excited to do this again next year. He stated, “This was just one newspaper imagine the sales opportunities once I try five or six of my area papers!” Thanks for sharing your success story Rob.\n\nOur <strong>Distribution Center and</strong> <strong>National Master Dealer Kick-Off Meeting</strong> is fast approaching and we’re excited for the opportunity for you to connect with other dealers and distributors from throughout the Aquatherm Network. Be on the look-out for the formal agenda and memo with additional travel details shortly. The Distribution Center Meeting will take place from 1:00 to 5:00 the afternoon of the 23<sup>rd</sup> with a reception for all that evening; the National Dealer Kick-Off Meeting is from 9:00 to 5:00 on the 24th with an Awards Dinner and speaker to follow. There will be also be a special breakfast meeting the morning of the 25th from 8:00 to 10:00 for the California attendees to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program.\n\nWe look forward to seeing you all in January!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Distribution Center and National Dealer Meeting, January 23rd - 25th at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, January 29th- 31st in Atlantic City, Booth #2125</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>MiaGreen Expo and Conference, January 31<sup>st</sup> – February 1<sup>st</sup> in Miami Beach, Booth #428</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<strong>Aquatherm will be closed</strong> on Monday, December 24<sup>th</sup> and Tuesday, December 25<sup>th</sup> for the Christmas holiday and Monday, December 31<sup>st</sup> and Tuesday, January 1<sup>st</sup> for New Year’s. We wish you all a fabulous holiday season with your friends and families! We thank you for your continued relationship with Aquatherm and appreciate your business. Here’s to a strong start to 2013!\n\nBest to you all,\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMolly\n\n&nbsp;','November 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','814-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:53:07','2013-05-07 15:53:07','',814,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/814-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(957,1,'2013-05-07 15:53:20','2013-05-07 15:53:20','I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and were able to spend some time with your family and friends! As I take time to reflect on the year I just wanted to thank you all for your business and look forward to many more years together.\n\nWith 33 sales <strong>Mark Naylor </strong>again took the top Salesperson spot for October. What a month Mark! In a tie for 2<sup>nd</sup> is the team at Stilwell Solar - with 22 sales each, <strong>Bill Long</strong> and <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> had a fabulous month. Nice job gentlemen! In 3<sup>rd</sup> place for October, with 15 sales, is <strong>Jim Roark</strong> of Roark Solar – now that’s our Jim!\n\nAs they often do this time of year,<strong> Stilwell Solar </strong>took the top Dealer spot with 308 collectors sold for October. Great month Bill and Scott! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2<sup>nd</sup> place with 245 collectors sold. Nice Job Mark! And jumping into 3<sup>rd</sup> place for October with 105 collectors sold is <strong>Roark Solar</strong>.<!--more-->\n\nIn the northeast, Superstorm Sandy left a huge path of destruction and many thousands are still displaced from their homes. Though Aquatherm did not sustain any damage, many of our staff were without power for over a week. As in every situation, there are always some positive stories. Ethan and Rich from Solar Living passed on some solar pool heating stats from the storm that we thought were worth sharing with all of you.\n<ul>\n	<li>Since the storm, Solar Living has received over 65 service calls. Of those calls, 25 of the systems were not installed by Solar Living and all of these were from homeowners whose systems came off the roof during the storm.</li>\n	<li>Ethan and Rich found these systems were installed using plastic mounting hardware or incorrectly installed strapping. Two of the systems were loose tube collectors that had no straps.</li>\n	<li>Nearly 40 of the calls were from system owners who had damage to their collectors or feed and return piping from falling trees.</li>\n	<li>Of the 2,000 systems that Solar Living has installed in their history, only three suffered wind damage.</li>\n</ul>\nRich said that he couldn’t be more pleased that his installations and the stainless steel mounting hardware withstood the elements when put to the test. Ethan plans to make this a big selling point in the spring. Both Rich and Ethan will be at this year’s National Dealer Meeting and Ethan will be doing a presentation showing the storm damage they encountered.\n\nSpeaking of our meeting, it is really shaping up to be quite the event. Over 40 Distributors, Dealers and staff will be in attendance. Pentair and Quick Mount PV will be in attendance at the reception and will also be presenting during the meeting. Quick Mount PV will be introducing a custom flashing that they have designed for our stainless steel mounting hardware. If you have any topics that you’d like us to address during the meetings or other industry vendors you think we should invite, please let me know.\n\n<strong>Aquatherm’s upcoming events:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Solar Thermal 2012 Conference and Exhibition, December 6th – 7th in Milwaukee.</strong> Dave will be presenting during the Conference on the topic of “Saving Energy and Money: Hybrid Solar Pool Heating for Commercial Pools.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Distribution Center and National Dealer Meeting, January 23rd – 25<sup>th</sup> at the </strong><strong>South Point Hotel Las Vegas.</strong> The Distribution Meeting will be from 1:00 to 5:00 the afternoon of the 23<sup>rd</sup>; the National Dealer Meeting from 9:00 to 5:00 on the 24<sup>th</sup> and there will be a special breakfast meeting the morning of the 25<sup>th</sup> from 8:00 to 10:00 for the California attendees to discuss the implementation of commercial pool heating as part of the CSI Rebate Program.</li>\n	<li><strong>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, January 29th<sup> </sup>– 31<sup>st </sup>in </strong><strong>Atlantic City, Booth #2125</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nMay you all enjoy the holiday season ahead and I’m looking forward to seeing you all in January!\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nBest,\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMolly\n\n&nbsp;','October 2012 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','808-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:53:20','2013-05-07 15:53:20','',808,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/808-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(958,1,'2013-04-18 00:54:16','2013-04-18 00:54:16','<em>Solar heating systems installed on California commercial pools will now qualify for the states current solar rebate incentive program. Governor Jerry Brown has just signed into law Assembly Bill 2249, an expansion on the Solar Water heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for solar water heating systems throughout the state. The bill, which had previously excluded swimming pools from eligibility under the program, redefines “solar water heating systems” to include solar pool heating systems at multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit facilities.</em>\r\n<div>Aquatherm Industries, U.S. manufacturer of solar pool heaters, applauds the California State Legislature’s successes in the introduction and subsequent passing of a Bill that will qualify commercial pool facilities to earn a rebate for the installation of a solar pool heating system.</div>\r\n“Swimming pools at businesses such as hotels, resorts, apartment complexes, homeowners associations, health clubs, camps, waterparks, and schools often have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature,” says Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO of Aquatherm.\r\n\r\n“This makes commercial pools perfect candidates for solar pool heating systems. Solar can provide a clean, domestic and affordable way to reduce the monthly energy bill for heating these facilities. It’s been said, ‘As California goes, so goes the country.’ We certainly hope that the California program will serve as a roadmap for other States to follow in the future.”\r\n\r\nHaving passed the California State Legislature in early September, Assembly Bill Number 2249 (AB2249) – which will extend eligibility for solar thermal incentives to public and semi-private commercial swimming pool solar heating– has been signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. The California Solar Energy Industry Association (CalSEIA) was instrumental in aiding the state Legislature’s efforts to introduce and pass the bill.\r\n\r\nAs part of the larger California Solar Initiative Thermal program, AB2249 is an amendment to the existing Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for the installation of 200,000 solar water heating systems in homes and businesses throughout the state by 2017.\r\n\r\nWhile the exact amount of the rebate has not yet been determined, early estimates among the industry indicate it will be between 35 and 50% of the cost of the system. Since performance of solar thermal systems is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), actual rebate figures will be determined by a price per averted therm.\r\n\r\nThough the Act specifically had excluded solar pool heaters in its definition of eligible solar water heating systems, AB2249 expands the current definition to include “multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems.” Single-family residential solar pool heating systems will continue to be excluded from the definition, and consequently, the rebate program.\r\n\r\nAccording to PK Data – which keeps statistics on the U.S. pool industry – there are over 186,000 heated commercial pools nationwide (approximately 45,000 in California – the most of any state). Of these pools, approximately 39%, or 115,540 are indoor; meaning they must be heated twelve months per year. Most of these pools are heated with fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, or heat pumps. This increases the U.S. dependence on imported fuels and pollutes the air. Assuming natural gas is used to heat these pools, the annual load of 261 trillion BTU’s is the equivalent CO2 of 6.6 millions of cars on the road per year.\r\n\r\nBased on the findings of the Legislature, “solar water heating systems represent the largest untapped natural gas saving potential remaining in California. The state is heavily dependent on natural gas, importing more than 80 percent of the natural gas it consumes. Water heating for domestic and industrial use relies almost entirely on natural gas and accounts for a significant percentage of the state’s natural gas consumption. Rising worldwide demand for natural gas and a shrinking supply create rising and unstable prices that can harm California consumers and the economy. Lastly, growing demand for these technologies will create jobs in California as well as promote greater energy independence, protect consumers from rising energy costs, and result in cleaner air.”','PRESS RELEASE: California’s New Commercial Solar Pool Rebate Legislation (AB2249)','','inherit','open','open','','51-revision-4','','','2013-04-18 00:54:16','2013-04-18 00:54:16','',51,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/51-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(959,1,'2013-05-07 15:54:04','2013-05-07 15:54:04','<em>Solar heating systems installed on California commercial pools will now qualify for the states current solar rebate incentive program. Governor Jerry Brown has just signed into law Assembly Bill 2249, an expansion on the Solar Water heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for solar water heating systems throughout the state. The bill, which had previously excluded swimming pools from eligibility under the program, redefines “solar water heating systems” to include solar pool heating systems at multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit facilities.</em>\r\n<div>Aquatherm Industries, U.S. manufacturer of solar pool heaters, applauds the California State Legislature’s successes in the introduction and subsequent passing of a Bill that will qualify commercial pool facilities to earn a rebate for the installation of a solar pool heating system.</div>\r\n“Swimming pools at businesses such as hotels, resorts, apartment complexes, homeowners associations, health clubs, camps, waterparks, and schools often have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature,” says Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO of Aquatherm.\r\n\r\n“This makes commercial pools perfect candidates for solar pool heating systems. Solar can provide a clean, domestic and affordable way to reduce the monthly energy bill for heating these facilities. It’s been said, ‘As California goes, so goes the country.’ We certainly hope that the California program will serve as a roadmap for other States to follow in the future.”\r\n\r\nHaving passed the California State Legislature in early September, Assembly Bill Number 2249 (AB2249) – which will extend eligibility for solar thermal incentives to public and semi-private commercial swimming pool solar heating– has been signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. The California Solar Energy Industry Association (CalSEIA) was instrumental in aiding the state Legislature’s efforts to introduce and pass the bill.\r\n\r\nAs part of the larger California Solar Initiative Thermal program, AB2249 is an amendment to the existing Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for the installation of 200,000 solar water heating systems in homes and businesses throughout the state by 2017.\r\n\r\nWhile the exact amount of the rebate has not yet been determined, early estimates among the industry indicate it will be between 35 and 50% of the cost of the system. Since performance of solar thermal systems is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), actual rebate figures will be determined by a price per averted therm.\r\n\r\nThough the Act specifically had excluded solar pool heaters in its definition of eligible solar water heating systems, AB2249 expands the current definition to include “multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems.” Single-family residential solar pool heating systems will continue to be excluded from the definition, and consequently, the rebate program.\r\n\r\nAccording to PK Data – which keeps statistics on the U.S. pool industry – there are over 186,000 heated commercial pools nationwide (approximately 45,000 in California – the most of any state). Of these pools, approximately 39%, or 115,540 are indoor; meaning they must be heated twelve months per year. Most of these pools are heated with fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, or heat pumps. This increases the U.S. dependence on imported fuels and pollutes the air. Assuming natural gas is used to heat these pools, the annual load of 261 trillion BTU’s is the equivalent CO2 of 6.6 millions of cars on the road per year.\r\n\r\nBased on the findings of the Legislature, “solar water heating systems represent the largest untapped natural gas saving potential remaining in California. The state is heavily dependent on natural gas, importing more than 80 percent of the natural gas it consumes. Water heating for domestic and industrial use relies almost entirely on natural gas and accounts for a significant percentage of the state’s natural gas consumption. Rising worldwide demand for natural gas and a shrinking supply create rising and unstable prices that can harm California consumers and the economy. Lastly, growing demand for these technologies will create jobs in California as well as promote greater energy independence, protect consumers from rising energy costs, and result in cleaner air.”','Press Release: California’s New Commercial Solar Pool Rebate Legislation (AB2249)','','inherit','open','open','','51-revision-5','','','2013-05-07 15:54:04','2013-05-07 15:54:04','',51,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/51-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(960,1,'2013-04-17 18:56:21','2013-04-17 18:56:21','I\'d like to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.\r\n\r\nI hope everyone had a good holiday and was able to find some time to relax with family and friends. Pat and I went to San Diego for a few days to visit family – I even got in a fun round of golf. We stayed in the Old Town section and each morning woke to the smell of freshly cooked tortillas in the air. It’s a great place to walk around with plenty of shops and restaurants - we may even have found a location for a future Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting.\r\n\r\nI\'m a regular follower of Seth Godin, and the title of his New Year’s post yesterday caught my eye;\r\n\r\n<strong>\"Do you remember?\" A year ago, do you remember where you stood? </strong>\r\n\r\nI do. It seemed like the bottom had dropped out of the economic recovery and I wondered if Aquatherm and our industry would ever be the same.\r\n\r\nWell the gloom and doom passed, we all survived and many of us even flourished. Aquatherm\'s international business grew to new heights and in California, AB 2249, which will add commercial solar pool heating to the existing California Solar Initiative Program was passed and signed into law. This program, which is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter, is legislated to continue until 2017. The program will provide rebates per displaced therm of natural gas that could equal as much as 50 to 60% of the cost of a solar pool hearing system. There are nearly 50,000 commercial pools in California and Aquatherm - along with our Network of Distributors and Dealers - is in the best position to make the most of this program.\r\n\r\nSeth goes on to ask (compared to last year) if we are more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about our work?\r\n\r\nHave you become more trusted, more skilled at what you do and more connected than you were last year? I think Aquatherm has - I believe that the work we\'re doing today is better than the work we\'ve done in the past - and the work we\'ll be doing in the future will be even better than the work we\'re doing today. Maybe it can be phrased as trust, plus skill, equals better connections to those whom our work really matters.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not more trusted, more skilled and more connected than you were a year ago, what can you do so that by this time next year, you will be?\r\n\r\nWhile New Year\'s resolutions may rarely work, this is still an opportunity to take stock of where you are and set some goals in writing for the New Year.\r\n\r\nPersonally, in 2013 I plan on continuing to make more time for myself. Arriving at the office before everyone else, being the last to leave, taking work home at night and not taking a vacation rarely leads to getting ahead like we think it will.\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard the safety briefing when we fly reminding us what to do if an oxygen mask drops down in front of us, right? I ask this question a lot of others - especially if they are a parent and have flown with their child. Their first thought of course is to put their child\'s mask on first - not realizing that they, themselves, may pass out while trying. You’re supposed to put your mask on first, so you can then help others around you. It’s good advice in life too.\r\n\r\nI’m looking forward to seeing most of you in Las Vegas later this month. Every one of our Distribution Centers will be represented and all but three our Master Dealers will be in attendance. We realize this is a commitment of your time and effort – a responsibility we don’t take lightly, so we\'ve been putting together what we feel will be one of our best Kick-off Meetings ever.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2013','','inherit','open','open','','820-revision-6','','','2013-04-17 18:56:21','2013-04-17 18:56:21','',820,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/820-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(961,1,'2013-04-17 18:56:47','2013-04-17 18:56:47','My Mom used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” - but apparently, not all Mom’s say that.\r\n\r\nLast February, UMA / Heliocol released their 2012 Solar Pool Heating Comparison vs. Aquatherm products which we rebutted with our own counterclaim comparison. Next, Heliocol took a stab at additional competitors with a <a title=\"Compare Heliocol to Others\" href=\"http://www.heliocol.com/heliocol-vs\" target=\"_blank\">“Heliocol vs.” page on their website</a>. I addressed the inaccuracies repeatedly with Victor Eyal, who at the time was the President and CEO of UMA / Heliocol USA, but to no avail. After a heated conversation with Victor at Intersolar in July that went nowhere, I decide to take to take it up with Victor’s apparent successor, Itzik Amar from Magen Eco-Energy in Israel. I met with Itzik briefly at the SLASH Show in Brisbane at the end of July and he indicated that he would address any issues I had. Four months later, nothing on the site has changed.\r\n\r\nI will be seeing Itzik again next week at Piscine in Lyon, but I am not optimistic. To that end, we have put together the following counterclaims to the false and misleading information on the Heliocol site.\r\n\r\n<strong>More Heat</strong> – As stated in the disclaimer, Heliocol is using the SRCC Category A (-9 degrees F) / Clear Day (2,000 Btu’s per day) rating. As I’m sure you are aware, these conditions would represent a pool temperature of 85 degrees F with an air temperature of 9 degrees higher, or 94 degrees F with 2,000 Btu’s per day of insolation. These conditions can be compared to Florida in June in terms of both temperature and solar radiation; hardly a set of circumstances where pool heating is even necessary.\r\n\r\nCategory B (+9 degrees F) / 1,500 Btu’s would mimic a pool temperature of 85 degrees and an air temperature of 76 degrees F; a time when pool heating is needed the most. At this rating, Aquatherm products are rated <strong>85% more efficient than Heliocol.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong><strong>Better Warranty</strong> – Heliocol states that an Aquatherm panel is covered by a ten-year warranty with labor and that Heliocol covers the panel, plus parts and labor. As you know, any of our flagship collectors and parts are warranted for 12 years when installed by an authorized Aquatherm Industries Master Dealer. Additionally, Aquatherm does offer an optional 12-year labor warranty when a system is purchased through an authorized Master Dealer.\r\n\r\n<strong>No Muss, No Fuss </strong>– Heliocol states that all Heliocol components are manufactured using “medical grade plastic” and that Aquatherm connects its panel with “radiator type hoses”. I have inquired with numerous industry sources about what makes a plastic “medical grade” and have found that there is no such accepted designation within the industry. In other words, it appears that this claim is completely made up. As for the description of our collector connectors, they are made from a specially formulated, dual-durometer material and are patent-pending, not corded-reinforced radiator hose as implied.\r\n\r\n<strong>More Choices</strong> – Initially, Heliocol’s terracotta and grey collectors require as much as 30% more surface area when compared to black collectors. Additionally, because they can not use carbon black, a proven UV degradation blocker, they have been known to fade, which will further reduce performance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Follow the Leader</strong> – Heliocol indicates that they are an ISO registered company. We attempted to verify their claim with the International Standards Organization, but they do not list Heliocol as an ISO registered company. Only a company can be ISO registered – not a product.\r\n\r\nMagen Eco-Energy is listed as being ISO 14000 registered, which is when a company agrees to operate in an environmentally friendly fashion; turn off lights, recycle, etc. This registration has nothing to do with product quality. Heliocol as a product again, is not ISO registered.\r\n\r\nHeliocol further indicates that Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 listing in 2011, the same year as the Helicol product. In fact, Aquatherm products received their NSF-50 system listing in September of 2010 and the Helicol product was not listed until June of 2011. And mind you, that listing occurred only after Heliocol was issued two regulatory actions by NSF for falsely promoting the Helicol product as being NSF-50 listed.\r\n\r\nLastly, the material used to manufacture Heliocol collectors is in fact NSF-61 listed, but only since 2011, not 2009. This listing is based an “open method” test with potable water – not in a closed recirculating system under swimming pool water conditions. This listing has no validity in a swimming pool environment.\r\n\r\n<strong>More Satisfied Customers</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm has produced only 25 million square feet of panel area vs. 60 million for Helicol. Their source for this information was an Aquatherm press release that was for only two of our product lines, Sunlite and Ecolite produced between 2000 and 2011. Though we do not openly disclose Aquatherm’s total sales, our total collector sales for all of our solar pool heating product lines has far exceed the 60 million square feet that Helicol claims it has produced.\r\n\r\n<strong>Protect Your Roof</strong> – Heliocol indicates that Aquatherm panels are of a “monolithic” design. The definition of monolithic is a solid or impenetrable shape. Aquatherm panels are not monolithic, but vented to allow for wind relief and venting of the mounting surface, such as a roof.\r\n\r\nThey also claim that their plastic Gator clamp allows for fewer penetrations to the roof. In fact, each Gator clamp requires two penetrations, and Heliocol recommends four per collector, for a total of eight penetrations per collector. Aquatherm’s standard installation with stainless steel mounting hardware requires just four penetrations and up to eight for high-wind installations.\r\n\r\nLastly, we would like to address two new Heliocol collectors; the <strong>eco-Flare </strong>and <strong>ECO-Spark</strong>. The Flare is a glazed, vented box version of the SunStar product – it was certified in May of 2011 and is being marketed as a domestic water heating product. The Spark, just introduced this summer, is a semi-glazed version of the Heliocol collector. This product is being heavily marketed as a “super-collector” for solar pool heating. The product uses a rectangular polycarbonate glazing over the loose tubes which end several inches from each header. This product has also entered the DIY market in a 2 x 4 ft. size through Maytronics – an Israeli pool cleaner manufacturer. They are promoting that one unit can heat an above ground pool up to 21 ft. diameter and two units for a 21 ft. or over, or a 15 x 30 ft. oval pool. We’ve even seem them marketed for inground pool with three recommended for a 16 x 32 ft. pool and four, for an 18 x 36 ft. pool.\r\n\r\nEven with a pool temperature at 85 degrees and the air at 76 degrees F, the only thing a glazing does is block sunlight from hitting the absorber surface. There is no “greenhouse effect” as claimed. As time goes on, the glazing will even begin to loose some of its transmitivity, so performance will even get worse.\r\n\r\nThe SRCC ratings for each of these products can be downloaded using this link: <a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/New-HC-Product-SRCC-Ratings.pdf\">Heliocol New Product SRCC Ratings</a>\r\n\r\nReferring again to Category B at 1,500 Btu’s, the Flare is rated at 15,400 Btu’s / 24.22 sq. ft., or .6 and the Spark at 30,600 Btu’s / 42.64 sq. ft., or .7. Since Aquatherm’s rating in this category is .9, <strong>our rating is 50% higher than the Flare and 29% higher than the Spark</strong>.\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I’ll be in Lyon, France next week at Piscine 2012 – the largest swimming pool show in the world, which only occurs every two years. This is the 10<sup>th</sup> time since 1994 that Aquatherm has exhibited. I know it sounds glamorous, but the Expo is four days, from 9 to 6 everyday. Add to that an hour metro / bus ride to the convention center, plus a six-hour time difference and some of the glamour starts to fade. Speaking of the time difference (Jim, Tom Lane, and Bill Park – listen up), no 5 pm cell phone calls please!','The Buck Stops Here - November 2012','','inherit','open','open','','772-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 18:56:47','2013-04-17 18:56:47','',772,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/772-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(962,1,'2012-06-18 14:46:28','2012-06-18 14:46:28','<strong>This month, let’s start with the numbers first! </strong>\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who dominated the top dealer spot with 329 collectors sold for May. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 245 collectors - way to go Terry! May was a record month for Terry - what a fantastic milestone! With 140 collectors, the 3<sup>rd</sup> place finish goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar.</strong> Nice job Bill!\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> is the top salesman in the country with 45 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> from <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 31 sales for May, and, we have a three-way tie for 3<sup>rd</sup> place;  <strong>Richard Good </strong>from <strong>Solar Services</strong>, <strong>Brandon Chase</strong> from <strong>Sunchaser Solar</strong> and <strong>Rob Shepherd</strong> from <strong>Daystar Energy</strong> all had 17 sales for the month of May. Well done gentlemen!<!--more-->\n\nAquatherm’s dealer network has grown with the addition of two new Master Dealers in California. A hearty welcome to both <strong>Alcor Solar in Concord</strong> and <strong>Catersolar in Woodland Hills. </strong>Al Accurso of Alcor has been a Sealed Air dealer and brings over 32 years of solar pool heating installation experience to our Network. Al will be selling the Solar Industries line. Roy Aghdam of Catersolar was a long-time Aquasol dealer and is excited to now handle Ecosun in the greater Los Angeles area. Roy speaks fluent Farsi, which positions him well to connect with the nearly 1.6 million Persians in his market area. Please help me welcome both of them to the Aquatherm family!\n\nAquatherm’s annual Summer Sales Trip is just about a month away and is taking place in New York City the first week in August. Attendees will be spending their first night on the Jersey Shore in Seaside Heights (trying to get a peak at Snooki) and then spend the following morning at the factory for a tour and factory updates. From there they will be off for the weekend to New York City to see such highlights as the 9/11 Memorial, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Broadway Musical <em>Once</em>, which just won eight Tony Awards. Sure to be a highlight of the trip is a dinner cruise around Manhattan as the sun sets and the skyline of Manhattan lights up.\n\nLastly, I wanted to share a great use of Coop funds by <strong>Brandon Chase</strong> from <strong>Sunchaser Solar, CA. </strong>Brandon decided to wrap his vehicle (see picture below) and promote solar pool heating all day long as he drives around his market. Yet another way to get the word out about his business without having to say a word. Well done Brandon - your truck looks terrific!!<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>For more ways that you can use your coop funds please don’t hesitate to call me directly and I will be happy to assist you.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','May Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','716-revision','','','2012-06-18 14:46:28','2012-06-18 14:46:28','',716,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/716-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(963,1,'2012-08-15 16:04:00','2012-08-15 16:04:00','Well, for the second time this year we have the same Top 3 for both number of collectors and sales!  With 49 sales and 364 collectors <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists</strong> dominated the top spot for July – way to go Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> had an impressive month with 193 collectors and 26 sales - fabulous month Terry! Rounding out the Top 3 for July is <strong>Bill Park </strong>of <strong>Central Florida Solar </strong>with 119 collectors sold and 17 sales – congratulations on a great month Bill!<!--more-->\n\nAquatherm Industries celebrated its <strong>20<sup>th</sup> Summer Sales Retreat</strong> this year in New York City. Invitees were first treated to a tour of the factory in Lakewood (photo to the right), and then whisked off to The Big Apple for four days of sights, sounds and shows! While in New York, the group toured the 911 Memorial, as well as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, before taking in a performance of “Once” on Broadway – winner of 8 Tony Awards. Our farewell night together was a dinner and dancing cruise, where guests were treated to sweeping views of the city and fun onboard entertainment.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_727\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dave leading the way on a portion of the tour\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Factory-Visit-0201.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-727\" title=\"Factory Visit 020\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Factory-Visit-0201-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We recently received a call from a Master Dealer in California who was alerted to a customer complaint on <strong>Yelp</strong>, a site that allows consumers to post reviews of businesses (for better or worse). For those of you who don’t follow Yelp.com for your own business, we certainly think it is a good idea to at least claim your business and respond to any complaints and positive comments alike.</p>\nOnce you get to Yelp.com you can easily search for your business in the bar at the top of the screen and this will show you if there are any reviews posted about your business. It takes about five minutes to claim your business and that will allow you to post comments as well. Should you need any help with Yelp, please don’t hesitate to contact Dan or myself and we would be happy to walk you through the process.\n\nA couple of reminders - Aquatherm will be exhibiting at the following shows:\n\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Solar Power International: Sep. 11<sup>th</sup> – 13th in Orlando, Booth #4163</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>International Pool and Spa Expo: Nov. 6<sup>th</sup> – 8<sup>th</sup> in New Orleans, Booth #1051</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Piscine 2012: Nov. 13<sup>th</sup> – 16<sup>th</sup> in Lyon, France, Stand #5B32</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n\nIf you would like more information on these shows or are in need of a badge, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nAlso, Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 27th.\n\nDuring this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal our business hours.\n\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Best,</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Molly</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','July Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','733-revision','','','2012-08-15 16:04:00','2012-08-15 16:04:00','',733,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/733-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(967,1,'2013-05-07 15:54:50','2013-05-07 15:54:50','Well, for the second time this year we have the same Top 3 for both number of collectors and sales!  With 49 sales and 364 collectors <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> of <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists</strong> dominated the top spot for July – way to go Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> of <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> had an impressive month with 193 collectors and 26 sales - fabulous month Terry! Rounding out the Top 3 for July is <strong>Bill Park </strong>of <strong>Central Florida Solar </strong>with 119 collectors sold and 17 sales – congratulations on a great month Bill!<!--more-->\n\nAquatherm Industries celebrated its <strong>20<sup>th</sup> Summer Sales Retreat</strong> this year in New York City. Invitees were first treated to a tour of the factory in Lakewood (photo to the right), and then whisked off to The Big Apple for four days of sights, sounds and shows! While in New York, the group toured the 911 Memorial, as well as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, before taking in a performance of “Once” on Broadway – winner of 8 Tony Awards. Our farewell night together was a dinner and dancing cruise, where guests were treated to sweeping views of the city and fun onboard entertainment.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_727\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dave leading the way on a portion of the tour\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Factory-Visit-0201.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-727\" title=\"Factory Visit 020\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Factory-Visit-0201-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We recently received a call from a Master Dealer in California who was alerted to a customer complaint on <strong>Yelp</strong>, a site that allows consumers to post reviews of businesses (for better or worse). For those of you who don’t follow Yelp.com for your own business, we certainly think it is a good idea to at least claim your business and respond to any complaints and positive comments alike.</p>\nOnce you get to Yelp.com you can easily search for your business in the bar at the top of the screen and this will show you if there are any reviews posted about your business. It takes about five minutes to claim your business and that will allow you to post comments as well. Should you need any help with Yelp, please don’t hesitate to contact Dan or myself and we would be happy to walk you through the process.\n\nA couple of reminders - Aquatherm will be exhibiting at the following shows:\n\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Solar Power International: Sep. 11<sup>th</sup> – 13th in Orlando, Booth #4163</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>International Pool and Spa Expo: Nov. 6<sup>th</sup> – 8<sup>th</sup> in New Orleans, Booth #1051</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Piscine 2012: Nov. 13<sup>th</sup> – 16<sup>th</sup> in Lyon, France, Stand #5B32</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n\nIf you would like more information on these shows or are in need of a badge, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nAlso, Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 27th.\n\nDuring this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal our business hours.\n\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Best,</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Molly</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','July Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','733-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:54:50','2013-05-07 15:54:50','',733,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/733-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(968,1,'2012-07-15 16:06:39','2012-07-15 16:06:39','Congratulations to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> <strong>Solar Specialists </strong>for another great month with 385 collectors sold in June! <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> also had an impressive month with 238 collectors - fabulous month Terry! We have a battle of the Bills for 3<sup>rd</sup> place; <strong>Stilwell Solar </strong>and <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong> both ended the month with 133 collectors sold. Excellent job gentlemen!\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor’s</strong> 49 sales lands him in the Top Salesman spot for June – nice job Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor </strong>from came in second for the month with 30 sales. Way to go Terry! And, in 3rd place is <strong>Bill Park</strong> with 19 sales. Congratulations Bill! At the halfway point into 2012, everyone in the Top 10 Club is at least halfway to 100 sales for the year.<!--more-->\n\nIt’s never too early to start planning for next year and we have been doing just that. I am pleased to announce that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting a <strong>National Dealer and Distribution Center Meeting in Las Vegas next January 23<sup>rd</sup> – 25<sup>th</sup></strong>,<strong> 2013</strong> and will take place at the <strong>South Point Hotel Casino</strong>.\n\nHere are just a few reasons you will want to join us for this productive event:\n<ul>\n	<li>Opening night reception will feature key vendors from the industry</li>\n	<li>Introduction of our New Master Dealer Coop Leadership Pool Program</li>\n	<li>Breakout Sales &amp; Marketing sessions</li>\n	<li>Updated Master Dealer Programs for 2013</li>\n	<li>New Online RMR for Master Dealers</li>\n	<li>New Online Installation manual with embedded video</li>\n</ul>\nWe will be updating you as more details become available, but wanted to let you know as early as possible so you can start setting this time aside in your schedules. We look forward to seeing all of your there for a few days of camaraderie.\n\nHere are the trade shows Aquatherm will be exhibiting at for the remainder of the year:\n\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Solar Power International: September 11<sup>th</sup> – 13th in Orlando;                            Booth #4163</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>International Pool and Spa Expo: November 6<sup>th</sup> – 8<sup>th</sup> in New Orleans          Booth #1051</strong></li>\n</ul>\n<strong> </strong>\n\nIf you would like more information on these shows or are in need of a badge please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you. We hope to see you all there.\n\nAnd for those of you attending the Summer Sales Retreat in New York City in a couple of weeks, I’ll see you there!\n\n<strong>Best,</strong>\n\n<strong>Molly</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','June Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','736-revision','','','2012-07-15 16:06:39','2012-07-15 16:06:39','',736,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/736-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(969,1,'2013-05-07 15:54:46','2013-05-07 15:54:46','<strong>This month, let’s start with the numbers first! </strong>\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who dominated the top dealer spot with 329 collectors sold for May. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 245 collectors - way to go Terry! May was a record month for Terry - what a fantastic milestone! With 140 collectors, the 3<sup>rd</sup> place finish goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar.</strong> Nice job Bill!\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> is the top salesman in the country with 45 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> from <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 31 sales for May, and, we have a three-way tie for 3<sup>rd</sup> place;  <strong>Richard Good </strong>from <strong>Solar Services</strong>, <strong>Brandon Chase</strong> from <strong>Sunchaser Solar</strong> and <strong>Rob Shepherd</strong> from <strong>Daystar Energy</strong> all had 17 sales for the month of May. Well done gentlemen!<!--more-->\n\nAquatherm’s dealer network has grown with the addition of two new Master Dealers in California. A hearty welcome to both <strong>Alcor Solar in Concord</strong> and <strong>Catersolar in Woodland Hills. </strong>Al Accurso of Alcor has been a Sealed Air dealer and brings over 32 years of solar pool heating installation experience to our Network. Al will be selling the Solar Industries line. Roy Aghdam of Catersolar was a long-time Aquasol dealer and is excited to now handle Ecosun in the greater Los Angeles area. Roy speaks fluent Farsi, which positions him well to connect with the nearly 1.6 million Persians in his market area. Please help me welcome both of them to the Aquatherm family!\n\nAquatherm’s annual Summer Sales Trip is just about a month away and is taking place in New York City the first week in August. Attendees will be spending their first night on the Jersey Shore in Seaside Heights (trying to get a peak at Snooki) and then spend the following morning at the factory for a tour and factory updates. From there they will be off for the weekend to New York City to see such highlights as the 9/11 Memorial, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Broadway Musical <em>Once</em>, which just won eight Tony Awards. Sure to be a highlight of the trip is a dinner cruise around Manhattan as the sun sets and the skyline of Manhattan lights up.\n\nLastly, I wanted to share a great use of Coop funds by <strong>Brandon Chase</strong> from <strong>Sunchaser Solar, CA. </strong>Brandon decided to wrap his vehicle (see picture below) and promote solar pool heating all day long as he drives around his market. Yet another way to get the word out about his business without having to say a word. Well done Brandon - your truck looks terrific!!<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>For more ways that you can use your coop funds please don’t hesitate to call me directly and I will be happy to assist you.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','May Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','716-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 15:54:46','2013-05-07 15:54:46','',716,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/716-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(971,1,'2013-05-07 15:54:17','2013-05-07 15:54:17','<em>Solar heating systems installed on California commercial pools will now qualify for the states current solar rebate incentive program. Governor Jerry Brown has just signed into law Assembly Bill 2249, an expansion on the Solar Water heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for solar water heating systems throughout the state. The bill, which had previously excluded swimming pools from eligibility under the program, redefines “solar water heating systems” to include solar pool heating systems at multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit facilities.</em>\r\n<div>Aquatherm Industries, U.S. manufacturer of solar pool heaters, applauds the California State Legislature’s successes in the introduction and subsequent passing of a Bill that will qualify commercial pool facilities to earn a rebate for the installation of a solar pool heating system.</div>\r\n“Swimming pools at businesses such as hotels, resorts, apartment complexes, homeowners associations, health clubs, camps, waterparks, and schools often have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature,” says Dave Sizelove, President &amp; CEO of Aquatherm.\r\n\r\n“This makes commercial pools perfect candidates for solar pool heating systems. Solar can provide a clean, domestic and affordable way to reduce the monthly energy bill for heating these facilities. It’s been said, ‘As California goes, so goes the country.’ We certainly hope that the California program will serve as a roadmap for other States to follow in the future.”\r\n\r\nHaving passed the California State Legislature in early September, Assembly Bill Number 2249 (AB2249) – which will extend eligibility for solar thermal incentives to public and semi-private commercial swimming pool solar heating– has been signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. The California Solar Energy Industry Association (CalSEIA) was instrumental in aiding the state Legislature’s efforts to introduce and pass the bill.\r\n\r\nAs part of the larger California Solar Initiative Thermal program, AB2249 is an amendment to the existing Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The Act tasked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the design and implementation of a program of incentives for the installation of 200,000 solar water heating systems in homes and businesses throughout the state by 2017.\r\n\r\nWhile the exact amount of the rebate has not yet been determined, early estimates among the industry indicate it will be between 35 and 50% of the cost of the system. Since performance of solar thermal systems is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), actual rebate figures will be determined by a price per averted therm.\r\n\r\nThough the Act specifically had excluded solar pool heaters in its definition of eligible solar water heating systems, AB2249 expands the current definition to include “multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems.” Single-family residential solar pool heating systems will continue to be excluded from the definition, and consequently, the rebate program.\r\n\r\nAccording to PK Data – which keeps statistics on the U.S. pool industry – there are over 186,000 heated commercial pools nationwide (approximately 45,000 in California – the most of any state). Of these pools, approximately 39%, or 115,540 are indoor; meaning they must be heated twelve months per year. Most of these pools are heated with fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, or heat pumps. This increases the U.S. dependence on imported fuels and pollutes the air. Assuming natural gas is used to heat these pools, the annual load of 261 trillion BTU’s is the equivalent CO2 of 6.6 millions of cars on the road per year.\r\n\r\nBased on the findings of the Legislature, “solar water heating systems represent the largest untapped natural gas saving potential remaining in California. The state is heavily dependent on natural gas, importing more than 80 percent of the natural gas it consumes. Water heating for domestic and industrial use relies almost entirely on natural gas and accounts for a significant percentage of the state’s natural gas consumption. Rising worldwide demand for natural gas and a shrinking supply create rising and unstable prices that can harm California consumers and the economy. Lastly, growing demand for these technologies will create jobs in California as well as promote greater energy independence, protect consumers from rising energy costs, and result in cleaner air.”','Press Release: California Commercial Solar Pool Rebate Legislation','','inherit','open','open','','51-revision-6','','','2013-05-07 15:54:17','2013-05-07 15:54:17','',51,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/51-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(972,1,'2012-05-25 13:18:59','2012-05-25 13:18:59','Its official - the busy season is here! In my conversations with all of you it is clear that this year is marking a better start to the season than the last few years. A good sign that the economy is starting to recover and you are taking advantage of the pent up demand.<!--more-->\n\nBut with demand, comes competition. As we have been communicating with you over the past few months, Heliocol took a direct stab at us with a marketing piece that used their old performance numbers as a comparison tool. As we know, they were hiding the fact that their new numbers were about to be posted by SRCC. After reviewing the new numbers, we created a few “consumer friendly” charts to be included with your sales presentation materials. Dan sent those out to everyone on April 27<sup>th</sup> and they are posted on the portal as well.\n\nWe feel however, that it is still important to have a discussion about the slides in order to effectively describe this information to the average consumer. I will be holding a few quick 15 minute webinars to review the new sales presentation slides. Please look for emails from me with dates and times over the next two weeks and please make an effort to sit in on one.\n\nWe’ll also be covering the news that Magen Eco-Energy, the manufacturer of Heliocol and SunStar collectors in Israel have bought out Victor Eyal’s interest in Heliocol, USA and their distributor, UMA Solar.\n\nWe realize you are all in the middle of your busy season, but arming yourself with this new information will thwart Heliocol’s chances in the home significantly. I look forward to talking with you all soon and commit to keeping the meetings short!\n\nNow let’s see the numbers for April.<strong> </strong>Congratulations to<strong> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who dominated the top dealer spot with 343 collectors sold for April. <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 198 collectors, and third place goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar </strong>with an impressive 182 collectors for April. Way to go Bill and Scott!<strong></strong>\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 46 sales for April. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Park</strong> from<strong> </strong>Central Florida Solar<strong> </strong>is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 24 sales for April. Fabulous job Bill – you’re up nearly 25% from last year. Rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> from Naylor Solar Specialists with 23 sales. Well done Terry – such a close race for second and third this month!\n\n<strong>Aquatherm will be closed Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 29th. Enjoy your holiday everyone!</strong>','April Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','690-revision','','','2012-05-25 13:18:59','2012-05-25 13:18:59','',690,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/690-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(973,1,'2012-05-25 13:18:59','2012-05-25 13:18:59','Its official - the busy season is here! In my conversations with all of you it is clear that this year is marking a better start to the season than the last few years. A good sign that the economy is starting to recover and you are taking advantage of the pent up demand.<!--more-->\n\nBut with demand, comes competition. As we have been communicating with you over the past few months, Heliocol took a direct stab at us with a marketing piece that used their old performance numbers as a comparison tool. As we know, they were hiding the fact that their new numbers were about to be posted by SRCC. After reviewing the new numbers, we created a few “consumer friendly” charts to be included with your sales presentation materials. Dan sent those out to everyone on April 27<sup>th</sup> and they are posted on the portal as well.\n\nWe feel however, that it is still important to have a discussion about the slides in order to effectively describe this information to the average consumer. I will be holding a few quick 15 minute webinars to review the new sales presentation slides. Please look for emails from me with dates and times over the next two weeks and please make an effort to sit in on one.\n\nWe’ll also be covering the news that Magen Eco-Energy, the manufacturer of Heliocol and SunStar collectors in Israel have bought out Victor Eyal’s interest in Heliocol, USA and their distributor, UMA Solar.\n\nWe realize you are all in the middle of your busy season, but arming yourself with this new information will thwart Heliocol’s chances in the home significantly. I look forward to talking with you all soon and commit to keeping the meetings short!\n\nNow let’s see the numbers for April.<strong> </strong>Congratulations to<strong> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who dominated the top dealer spot with 343 collectors sold for April. <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 198 collectors, and third place goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar </strong>with an impressive 182 collectors for April. Way to go Bill and Scott!<strong></strong>\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 46 sales for April. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Park</strong> from<strong> </strong>Central Florida Solar<strong> </strong>is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 24 sales for April. Fabulous job Bill – you’re up nearly 25% from last year. Rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> from Naylor Solar Specialists with 23 sales. Well done Terry – such a close race for second and third this month!\n\n<strong>Aquatherm will be closed Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 29th. Enjoy your holiday everyone!</strong>','April Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','690-revision-2','','','2012-05-25 13:18:59','2012-05-25 13:18:59','',690,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/690-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(974,1,'2013-04-22 12:00:00','2013-04-22 12:00:00','Aquatherm Industries announced at the Distribution Center and National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in January that we were working on implementing an online RMR form this year.  We are pleased to announce that the online RMR/LAR form is up and running on the Aquatherm Industries website. We are excited for you all to start using the form and believe it will be a great time saver for everyone going forward.\r\n\r\nWe are asking that everyone start using the online form, in lieu of the paper form, beginning on May 1, 2013. If you are eager to get started now, please feel free to log on at<a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B3JbYef9Tb12OzrXR0VqvM53M-JydNp1vnPdsl0whmQ5hNiFobvQtt_4SIq54jtuTIp16b66vIsdJ_iAktPvtrGGIxG6fq_s6Ysbee1dE80Vj3XTp1kJozGubhCfoPE3IfSPLtH-9Fg=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a> and follow the prompts on the form. During the transition, we will continue to accept paper forms through May 30, 2013.\r\n\r\nOnce online you will fill out all of the fields and click submit on the form. You will then receive a confirmation message on the screen and a confirmation via email. Aquatherm will also receive a copy, as will your distributor. The rest of the process has not changed:\r\n\r\n<strong>If you are a Dealer:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Print a copy of the confirmation of the warranty claim and include it with the defective components(s) when you return them to your distributor. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>If you are also or just submitting for labor:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>You will need to upload a copy of the signed service ticket with your submission. The form will automatically calculate the labor reimbursement based on repair or replacement. You will send the copy to your distributor with the defective parts for review and save a copy for your files<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>If you are a Distributor:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>You will have already received an email confirmation of the warranty claim from the dealer. Once the dealer submits the warranty claim to you, send it directly to Aquatherm with the defective component(s) as you normally would. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIn all cases, Aquatherm will continue the same review process internally and you will continue to work with Pati should you have any questions on any specific warranty status. Please contact me directly if you have any questions and I will be happy to assist you.','Online RMR/LAR Form','','publish','open','open','','online-rmrlar-form','','','2014-05-23 15:47:16','2014-05-23 15:47:16','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=974',0,'post','',0),(975,1,'2013-05-07 15:58:31','2013-05-07 15:58:31','Aquatherm Industries announced at the Distribution Center and National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in January that we were working on implementing an online RMR form this year.  We are pleased to announce that the online RMR/LAR form is up and running on the Aquatherm Industries website. We are excited for you all to start using the form and believe it will be a great time saver for everyone going forward.\n\nWe are asking that everyone start using the online form, in lieu of the paper form, beginning on May 1, 2013. If you are eager to get started now, please feel free to log on at<a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B3JbYef9Tb12OzrXR0VqvM53M-JydNp1vnPdsl0whmQ5hNiFobvQtt_4SIq54jtuTIp16b66vIsdJ_iAktPvtrGGIxG6fq_s6Ysbee1dE80Vj3XTp1kJozGubhCfoPE3IfSPLtH-9Fg=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a> and follow the prompts on the form. During the transition, we will continue to accept paper forms through May 30, 2013.\n\nOnce online you will fill out all of the fields and click submit on the form. You will then receive a confirmation message on the screen and a confirmation via email. Aquatherm will also receive a copy, as will your distributor. The rest of the process has not changed:\n\n<strong>If you are a Dealer:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Print a copy of the confirmation of the warranty claim and include it with the defective components(s) when you return them to your distributor. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\n<strong>If you are also or just submitting for labor:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>You will need to upload a copy of the signed service ticket with your submission. The form will automatically calculate the labor reimbursement based on repair or replacement. You will send the copy to your distributor with the defective parts for review and save a copy for your files<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\n<strong>If you are a Distributor:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>You will have already received an email confirmation of the warranty claim from the dealer. Once the dealer submits the warranty claim to you, send it directly to Aquatherm with the defective component(s) as you normally would. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\nIn all cases, Aquatherm will continue the same review process internally and you will continue to work with Pati should you have any questions on any specific warranty status. Please contact me directly if you have any questions and I will be happy to assist you.','Online RMR/LAR Form','','inherit','open','open','','974-revision','','','2013-05-07 15:58:31','2013-05-07 15:58:31','',974,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/974-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(976,1,'2013-05-07 16:00:31','2013-05-07 16:00:31','Aquatherm Industries announced at the Distribution Center and National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting in January that we were working on implementing an online RMR form this year.  We are pleased to announce that the online RMR/LAR form is up and running on the Aquatherm Industries website. We are excited for you all to start using the form and believe it will be a great time saver for everyone going forward.\n\nWe are asking that everyone start using the online form, in lieu of the paper form, beginning on May 1, 2013. If you are eager to get started now, please feel free to log on at<a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B3JbYef9Tb12OzrXR0VqvM53M-JydNp1vnPdsl0whmQ5hNiFobvQtt_4SIq54jtuTIp16b66vIsdJ_iAktPvtrGGIxG6fq_s6Ysbee1dE80Vj3XTp1kJozGubhCfoPE3IfSPLtH-9Fg=\" target=\"_blank\" shape=\"rect\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a> and follow the prompts on the form. During the transition, we will continue to accept paper forms through May 30, 2013.\n\nOnce online you will fill out all of the fields and click submit on the form. You will then receive a confirmation message on the screen and a confirmation via email. Aquatherm will also receive a copy, as will your distributor. The rest of the process has not changed:\n\n<strong>If you are a Dealer:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Print a copy of the confirmation of the warranty claim and include it with the defective components(s) when you return them to your distributor. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\n<strong>If you are also or just submitting for labor:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>You will need to upload a copy of the signed service ticket with your submission. The form will automatically calculate the labor reimbursement based on repair or replacement. You will send the copy to your distributor with the defective parts for review and save a copy for your files<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\n<strong>If you are a Distributor:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>You will have already received an email confirmation of the warranty claim from the dealer. Once the dealer submits the warranty claim to you, send it directly to Aquatherm with the defective component(s) as you normally would. Save a copy for your files.<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\nIn all cases, Aquatherm will continue the same review process internally and you will continue to work with Pati should you have any questions on any specific warranty status. Please contact me directly if you have any questions and I will be happy to assist you.','Online RMR/LAR Form','','inherit','open','open','','974-autosave','','','2013-05-07 16:00:31','2013-05-07 16:00:31','',974,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/974-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(977,1,'2013-01-11 16:00:58','2013-01-11 16:00:58','To All Solar Industries Master Dealers / Distributors:\r\n\r\nOur Solar Industries System Labels (Part #19525-1) are up for a reprint, which presents an opportunity to join in and have some pre-printed with your company information.\r\n\r\nThe per-piece price is $0.80 each. There is a $50 plate charge for artwork, black &amp; white only.\r\n\r\nI\'ve included an example below:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\"><img alt=\"\" src=\"https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/tip/dispatcher?origImg=http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SI-system-label.jpg\" width=\"331\" height=\"606\" border=\"0\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"5\" /></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\nYou may use your own artwork, or I can create it for you based on your input. Artwork resolution must be at least 300dpi and no more than 1.5\" Wide x 1\" Tall in size, and must complete and submitted by Friday, January 18th','Custom Solar Industries System Labels','','publish','open','open','','custom-solar-industries-system-labels','','','2013-05-07 16:02:22','2013-05-07 16:02:22','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=977',0,'post','',0),(978,1,'2013-05-07 16:01:53','2013-05-07 16:01:53','To All Solar Industries Master Dealers / Distributors:\n\nOur Solar Industries System Labels (Part #19525-1) are up for a reprint, which presents an opportunity to join in and have some pre-printed with your company information.\n\nThe per-piece price is $0.80 each. There is a $50 plate charge for artwork, black &amp; white only.\n\nI\'ve included an example below:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<div align=\"center\"><img alt=\"\" src=\"https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/tip/dispatcher?origImg=http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SI-system-label.jpg\" width=\"331\" height=\"606\" border=\"0\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"5\" /></div>\n<div></div>\nYou may use your own artwork, or I can create it for you based on your input. Artwork resolution must be at least 300dpi and no more than 1.5\" Wide x 1\" Tall in size, and must complete and submitted by Friday, January 18th','Custom Solar Industries System Labels','','inherit','open','open','','977-revision','','','2013-05-07 16:01:53','2013-05-07 16:01:53','',977,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/977-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(991,1,'2013-05-07 15:57:09','2013-05-07 15:57:09','Its official - the busy season is here! In my conversations with all of you it is clear that this year is marking a better start to the season than the last few years. A good sign that the economy is starting to recover and you are taking advantage of the pent up demand.<!--more-->\n\nBut with demand, comes competition. As we have been communicating with you over the past few months, Heliocol took a direct stab at us with a marketing piece that used their old performance numbers as a comparison tool. As we know, they were hiding the fact that their new numbers were about to be posted by SRCC. After reviewing the new numbers, we created a few “consumer friendly” charts to be included with your sales presentation materials. Dan sent those out to everyone on April 27<sup>th</sup> and they are posted on the portal as well.\n\nWe feel however, that it is still important to have a discussion about the slides in order to effectively describe this information to the average consumer. I will be holding a few quick 15 minute webinars to review the new sales presentation slides. Please look for emails from me with dates and times over the next two weeks and please make an effort to sit in on one.\n\nWe’ll also be covering the news that Magen Eco-Energy, the manufacturer of Heliocol and SunStar collectors in Israel have bought out Victor Eyal’s interest in Heliocol, USA and their distributor, UMA Solar.\n\nWe realize you are all in the middle of your busy season, but arming yourself with this new information will thwart Heliocol’s chances in the home significantly. I look forward to talking with you all soon and commit to keeping the meetings short!\n\nNow let’s see the numbers for April.<strong> </strong>Congratulations to<strong> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who dominated the top dealer spot with 343 collectors sold for April. <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 198 collectors, and third place goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar </strong>with an impressive 182 collectors for April. Way to go Bill and Scott!<strong></strong>\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 46 sales for April. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Park</strong> from<strong> </strong>Central Florida Solar<strong> </strong>is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 24 sales for April. Fabulous job Bill – you’re up nearly 25% from last year. Rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <strong>Terry Naylor</strong> from Naylor Solar Specialists with 23 sales. Well done Terry – such a close race for second and third this month!\n\n<strong>Aquatherm will be closed Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 29th. Enjoy your holiday everyone!</strong>','April Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','690-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 15:57:09','2013-05-07 15:57:09','',690,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/690-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(992,1,'2013-04-17 18:57:10','2013-04-17 18:57:10','<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, \'Times New Roman\', \'Bitstream Charter\', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;\">Happy New Year and my best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012.</span>\r\n\r\nIn one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, an alien race has Sulu the navigator convinced that if he alters the course of the Enterprise, they will all be destroyed by knives that are flying through space. No one else on the bridge or the ship sees the knives, but that doesn\'t matter - Sulu doesn\'t allow anyone to touch the controls and the Enterprise blindly maintains its course.\r\n\r\nJust two days into 2012, I did something different I haven\'t done in a while; I touched the controls. Instead of just my usual circuit around the gym Monday morning, I went swimming in their pool. Yes, a nice heated indoor pool that my gym can not get a tax credit for adding a solar pool heating system too. They can put a PV system on the roof and get a tax credit, even a SWHS system for showers, but for their biggest energy hog - nope! But I digress...\r\n\r\nAfter just 20 minutes I was even more exhausted than I would have been after an hour of my regular routine. Why the change? Maybe because my regular routine had become just that - too routine and I just wasn\'t seeing the results that I wanted.\r\n\r\nSuch is the way that things have been here at Aquatherm for the last few years. Doing the same old things and expecting the same results. There was a time 20, 15 or even just 10 years ago that if something wasn\'t working the way I\'d like it to be, I\'d shake it up - just like oil and vinegar I used to say. It usually worked and not only did we all survive, but we flourished.\r\n\r\nI think it\'s time to shake up the oil and vinegar again. Last month if you recall, Aquatherm announced a milestone - since their introduction in 2000, shipments of our patented, bullet-proof insert molded Sunlite and its vented counterpart Ecolite collectors hit 25,000,000 sq. ft., mostly into the DIY above-ground pool market. If you didn\'t do the math, that\'s the equivalent of 635,000 - 40 sq. ft collectors! For many of those 11 years, we made as many Sunlite and Ecolite collectors as we could; usually running three shifts for 10 to 11 months out of the year only stopping long enough for our annual shut-down and to perform service to the equipment.\r\n\r\nAs I also mentioned last month, within the last year the above-ground DIY market has lost share to cheap polyethylene products from China - big time. I always felt that our insert-molded products were a bit of an over-kill for a market like that, where quality takes a back seat to price. What made these products successful was their quality and consistent ease to manufacture which of course led to these products being one of our most profitable.\r\n\r\nNow for the shake up - our <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzlhZGsjXFUBu6MtKvdJ9PHho-PlNvpcuUg==\" target=\"_blank\">Sunlite</a> (10 year limited; five year full warranty) and <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7rab6hcab&amp;et=1109052712629&amp;s=0&amp;e=001pi0sicabxvCrmghDmUNHM0O7XVwIcZKG2BWgnEYH8i75gv5F95nR7dhoIec6EQfhIp1aS_tMdUBgQFoXwvUrzgxum_esC53TF0L5ilv6QImzZ7bswP374A==\" target=\"_blank\">Ecolite</a> (10 year full warranty) collectors are already \"the most cost-effective solar thermal BTU on the planet\" and our original investment has paid off many times over. These collectors have always been priced just below their respective Sun-Swim and Ultra-Swim counterparts which is about to change.\r\n\r\nShort (but true) story that I repeat way too many times. I think the year was 1998 and I was in Mark Naylor\'s office along with Peter Dunbar. Mark and Peter were anxious to grow their business, but rubber mat products were dominating the builder market with low\r\n\r\nSo do you want to get different results this year? Are you ready to alter your course and do something dramatically different from your competition? Are you looking to add to your bottom line?pricing. So I asked, \"how low do you need to be?\" They told me and then I asked, \"does it matter if the product only has a five-year warranty?\" They looked at each other and replied, \"no, everything else on the pad only has a one, three or five year warranty.\" That was a market altering decision to do something different.\r\n\r\nInterested? Give me a call and let\'s shake things up together.\r\n\r\nDave Sizelove, President\r\n\r\nPS - About the Chinese; don\'t give up yet. More US manufacturers and service companies are expanding their operations and sourcing their needs here in the US. Among the pluses are lower transportation costs, sourcing flexibility which cuts costs by shortening the supply chain, ample and cheap supplies of natural gas and stable labor rates. Though wages are still lower in China, they\'ve been climbing at the rate of 15% a year.','The Buck Stops Here - January 2012','','inherit','open','open','','564-revision-9','','','2013-04-17 18:57:10','2013-04-17 18:57:10','',564,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/564-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(993,1,'2012-01-19 16:59:26','2012-01-19 16:59:26','Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone enjoyed some well deserved time off and have entered 2012 energized for a great year! January has started strong in Southern California, with weather reaching 80 degrees quite a few days so far. Talk about nice selling weather – does Mother Nature know its winter?\n\nI have been watching the Consumer Confidence Board index, which shows that consumer sentiment and confidence is on the rise in the US. In fact, consumer confidence has risen several months in a row, and has returned to the levels we were seeing in April 2011. Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center says that “Looking ahead, consumers are more optimistic that business conditions, employment prospects, and their financial situations will continue to get better.”\n\nThis is a great time to revisit all the leads you have accumulated over the last 18 months, and reach out to them again while their confidence levels are higher. Our own recent email blast (to past Ecosun and SI website leads) caused a few dozen “tire-kickers” to once again raise their hands. Take advantage of this renewed optimism out there!\n\nThe 2012 Eastern Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting is upon us, and will take place January 20<sup>th</sup> from 12pm–5pm at the Holiday Inn - Main Gate East, Kissimmee, FL. After the meeting we will have a reception, dinner and awards ceremony at Pacino’s Restaurant just a short distance from the hotel. A formal agenda has been sent out by email, but please feel free to contact me if you have not received it. We look forward to a productive day together.\n\nThe Western Kick-off Meeting will be February 9<sup>th</sup> from 12pm – 5pm with dinner and awards ceremony to follow. The meeting will take place at the Holiday Inn Downtown, San Diego, CA. A formal agenda will follow shortly with additional details.\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Stilwell Solar</strong> who dominated the top Dealer spot with 416 collectors sold in December. <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 147 collectors and rounding out the top three is <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 100 collectors for December. <strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Bill Long</strong> from<strong> Stilwell Solar </strong>knocked it out of the park with 26 sales to take the top spot for December. Thank you Bill! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> took 2<sup>nd</sup> with 19 sales for December. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> claims the #3 spot for the month with 16 sales. Way to go Scott!\n\nA special congratulations to <strong>Bill Park</strong> and his team at <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong> for advancing to Gold Master Dealer status in just one year.\n\nAquatherm will be exhibiting at the following upcoming shows:\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.acpoolspashow.com/\">Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show</a> January 24 – 26<sup>th</sup> in booth #2125</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://bit.ly/xlMydW\">Orlando Pool and Spa Show</a> February 24 – 25<sup>th</sup> in booth #734</li>\n</ul>\nShould you be attending either of the events above, please let me know if I can be of any help in getting you a badge.\n\nI look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Kick-off Meetings and getting energized for this year.\n\n- Molly\n\n&nbsp;','December Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','581-revision','','','2012-01-19 16:59:26','2012-01-19 16:59:26','',581,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/581-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(994,1,'2012-03-26 19:41:35','2012-03-26 19:41:35','Whew - what a busy first part of the year!  We have already exhibited at the Atlantic City, Southeast, and Orlando Pool &amp; Spa Shows, and held two Master Dealer Kick-off meetings!  At the tradeshows we have seen a marked increase not only in number of attendees, but overall interest in solar pool heating.  A good sign indeed for the coming year!\n\nAfter two straight years of National Master Dealer Meetings, this year we held separate Eastern and Western Kick-off Meetings to give more of you an opportunity to attend. Thanks to all of  you who did - we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules. Your participation is an enormous asset to the success of these meetings!\n\nFor those unable to attend, here is a recap of the meeting topics...<!--more-->\n\nDave started off each meeting with an update and review of 2011\n<ul>\n	<li>Polar Bear Plunge - Last year      Rich Bonte and Ethan joined in the fun and Ethan even won 10 free      collectors for his company, Solar Living. This year we are offering 20      collectors for a first timer - the plunge is on Feb. 25th. The video of      one of last year\'s participants was priceless!</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>While other competitors and      their dealers have lost focus over the past few years, Aquatherm has      remained focused on our core competencies and had many accomplishments in      2011 including:\n<ul>\n	<li>First and only US solar       manufacturer to be ISO 9001:2008 registered.</li>\n	<li>Continued focus on efficiency       and quality control.</li>\n	<li>Launched the new SI site -       will be the model going forward.Continued our investment in re-tooling.</li>\n	<li>NSF-50 listing; now both 1       ½\" and 2\".</li>\n	<li>2\" dual durometer       couplers introduced - 30k in the field already.</li>\n	<li>Re-tooled 2\" VRV</li>\n	<li>Achieved CSA certification -       the strictest certification in North America</li>\n	<li>Exhibited at seven tradeshows       across the country</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\nDave also showed us the presentation he gave at November\'s Solar focus 2011 Conference in Washington, DC on open-loop vs. close loop systems for solar pool heating. Regardless of climate or whether the pool was indoor or outdoor, an unglazed system returned an investment in 4 to 7 seven years, compared to 17 to 23 years for a glazed collector system.\n\nKevin updated us on Engineering projects:\n<ul>\n	<li>ISO - What is it and what does it mean to you ?</li>\n	<li>ISO 9001 is an international standard that states      the requirements for a Quality Management System. It is published by the      International Standards Organization and is recognized around the world.\n<ul>\n	<li>ISO provides you additional       assurance that we are supplying you with quality goods and services</li>\n	<li>Every collector has       approximately 76 inspections during production</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Warranty Statistics\n<ul>\n	<li>Warranty data review shows       that total returns as a percentage of sales have decreased dramatically       since 2005 and the trend is continuing.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Aquatherm has completed an      online commercial survey form for use by all dealers.  From this      survey we can provide you with a DOE RSPEC Program analysis as well as      sizing and plumbing design. You can find this survey at <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109342884640&amp;s=1&amp;e=001Hyj7ONHcURjcsQO1k8tRA-VAz6GCsOw55gghlAdBWp1HTA1HDMcVr2CWY2djLN5M7NMD6nQewwwAlyT7eDAnmyFiz7303VHqguxuOV4sTKjPOagP38fkVXsFsLey6an7OldMZcJIuG8=\" target=\"_blank\">www.aquathermindustries.com/survey</a></li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>As part of the Eagle Claw™ Mounting      System we will soon be offering our patent-pending \"Snap Clip\"      mounting covers which will cover the stainless steel bracket for a uniform      black look on the roof, as well as protect the sealant.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>By pass Check Valve testing\n<ul>\n	<li>The purpose of this testing       was to find a check valve that could be installed in a high flow-rate       system as a by-pass so as not to exceed the maximum 10 gpm flow rating of       a collector.</li>\n	<li>This new single union check       valve will be available going forward and will ship with a ½ lb spring       for use as a system check valve, but will also include a 6lb spring for       single story by-pass applications and a 10lb spring for two-story       installations.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Aluminum Racking System\n<ul>\n	<li>We have been working with a       leading PV rack manufacturer to custom design a mounting rail to       accommodate Aquatherm mounting hardware that will be compatible with the       balance of their components.</li>\n	<li>Aquatherm is also working with       the same manufacturer for wind load approvals with engineering approval       for multiple states. The design will be compliant with the building       standard \"Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other       Structures\" (ASCE 7-10).</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Sun-Swim FR\n<ul>\n	<li>This will be a replacement       collector that matches the size and pressure drop of a Fafco collector.       This will allow you to replace a collector on a Fafco install without       affecting the hydraulics of the system.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\nSales &amp; Marketing Review\n<ul>\n	<li>New Industry Associations  - Aquatherm joined      two new Associations last year to continue to put our name in front of as      many opportunities as possible\n<ul>\n	<li>World Waterpark Association</li>\n	<li>Silver IPSAA Membership\n<ul>\n	<li>We have a list of all the        chapter President\'s names should you want to reach out to your local        chapter</li>\n	<li>Portal\n<ul>\n	<li>I walked everyone through         the portal again in \"real time\" to review the benefits and         information located in each section.</li>\n	<li>Located in the news section,         you can also find a <a href=\"http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109342884640&amp;s=1&amp;e=001Hyj7ONHcURj2-C8u5XoOjonZsU9PZFQ_Co0ICNsYvG_AJBWEaiIE9HNWzdqz5FgULlk1CGE5hKQlqVCZU4UlW-KQUw_xgkAhMsbxHuvYFR8lRfrDLC3uuQ-ZG2VLlqgL9Mbf30ThPgONuYO_kwT13599gtPPYU3V\" target=\"_blank\">Portal         Tutorial</a> to review the portal on your own time.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Dealer Survey Results\n<ul>\n	<li>In December, we conducted a       Dealer survey to get an understanding of the current residential and       commercial markets and drivers.  The overall feelings for the market       are positive with growth expected over the next five years.  We will       show the results on the portal for review.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>New Sales Presentation\n<ul>\n	<li>We walked through each slide       of the new sales presentation introduced in 2011.  There is a       webinar on the portal for each brand that reviews the sales presentation       for your review.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Warm-up CD\n<ul>\n	<li>Having a bad day?  Just       pop in our warm-up CD on the way to a sales call and experience a quick       13 minute review of the sales presentation to put you in the right       mindset.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Squareup.com\n<ul>\n	<li>Do you have a       Smartphone?  We showed everyone how you can now take credit card       payments using your Smartphone in the field.  Go to <a href=\"http://www.squareup.com\">www.squareup.com</a> to learn       more.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>QR Codes\n<ul>\n	<li>You see them everywhere -       including public restrooms these days.  QR codes can be added to any       piece of literature, clothing and even your trucks to take a potential       customer to your website, video, or a form to fill out to get more       information.  They are free to create  - visit <a href=\"http://www.qrstuff.com\">www.qrstuff.com</a> to create       your own.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Facebook\n<ul>\n	<li>Tag you\'re it!  Tagging       happy homeowners is just one of many ways to create exposure for your       business on Facebook.  We set one up at the meetings, but if you       don\'t have one and want help in creating one for your own business,       contact us for help and we would be happy to walk you through the       steps.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\nAt the Eastern Meeting, Richard Good gave us an overview of his new thermosiphon system for third-world markets using unglazed Sunlite collectors.\n\nBill Long also gave a presentation showing how he and Scott now use iPads during their presentations. Using an iPad connects with consumers who either already have one, or wish that they did.\n\nMoving forward in 2012:\n<ul>\n	<li>Ultrasun is in pre-production with a release      scheduled for the second quarter.</li>\n	<li>S.1858 which includes adding commercial solar pool      heating to the ITC has support of SEIA/Hotel-Motel industry/campgrounds.</li>\n	<li>Wind load approval.</li>\n	<li>2\" molded system hose.</li>\n	<li>Revisions of Lessons Learned for the Sales      Presentation</li>\n</ul>\nFor more information on any of the above meeting topics please do not hesitate to contact me directly! Thank you again to all that made the meetings this year, we appreciate your time and efforts.\n\nNow that 2011 has closed, I\'d like to congratulate two Master Dealers for achieving lifetime status.\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Broward Solar</strong> - now a Gold Master Dealer for      life</li>\n	<li><strong>Tryon Pool Heating</strong> - now a Silver Master Dealer      for life</li>\n</ul>\nYou will see these changes reflected on this current report.  Again, congratulations to both of you and thank you for your business!\n\nBefore we get to the January numbers, you will be seeing the sales numbers in a slightly different format.  We have added two columns to the report to allow us all a quick comparison of monthly and Year-To-Date sales to 2011. The \"YTD 2011\" column will be cumulative to the progressing year.  I hope that you will find this a welcome change and an easy way for you to compare your sales from month-to-month and year-to-year.\n\nCongratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar, FL</strong> who claimed the top dealer spot with 266 collectors installed for January. What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team!  <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</strong> came in 2nd for January with 210 collectors - way to go Mark!  And the 3rd place finish goes to <strong>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV</strong> with 89 collectors for January. Nice job Terry.\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 29 sales for January.  Congratulations Mark!  <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar is 2nd with 22 sales for January and <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from Stilwell Solar claims the #3 spot for the month with 16 sales.   Great job Scott and Bill, that is 38 total for Stilwell for the month, eight more than last year!\n\nBest to you all,\n\nMolly','January Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','592-revision','','','2012-03-26 19:41:35','2012-03-26 19:41:35','',592,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/592-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(995,1,'2013-05-07 18:25:59','2013-05-07 18:25:59','Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone enjoyed some well deserved time off and have entered 2012 energized for a great year! January has started strong in Southern California, with weather reaching 80 degrees quite a few days so far. Talk about nice selling weather – does Mother Nature know its winter?\n\nI have been watching the Consumer Confidence Board index, which shows that consumer sentiment and confidence is on the rise in the US. In fact, consumer confidence has risen several months in a row, and has returned to the levels we were seeing in April 2011. Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center says that “Looking ahead, consumers are more optimistic that business conditions, employment prospects, and their financial situations will continue to get better.”\n\nThis is a great time to revisit all the leads you have accumulated over the last 18 months, and reach out to them again while their confidence levels are higher. Our own recent email blast (to past Ecosun and SI website leads) caused a few dozen “tire-kickers” to once again raise their hands. Take advantage of this renewed optimism out there!\n\nThe 2012 Eastern Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting is upon us, and will take place January 20<sup>th</sup> from 12pm–5pm at the Holiday Inn - Main Gate East, Kissimmee, FL. After the meeting we will have a reception, dinner and awards ceremony at Pacino’s Restaurant just a short distance from the hotel. A formal agenda has been sent out by email, but please feel free to contact me if you have not received it. We look forward to a productive day together.\n\nThe Western Kick-off Meeting will be February 9<sup>th</sup> from 12pm – 5pm with dinner and awards ceremony to follow. The meeting will take place at the Holiday Inn Downtown, San Diego, CA. A formal agenda will follow shortly with additional details.\n\nCongratulations to<strong> Stilwell Solar</strong> who dominated the top Dealer spot with 416 collectors sold in December. <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </strong>came in 2<sup>nd</sup> with 147 collectors and rounding out the top three is <strong>Vasco Solar</strong> with 100 collectors for December. <strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Bill Long</strong> from<strong> Stilwell Solar </strong>knocked it out of the park with 26 sales to take the top spot for December. Thank you Bill! <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> took 2<sup>nd</sup> with 19 sales for December. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Scott Bologna</strong> from <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> claims the #3 spot for the month with 16 sales. Way to go Scott!\n\nA special congratulations to <strong>Bill Park</strong> and his team at <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong> for advancing to Gold Master Dealer status in just one year.\n\nAquatherm will be exhibiting at the following upcoming shows:\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.acpoolspashow.com/\">Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show</a> January 24 – 26<sup>th</sup> in booth #2125</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://bit.ly/xlMydW\">Orlando Pool and Spa Show</a> February 24 – 25<sup>th</sup> in booth #734</li>\n</ul>\nShould you be attending either of the events above, please let me know if I can be of any help in getting you a badge.\n\nI look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Kick-off Meetings and getting energized for this year.\n\n- Molly\n\n&nbsp;','December Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','581-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 18:25:59','2013-05-07 18:25:59','',581,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/581-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(996,1,'2012-01-04 16:03:13','2012-01-04 16:03:13','<strong>Happy Holidays everyone!</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>As we look forward to the New Year, it can be a great time to step back and take a look at your current marketing plan.  Which of your efforts last year produced results, and which turned out to be less than successful?  Until you quantify these results, it can be difficult to know where to keep spending your marketing dollars.  Will there be new opportunities or threats in your local market? Whether the change is legislative, competitive, or economic - how will the playing field change and will you be prepared for it when it does?\n\nNow that you have determined your current marketing plan\'s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats - it\'s time to use that information to increase awareness of your business, and get in the forefront of consumers\' minds.\n\nThe Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA) recently published an article in its quarterly magazine, The Edge, with a listing of 28 simple ways you can increase visibility in your local markets.  Though some of the list (which can be found <a>here</a>) isn\'t applicable unless you have a retail store, here are a few of our favorites that definitely apply to your business:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>#2 -</strong> Promote the swimming season and summer fun early in 2012. People like hearing good news, and summer and swimming are good news.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>#5 -</strong> Follow up with a customer once the sale is made. Call them and ask them how they like their system.  Are they satisfied?  Any questions? (Try <strong>#26</strong> here - \"Send a handwritten thank you notes to your customers - they love to feel special.\")</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>#10 - </strong>Get your website listed on <a>Google Places for Business</a>. It can generally land you a prime spot on page one of Google\'s results, when local pool owners type in words like \"solar pool heating\" or \"pool heaters.\"  This can end up saving you a bundle in pay-per-click ads, also.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>#13 -</strong> Promote your expertise by writing articles in your local media and speak at local schools and camps promoting solar and energy savings.  In other words, become the local expert everyone comes to with questions about solar.</p>\nThe tweaks you make to your plan today, will determine how well-positioned your business is in 2012.  After all, the spring season is right around the corner!\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings</strong>\n\nA formal announcement will be sent out shortly for the Eastern Regional Master Dealer Kick-off meeting in January.  It will take place in Orlando, FL at the Holiday Inn Main Gate East in Kissimmee, FL.  The meeting will be taking place on the afternoon of January 20th.\n\nThe Western Kick-off meeting will be taking place in San Diego at the Holiday Inn Downtown on the afternoon of February 9th.\n\nA reception and awards dinner will follow each meeting.\n\nNow for the numbers - congratulations to <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who claimed the top dealer spot two months in a row with 196 collectors installed for November.  What a fantastic month for Bill Long and his team! <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> came in 2nd with 189 collectors - great job!  An impressive 3rd place finish goes to <strong>Central Florida Solar</strong> with 105 collectors for November.  Nice job, Bill.\n\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong><strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> is the top salesman in the country with 25 sales for November.  Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Long and Scott Bologna from Stilwell Solar</strong> tied for 2nd place with 24 sales each for November. So close Bill and Scott, great finish to November.  Coming in 3rd for the month of November is <strong>Bill Park from Central Florida Solar</strong>.  Well done, Bill!\n\nI\'d like to wish you all a fabulous holiday season with your friends and families!  We thank you for your continued relationship with Aquatherm and appreciate your business. Here\'s to a strong start to 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','November Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','537-revision','','','2012-01-04 16:03:13','2012-01-04 16:03:13','',537,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/537-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(997,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','Happy New Year everyone!\n\nAquatherm Industries is pleased to announce our Annual Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings for 2012.\n\n<strong>The East Coast Master Dealer Meeting will be held on January 20th at the Holiday Inn - Main Gate East in Kissimmee.</strong>\n\n<strong>Our West Coast Meeting will be at the Holiday Inn - Downtown on February 9th in San Diego.</strong>\n\nEach meeting will start promptly at 12pm and will be followed by awards and dinner. A formal agenda will follow shortly, but here are a few of the exciting topics to be covered:\n<ul>\n	<li>New Sales Presentation Materials</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>AI Network Update</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Innovative mounting hardware developments</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Getting in the service door with the Sun-Swim FR</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>New industry association memberships that will generate more leads</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>How ISO registration has improved our quality with continual improvement</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Update on pending legislation for commercial pools</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>The new online commercial survey form</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Pre-engineered aluminum racking system for commercial bidding</li>\n</ul>\nThese meetings are a great opportunity to reconnect with your friends, exchange the latest ideas and just enjoy a productive day together. Again, we\'ll have a formal agenda to you shortly. In the meantime should you have any questions please don\'t hesitate to call me at 732-684-9353.\n\n&nbsp;','2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings','','inherit','open','open','','541-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',541,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/541-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(998,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SI-site-thumbnail.png\"><img class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-559\" title=\"SI site thumbnail\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SI-site-thumbnail-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>We’ve just gone live with our newly revised <a href=\"http://www.solarindustries.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.solarindustries.com</a>! I’d like to invite you to take a look around, and welcome any feedback or suggestions for improvement for the site.\n\nOne key change is a complete reversal in the way we capture leads. For years, we’ve asked visitors to give us their information before handing over any Dealer contact information.\n\nNow, as you’ll notice, we are offering up our Dealers’ contact information from the get-go.   Once a visitor lands on the Dealer Directory, there are call-to-action buttons offering the $200 coupon/savings certificate. That’s where we have an opportunity to capture their information and pass it along to you as a lead.\n\nI look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new site, and seeing many of you next week in Orlando (and others in San Diego in February) at the <a title=\"2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings\" href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/?p=541\" target=\"_blank\">2012 Master Dealer Kick-Off Meetings</a>!\n\n-Dan','SolarIndustries.com Redesign is Live!','','inherit','open','open','','560-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',560,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/560-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(999,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','For 2012 we’re excited to announce that we’ve revamped our entire printed price list structure which will make finding what you need and ordering a whole lot easier. For each product line, both 1 ½” and 2” collectors and their respective kits are now on the same price list. All hardware components, accessories and controls are now on a separate price list.<!--more-->\n\nThere are several price increases / reductions / kits realignments that we’re alerting you to. Please see the revised pricing below. These will all be effective with shipments beginning January 16. The new price lists will be distributed and put up on the portal shortly.\n\nCollector pricing should remain unchanged during the first half of 2012 due to stable natural gas prices.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Part Number</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Price Ea.</span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Bulk</span>\n\n60003-1              Hose Clamp, 1 ½”                                 1.85              1.67\n\n60003-2              Hose Clamp, 2”                                     1.95              1.76\n\n60690-1              Coll. Conn. Hose, 1 ½”                          6.50              5.85\n\n60691-1              System Conn. Hose, 1 ½”                   11.00              9.90\n\n&nbsp;\n\n12034-1 / 2         Coll. Install. Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                             26.00 / 35.00\n\n12135-1 / 2         System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                                 169.00 / 183.00\n\n12017-1 / 2         Row Spacer Kit, 1 ½” /2”                               71.50 / 85.00\n\n12043-1 / 2         Add-a-Row Kit,                                              93.00 / 107.00\n\n&nbsp;\n\n18001-1 / 2         Coll. Install. Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                               29.00 / 38.50\n\n18002-1 / 2         Sun-Swim System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”               157.00 / 169.00\n\n18004-1 / 2         Row Spacer Kit, 1 ½” /2”                                59.00 / 69.00\n\n18005-1 / 2         Add-a-Row Kit,                                                  81.00 / 93.00\n\n18030-1 / 2         Ultraswim System Kit, 1 ½’ / 2”                 157.00 / 169.00\n\n18054-1 / 2         Ecosun System Kit, 1 ½” / 2”                      169.00 / 183.00\n\n&nbsp;\n\n18044-1              Sunlite System Kit, 50mm                                       82.00\n\n18047-1              Ecolite / Sunlite Double Install. Kit                         62.00\n\n18045-1              Add-a-Row Kit, 50mm                                             81.00\n\n18046-1              Row Spacer Kit, 50mm                                             59.00\n\n18049-1              Sunlite System Kit, 1 ½”                                        148.00\n\n18055-1              Ecolite System Kit, 1 ½”                                         148.00\n\n18056-1              Ecolite System Kit, 50mm                                        82.00\n\n&nbsp;','New Price Lists and Updated Pricing','','inherit','open','open','','571-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',571,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/571-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1000,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','Just a reminder that Aquatherm Industries will be closed tomorrow, April 6th and will reopen on Monday, April 9th.\n\n&nbsp;','Reminder: Aquatherm Closed this Friday, April 6th','','inherit','open','open','','614-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',614,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/614-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1001,1,'2012-04-05 20:25:27','2012-04-05 20:25:27','This video was originally uploaded by FAFCO a few years ago, but was promptly pulled down after a barrage of nasty feedback from their dealers.  Looks like it has resurfaced...\n\n[youtube]http://youtu.be/SuUYETXE31s[/youtube]\n\n&nbsp;','FAFCO Repair Video','','inherit','open','open','','625-revision','','','2012-04-05 20:25:27','2012-04-05 20:25:27','',625,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/625-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1003,1,'2012-04-13 14:46:02','2012-04-13 14:46:02','<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Update: Thanks to Brent Gunderson of Gen-Con for the additional photos below the original post. </em></span>\n\nHow does it go?  \"A rolling stone gathers no moss\"?  While that may be true of rolling stones, it is certainly not true of this former Heliocol customer\'s rooftop.\n\nIf you\'re up against a Heliocol bid, you may want to show this to your potential and explain that <strong>\"In order to grow, moss needs sunlight.  Heliocol\'s loose-tube design allows sunlight to pass through, and while that may help to grow moss, it definitely does not help to heat your pool.\"</strong>\n\nIf you have any photos of competitive systems gone wild, feel free to send them over to Dave, Molly, or myself, and we will post them to the Portal to share with the rest of the Network.\n\nThanks to Tom Lane of ECS Solar for sending this one in...<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_648\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Moss.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-648\" title=\"Heliocol Moss\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Moss-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_655\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-GenCon-3.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-655\" title=\"Heliocol GenCon 3\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-GenCon-3-1024x679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_656\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-656\" title=\"Heliocol Garden 1\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-1-1024x679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_658\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-11.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-658\" title=\"Heliocol Garden 1\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-11-1024x679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_659\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-3.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-659\" title=\"Heliocol Garden 3\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-Garden-3-1024x679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_657\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Click the image to view larger\"]<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-GenCon-2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-657\" title=\"Heliocol GenCon 2\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Heliocol-GenCon-2-1024x679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a>[/caption] ','Heliocol \"After\" Photo - Moss Garden','','inherit','open','open','','647-revision','','','2012-04-13 14:46:02','2012-04-13 14:46:02','',647,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/647-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1004,1,'2012-05-01 16:36:40','2012-05-01 16:36:40','If you’re lucky enough to live in the certain markets around the country that are finally making their way out of the recession, your sales are probably beginning to rebound. If not – and since you can’t move your business – you have to make the best out of what you have; but does it really just come down to luck of the geographic draw?\n\nWe tapped our network leaders and here’s what they have to say about the definition of luck:\n<blockquote><strong>Luck is the moment when opportunity and preparedness meet.</strong></blockquote>\nHere are a couple of ideas you can implement even in the busy season to add to your marketing efforts:<!--more-->\n\nFirst, regardless of where you’re located, there’s a lot of pent-up demand in the marketplace. Consumers have put off making major purchasing decisions and are just plain tired of waiting for the economy to improve. That’s the opportunity.\n\nBe ready when they are by following up with any presentations you’ve given in the last three to four years that didn’t purchase from you. You never know when they’re going to be ready, but you can make sure your name is the one that comes to mind when they are. That’s preparedness.\n\nBut how do you stay in front of these potential customers till then? Sure, a call is best, but it’s also time consuming and you don’t want to hound them to death every few months. Today, getting an email address is a key part of the sales process.\n\nWhere and how should you ask for their email address?\n<ul>\n	<li>Ask for their email address when you set the appointment so you can email them a reminder prior to your meeting.</li>\n	<li>Add it to your contract form as part of your contact information section. This sets the stage for requesting testimonials, referrals, and a “thank you” note for their business.</li>\n	<li>At a home show, add it to your lead form for every show and send a quick “thank you for stopping by our booth” note. Try including a coupon or offer they can use during your meeting. Then you can follow up with a phone call to set the appointment.</li>\n</ul>\nIt takes about 10-15 minutes to craft an email and blast it off to your list. If you use one of the dozens of email marketing services (e.g. Constant Contact or iContact), you can even see who opens your emails and what links they click. Feel free to reach out to Dan with any questions on setting something up.\n\nNow, on to the sales numbers for last month. Congratulations to <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</strong> who takes the top spot in March with 294 collectors and narrowly beat out <strong>Stilwell Solar</strong> who came in second with 280 collectors for the month. Way to go Mark and Bill! Coming in with a 3rd place finish is <strong>Performance Solar</strong> with 240 collectors. Nice job Dennis.\n\nThe Top Salesman spot goes to <strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists with 41 sales for March. Outstanding job Mark! In 2nd place is <strong>Bill Long</strong> of Stilwell Solar with 24 sales – nice month Bill. Tying for third with 19 each are <strong>Bill Park</strong> and <strong>Terry</strong> Naylor.\n\nI’d also like to call out <strong>Gerry Kilgore</strong>, <strong>Bill Long</strong> and <strong>Bill Park</strong>, who are each up over 50% for the year, and <strong>Jim Roark</strong>, who is up over 200% from last year!\n\nThank you all for your efforts.\n\nAquatherm will be exhibiting at the World Renewable Energy Forum (formerly known as the ASES National Solar Conference) in Denver, Colorado, May 15 – 17. We will be in booth 1016 and hope to see some of you there!\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','March Sales Report','','inherit','open','open','','666-revision','','','2012-05-01 16:36:40','2012-05-01 16:36:40','',666,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/666-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1005,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','<strong><img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://www.theaquapedia.com/images/thumb/3/35/Atlantic_City.png/300px-Atlantic_City.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"169\" />Atlantic City Pool &amp; Spa Show</strong> (Booth #2125)\n\nAtlantic City, NJ – January 24-26\n\nThe Atlantic City Pool &amp; Spa Show is where our industry meets! It has been bringing industry buyers and sellers together since 1982 and it is acclaimed as the industry\'s leading East Coast Marketplace.\n\n<a href=\"http://acpoolspaexpo.com/index.html\">http://acpoolspaexpo.com/index.html</a>','Upcoming: Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show','','inherit','open','open','','487-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',487,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/487-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1006,1,'2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','<h1>Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone</h1>\n<h2>Manufacturer ships 25 million square feet of its breakthrough Sunlite™ Solar Pool Heating System</h2>\nAquatherm Industries is proud to announce it has reached a milestone in the production of its solar pool heating systems, having manufactured and shipped a combined 25 million square feet of its Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ solar pool heater collectors/panels.\n\nIf stretched end-to-end, the tubing the collectors are composed of could circle the Earth two-and-a-half times.\n\nA breakthrough in solar pool heating technology when introduced a decade ago in 2000, Sunlite™ and its vented counterpart, Ecolite™, still hold the title of the lowest cost solar thermal collector on the planet, per square foot. Aquatherm maintains two patents – one on the products, and one on the innovative insert-molding manufacturing process.\n\nAnother unique feature of the Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ products, up to 48 square feet of solar collector can be packaged in a lightweight 27” tall by 13” square box, as well as installation hardware. Convenient to inventory and easy to handle, the product is designed specifically with the retail, distribution, and do-it-yourself markets in mind.\n\nThough the heating of water is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), the combined solar thermal capacity of 25 million square feet of the low-temperature unglazed polymer solar collector can also be expressed as 8.53 gigawatts (GW). By comparison, New York City‘s annual power consumption is approximately 5 GW.\n\n&nbsp;','Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone','','inherit','open','open','','517-revision-2','','','2013-04-18 00:55:37','2013-04-18 00:55:37','',517,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/517-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1007,1,'2013-05-07 18:28:31','2013-05-07 18:28:31','<h1>Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone</h1>\n<h2>Manufacturer ships 25 million square feet of its breakthrough Sunlite™ Solar Pool Heating System</h2>\nAquatherm Industries is proud to announce it has reached a milestone in the production of its solar pool heating systems, having manufactured and shipped a combined 25 million square feet of its Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ solar pool heater collectors/panels.\n\nIf stretched end-to-end, the tubing the collectors are composed of could circle the Earth two-and-a-half times.\n\nA breakthrough in solar pool heating technology when introduced a decade ago in 2000, Sunlite™ and its vented counterpart, Ecolite™, still hold the title of the lowest cost solar thermal collector on the planet, per square foot. Aquatherm maintains two patents – one on the products, and one on the innovative insert-molding manufacturing process.\n\nAnother unique feature of the Sunlite™ and Ecolite™ products, up to 48 square feet of solar collector can be packaged in a lightweight 27” tall by 13” square box, as well as installation hardware. Convenient to inventory and easy to handle, the product is designed specifically with the retail, distribution, and do-it-yourself markets in mind.\n\nThough the heating of water is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), the combined solar thermal capacity of 25 million square feet of the low-temperature unglazed polymer solar collector can also be expressed as 8.53 gigawatts (GW). By comparison, New York City‘s annual power consumption is approximately 5 GW.\n\n&nbsp;','Aquatherm Industries Solar Pool Heaters Hit Production Milestone','','inherit','open','open','','517-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 18:28:31','2013-05-07 18:28:31','',517,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/517-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1008,1,'2013-05-09 15:07:23','2013-05-09 15:07:23','','Ecosun - Evolution_Page_2','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-evolution_page_2','','','2013-05-09 15:07:23','2013-05-09 15:07:23','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ecosun-Evolution_Page_2.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1009,1,'2013-05-09 15:07:35','2013-05-09 15:07:35','','Ecosun 4pg','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-4pg','','','2013-05-09 15:07:35','2013-05-09 15:07:35','',1450,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ecosun-4pg.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1010,1,'2013-05-09 15:08:14','2013-05-09 15:08:14','','Ecosun - Evolution_Page_1','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-evolution_page_1','','','2013-05-09 15:08:14','2013-05-09 15:08:14','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ecosun-Evolution_Page_1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1018,1,'2013-05-09 15:50:14','2013-05-09 15:50:14','','Ecosun - 4pg Brochure (19543)','','inherit','open','open','','ecosun-4pg-brochure-19543-2','','','2013-05-09 15:50:14','2013-05-09 15:50:14','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ecosun-4pg-Brochure-19543.pdf',0,'attachment','application/pdf',0),(1019,1,'2013-05-09 16:13:55','2013-05-09 16:13:55','','SI Display Panel 1','','inherit','open','open','','si-display-panel-1','','','2013-05-09 16:13:55','2013-05-09 16:13:55','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SI-Display-Panel-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1020,1,'2013-05-09 16:31:20','2013-05-09 16:31:20','','Solar Industries - 4pg Brochure_Page_1','','inherit','open','open','','solar-industries-4pg-brochure_page_1','','','2013-05-09 16:31:20','2013-05-09 16:31:20','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Solar-Industries-4pg-Brochure_Page_1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1021,1,'2013-05-09 16:31:57','2013-05-09 16:31:57','','Solar Industries - 4pg Brochure_Page_2','','inherit','open','open','','solar-industries-4pg-brochure_page_2','','','2013-05-09 16:31:57','2013-05-09 16:31:57','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Solar-Industries-4pg-Brochure_Page_2.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1022,1,'2013-05-09 17:01:11','2013-05-09 17:01:11','','Ultrasun 4pg','','inherit','open','open','','ultrasun-4pg','','','2013-05-09 17:01:11','2013-05-09 17:01:11','',1450,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ultrasun-4pg.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1023,1,'2013-05-09 17:23:50','2013-05-09 17:23:50','','UltraSwim 4pg','','inherit','open','open','','ultraswim-4pg','','','2013-05-09 17:23:50','2013-05-09 17:23:50','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/UltraSwim-4pg.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1024,1,'2013-05-09 17:30:23','2013-05-09 17:30:23','','SunSwim 2pg','','inherit','open','open','','sunswim-2pg','','','2013-05-09 17:30:23','2013-05-09 17:30:23','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SunSwim-2pg.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1041,5,'2013-05-23 13:41:25','2013-05-23 13:41:25','Its official - the busy season is here! In my conversations with all of you it’s clear that this year is out pacing last year and the numbers agree. So far year to date you are reporting 162 systems and 1000 panels more than last year during the same time. A good sign that the economy is starting to recover and you are taking advantage of the pent up demand.\r\n\r\nThis pent up demand it is probably causing your voicemail and email boxes to fill up – a lot! But what about all the homeowners you reached out to over the last few years that you pitched and missed, or the ones who never called you back at all? Where are they now? Many of them are probably ripe for the picking! Well, you’re in luck!\r\n\r\nAquatherm keeps a database of all the past <strong>Internet sales leads</strong> we have forwarded to you, and we would be happy to share with you a spreadsheet of those in your market. These are warm leads – pool owners who have reached out to us at least once, requesting a Dealer in their area. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will make sure to get them in your hands quickly. They could be swimming in a warm pool by Memorial Day!\r\n\r\nSometimes, good things bear repeating: Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>Press Releases</strong> – usually two each month – announcing new products and happenings in the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to get you some “free press” by promoting any noteworthy commercial projects. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release, so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for an upcoming release.\r\n\r\nLet’s see the numbers for April. Congratulations to <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</strong>who dominated the top dealer spot with 420 collectors sold for April. Keep up the great work Mark! An impressive 2nd place finish goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar, FL</strong> with 308 collectors for April. Way to go Bill! And it’s a tie for 3rd between <strong>Central Florida Solar, FL</strong> and<strong>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV</strong> with 182 collectors each - nice job Bill and Terry!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 57 sales for April. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar is 2nd with 31 sales for April - fabulous job Bill. And, rounding out 3rd place is <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar with 26 sales. Well done Bill!\r\n\r\n<strong>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<strong>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed on Monday, May 27th for the holiday weekend and reopen on Tuesday, May 28th.</strong>\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','April 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','april-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-09-19 13:32:48','2013-09-19 13:32:48','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1041',0,'post','',0),(1042,1,'2013-05-23 13:33:48','2013-05-23 13:33:48','','April 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1041-revision','','','2013-05-23 13:33:48','2013-05-23 13:33:48','',1041,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1041-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1043,1,'2013-05-19 13:33:46','2013-05-19 13:33:46','It’s good to be back. Not that you or I ever went anywhere - it’s the economy that I’m talking about. Your continuing efforts, combined with pent-up demand fueled by a cooler than normal spring in Florida and better than average weather in California made April our busiest month in five years. And thankfully, May isn’t far behind.\r\n\r\nThe Great Recession proved to be a perfect storm for our industry. Disposable income dropped, so new pools weren’t being built. Also, folks weren’t moving, adding insult to injury with less new systems installed, and more warranty claims from system owners who normally might have moved every five to six years. We’ve all heard this too many times, “what doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”\r\n\r\nWhile the hot water side of the industry continues to take a hit from still relatively low natural gas prices, pool customers don’t seem to care. Maybe it’s become perception that heating a pool with a fossil fuel must be expensive or that it’s just not environmentally the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>CSI-Thermal Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program</h3>\r\nAs the rest of the nation watches, the CSI Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program is slowly starting to take shape. The Program Administrators for the various utilities have submitted their proposal to the California Public Utility Commission calling for an initial rebate of $7 per displaced therm of natural gas. The rebate, which is funded by rate gas utility payers, could offset as much as 40% to 50% of the cost of the system. All commercial pools in the state will qualify for the program whether they are currently heated or not, as well as replacement systems. The only qualification is that the property has natural gas service. A minimum of $40 million, though potentially as high as $80 million dollars in rebates has been proposed for the state\'s more than 40,000 commercial pools.\r\n\r\nNo, I’m not an advocate for solar incentives, but I am for a level playing field. And as California goes, so often does the rest of the country.\r\n<h3>Online RMR / LAR</h3>\r\nI don’t like change either – even if it is for the better. I still have an iPhone 3GS and it works. The screen cracked recently and instead of upgrading – you guessed it, I got a new screen. Jim Roark and I are what Simon Sinek calls a laggard; if they still sold rotary phones, we’d have one. But I assure you that’s not the case with our new online RMR / LAR. Entering information is a snap and you don’t even have to press hard to make the last page legible! If we said take your time to figure it out, like me, you would. That’s why we’ve put a cut-off of May 31 for the paper forms. Check it out right now at <a href=\"www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a>. Kudos to Kevin and our engineering staff along with some help from Dan and thanks to our Beta tester (Wendy Hall) along the way in getting this done.\r\n<h3>New Strap Clamp</h3>\r\nI’ve always tried to work with regional suppliers for the components in our products when possible. It boosts the local economy plus helps us to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, there’s a point where the high cost of sourcing components locally can outweigh the other benefits. On occasion, we’ve even sourced our metal stampings oversees – something that always bothered me. Actually it bothered me so much, we decided to invest locally in what is called “progressive forming” stamping dies for our more popular stainless steel components. It required a significant upfront tooling investment, but comes closer to matching the offshore per-piece-price while still being made here in New Jersey.\r\n\r\nUp to now, there were still two parts we either couldn’t source in the US, or were just too expensive to make here. The stainless steel filters for the vacuum relief valves are one of them. The only company that makes that particular mesh design is in Mexico and I can live with that. The other component is the Hold-Down Strap Clamp Assembly (Part #10011). If you think they’re expensive now, making them here in the states would have been astronomical. After our success with the progressive dies on our other parts, we worked with our toolmaker on a redesign that could more easily be made with the same type of progressive forming tooling.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"10011 - ISO\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO-300x231.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" /></a></p>\r\nThe new design, which is even stronger than the old one, will be released sometime late summer / early fall. Prices on our stainless components may go up a few cents, but in the end it’s the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>Donations</h3>\r\nOne presentation we just didn’t get to at this year’s National Master Dealer Meeting was a charitable donation by one of our dealers, Compass Solar of Pensacola, FL using Aquatherm collectors. It all started when they were approached by a swimming pool builder who refers business to them about Dustin Tuller, an Iraq veteran from the Pensacola area who lost his legs in combat. Gulf Coast Pools was donating the construction of a new pool to Mr. Tuller through the <a href=\"http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Wounded Warrior Project</a> and asked if Compass would like to donate a solar pool heater.\r\n\r\nWhen Compass approached us, it was never a question of \"how much\" of this project Aquatherm felt comfortable donating towards; it was more like \"where do we send the collectors?\" Compass donated the labor and piping needed to complete the installation.\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;865,864,866&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nYou never read about this, at least not from any press release that Aquatherm did, because we didn’t do one. If you know anything about Aquatherm’s charitable giving, it’s that we do it quietly, only saying something in order to inspire others to do the same.\r\n\r\nIf you come across a situation where a charitable gift of a warm, solar heated pool would make a difference, keep us in mind. We maintain an inventory of fully-warranted factory seconds for just such special occasions.\r\n<h3>QuickMount PV Flashing</h3>\r\nAlso at this years meeting, Marshall Green from QuickMount PV previewed their new flashing specifically designed for Aquatherm’s Eagle Claw stainless steel mounting hardware. Thanks to the PV industry, we’ve been seeing more requests from building inspectors around the country requesting PV type flashings for the thermal industry. Unfortunately, “but this is the way we’ve been doing it for 35 years” just isn’t the right answer sometimes.\r\n\r\nThe first of the new flashings were recently installed by Solar Living under the guidance of Marshall. Rich Bonte, of Sun Source, Aquatherm’s distributor here in New Jersey, and by his own admission perhaps one of he biggest skeptics there ever was, joined in to photograph the event.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;873,874,876,875,877,878&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nThough Solar Living took their time, the installation of the flashings didn’t take nearly as long as they had imagined. Along the way, they also discovered that the outlet header flashing served double-duty as a mount for their return line. Another benefit was that the top flashing was just long enough to slide under the top hose and protect the roof from expansion and contraction. Rich is now sold that the QuickMount PV flashing can be part of a unique upsell package that will give his dealers another advantage over the competition.\r\n<h3>New Ratings / ISO 9806</h3>\r\nJust about all major manufacturers have had most of their products tested under the new ISO 9806 test protocol by now. Compared to the old ASRAE 96-80 standard, the new ISO standard is considered much more real world by incorporating three set wind speeds instead of simply being tested at a wind speed of under 3 mph as ASRAE 96-80 specifies. Ultrasun, Ecosun and our other center-web products were tested last fall and their new ratings are currently available with IAPMO and shortly with SRCC and FSEC. The SI collector is slated to be on the test stand this fall at TUV in Tempe, Arizona for its ISO 9806 testing.\r\n<h3>IAPMO vs. SRCC</h3>\r\nSo IAPMO now certifies solar collector performance? For over 30 years one company has had a virtual monopoly on national collector performance certification here in the US. Now there’s a new kid on the solar thermal ratings block. IAPMO has listed solar collectors for over 30 years by verifying that a collector was in fact tested and had passed the test. But now by also verifying the performance component of the testing, IAPMO is finally giving manufacturers a choice. As IAPMO gains acceptance, Aquatherm will continue to maintain both its IAPMO and SRCC certifications. There could wind up being some slight variances in the performance matrix between the two agencies, but I wouldn’t expect anything substantial.\r\n<h3>Sensor and Control Testing / Pentair sensor</h3>\r\nIt all started with an email from our SI distributor in Peru this January who also happens to purchase the Pentair Solar Touch control for his systems.\r\n<blockquote>“The solar sensors that have been sent with the new Pentair Solar Touch Control System have failed several times. It seems the problem is the color: the old sensor was black and the new one is grey; when the wind blows by this new sensor, it becomes cold and does not activate the system even if the sun is shining at the same time. Maybe another solution is to paint the sensors in black… what do you think about it?”</blockquote>\r\nWhat do I think about a grey solar sensor? The first thing I did was check our inventory and sure enough, both sensors were grey at best - more like off-white. The second thing I did was call our good friend Steve Peake at Pentair to let them know they made a mistake in packaging. Steve replied that it wasn’t’ a mistake - their engineers had determined that the solar sensor just needed to be a temperature sensor and in order to make all their sensors the same, they choose an off-white color. It’s nearly five months later and Pentair is finally about to send out some samples of a black solar sensor. This prompted us to start our own project of comparing all the available sensors in the market not just to each other, but to different collectors and determining what sensor and turn-on / turn-off differential would work best with each of our collector designs.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2-1024x295.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"184\" /></a></p>\r\nOur early results just comparing sensors showed some pretty startling results. As you’d expect, the Pentair off-white sensor read just above ambient air temperature. In other words, even if the sensor reached more than six degrees over the pool water temperature, a light breeze or clouds were enough to make the system cycle off.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"Sensor Testing May 17\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17-1024x791.png\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" /></a></p>\r\nOne other thing that we’re learning is what we all would have expected; the aluminum mass of the painted black Heliotrope sensor skipped over the momentary lows caused by clouds and wind which kept the system from cycling all day.\r\n\r\nNext, we’ll be testing for a delta-T across the system and comparing it to what the sensors are telling the control to do. We’ll let you know what we find.\r\n<h3>Last Call for Paradise</h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>Aquatherm’s 2013 Summer Sales Retreat along Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Pacific coastline is just two months away and before we let go the last few of our block of rooms at our group rate, we’re just asking one more time if you’d like to join us. The dates are July 28th to August 2nd. If you’d like more information on rates, please give Pat or myself a call. If you want to check for airfare, the local airport is Liberia (LIR).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Buck Stops Here: May 2013','','publish','open','open','','the-buck-stops-here-may-2013','','','2013-09-19 13:34:05','2013-09-19 13:34:05','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1043',0,'post','',0),(1044,1,'2013-05-30 15:43:26','2013-05-30 15:43:26','','The Buck Stops Here: May 2013','','inherit','open','open','','1043-revision','','','2013-05-30 15:43:26','2013-05-30 15:43:26','',1043,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1043-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1045,1,'2013-05-30 15:44:19','2013-05-30 15:44:19','It’s good to be back. Not that you or I ever went anywhere - it’s the economy that I’m talking about. Your continuing efforts, combined with pent-up demand fueled by a cooler than normal spring in Florida and better than average weather in California made April our busiest month in five years. And thankfully, May isn’t far behind.\r\n\r\nThe Great Recession proved to be a perfect storm for our industry. Disposable income dropped, so new pools weren’t being built. Also, folks weren’t moving, adding insult to injury with less new systems installed, and more warranty claims from system owners who normally might have moved every five to six years. We’ve all heard this too many times, “what doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”\r\n\r\nWhile the hot water side of the industry continues to take a hit from still relatively low natural gas prices, pool customers don’t seem to care. Maybe it’s become perception that heating a pool with a fossil fuel must be expensive or that it’s just not environmentally the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>CSI-Thermal Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program</h3>\r\nAs the rest of the nation watches, the CSI Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program is slowly starting to take shape. The Program Administrators for the various utilities have submitted their proposal to the California Public Utility Commission calling for an initial rebate of $7 per displaced therm of natural gas. The rebate, which is funded by rate gas utility payers, could offset as much as 40% to 50% of the cost of the system. All commercial pools in the state will qualify for the program whether they are currently heated or not, as well as replacement systems. The only qualification is that the property has natural gas service. A minimum of $40 million, though potentially as high as $80 million dollars in rebates has been proposed for the state\'s more than 40,000 commercial pools.\r\n\r\nNo, I’m not an advocate for solar incentives, but I am for a level playing field. And as California goes, so often does the rest of the country.\r\n<h3>Online RMR / LAR</h3>\r\nI don’t like change either – even if it is for the better. I still have an iPhone 3GS and it works. The screen cracked recently and instead of upgrading – you guessed it, I got a new screen. Jim Roark and I are what Simon Sinek calls a laggard; if they still sold rotary phones, we’d have one. But I assure you that’s not the case with our new online RMR / LAR. Entering information is a snap and you don’t even have to press hard to make the last page legible! If we said take your time to figure it out, like me, you would. That’s why we’ve put a cut-off of May 31 for the paper forms. Check it out right now at <a href=\"www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a>. Kudos to Kevin and our engineering staff along with some help from Dan and thanks to our Beta tester (Wendy Hall) along the way in getting this done.\r\n<h3>New Strap Clamp</h3>\r\nI’ve always tried to work with regional suppliers for the components in our products when possible. It boosts the local economy plus helps us to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, there’s a point where the high cost of sourcing components locally can outweigh the other benefits. On occasion, we’ve even sourced our metal stampings oversees – something that always bothered me. Actually it bothered me so much, we decided to invest locally in what is called “progressive forming” stamping dies for our more popular stainless steel components. It required a significant upfront tooling investment, but comes closer to matching the offshore per-piece-price while still being made here in New Jersey.\r\n\r\nUp to now, there were still two parts we either couldn’t source in the US, or were just too expensive to make here. The stainless steel filters for the vacuum relief valves are one of them. The only company that makes that particular mesh design is in Mexico and I can live with that. The other component is the Hold-Down Strap Clamp Assembly (Part #10011). If you think they’re expensive now, making them here in the states would have been astronomical. After our success with the progressive dies on our other parts, we worked with our toolmaker on a redesign that could more easily be made with the same type of progressive forming tooling.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"10011 - ISO\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO-300x231.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" /></a></p>\r\nThe new design, which is even stronger than the old one, will be released sometime late summer / early fall. Prices on our stainless components may go up a few cents, but in the end it’s the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>Donations</h3>\r\nOne presentation we just didn’t get to at this year’s National Master Dealer Meeting was a charitable donation by one of our dealers, Compass Solar of Pensacola, FL using Aquatherm collectors. It all started when they were approached by a swimming pool builder who refers business to them about Dustin Tuller, an Iraq veteran from the Pensacola area who lost his legs in combat. Gulf Coast Pools was donating the construction of a new pool to Mr. Tuller through the <a href=\"http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Wounded Warrior Project</a> and asked if Compass would like to donate a solar pool heater.\r\n\r\nWhen Compass approached us, it was never a question of \"how much\" of this project Aquatherm felt comfortable donating towards; it was more like \"where do we send the collectors?\" Compass donated the labor and piping needed to complete the installation.\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;865,864,866&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nYou never read about this, at least not from any press release that Aquatherm did, because we didn’t do one. If you know anything about Aquatherm’s charitable giving, it’s that we do it quietly, only saying something in order to inspire others to do the same.\r\n\r\nIf you come across a situation where a charitable gift of a warm, solar heated pool would make a difference, keep us in mind. We maintain an inventory of fully-warranted factory seconds for just such special occasions.\r\n<h3>QuickMount PV Flashing</h3>\r\nAlso at this years meeting, Marshall Green from QuickMount PV previewed their new flashing specifically designed for Aquatherm’s Eagle Claw stainless steel mounting hardware. Thanks to the PV industry, we’ve been seeing more requests from building inspectors around the country requesting PV type flashings for the thermal industry. Unfortunately, “but this is the way we’ve been doing it for 35 years” just isn’t the right answer sometimes.\r\n\r\nThe first of the new flashings were recently installed by Solar Living under the guidance of Marshall. Rich Bonte, of Sun Source, Aquatherm’s distributor here in New Jersey, and by his own admission perhaps one of he biggest skeptics there ever was, joined in to photograph the event.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;873,874,876,875,877,878&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nThough Solar Living took their time, the installation of the flashings didn’t take nearly as long as they had imagined. Along the way, they also discovered that the outlet header flashing served double-duty as a mount for their return line. Another benefit was that the top flashing was just long enough to slide under the top hose and protect the roof from expansion and contraction. Rich is now sold that the QuickMount PV flashing can be part of a unique upsell package that will give his dealers another advantage over the competition.\r\n<h3>New Ratings / ISO 9806</h3>\r\nJust about all major manufacturers have had most of their products tested under the new ISO 9806 test protocol by now. Compared to the old ASRAE 96-80 standard, the new ISO standard is considered much more real world by incorporating three set wind speeds instead of simply being tested at a wind speed of under 3 mph as ASRAE 96-80 specifies. Ultrasun, Ecosun and our other center-web products were tested last fall and their new ratings are currently available with IAPMO and shortly with SRCC and FSEC. The SI collector is slated to be on the test stand this fall at TUV in Tempe, Arizona for its ISO 9806 testing.\r\n<h3>IAPMO vs. SRCC</h3>\r\nSo IAPMO now certifies solar collector performance? For over 30 years one company has had a virtual monopoly on national collector performance certification here in the US. Now there’s a new kid on the solar thermal ratings block. IAPMO has listed solar collectors for over 30 years by verifying that a collector was in fact tested and had passed the test. But now by also verifying the performance component of the testing, IAPMO is finally giving manufacturers a choice. As IAPMO gains acceptance, Aquatherm will continue to maintain both its IAPMO and SRCC certifications. There could wind up being some slight variances in the performance matrix between the two agencies, but I wouldn’t expect anything substantial.\r\n<h3>Sensor and Control Testing / Pentair sensor</h3>\r\nIt all started with an email from our SI distributor in Peru this January who also happens to purchase the Pentair Solar Touch control for his systems.\r\n<blockquote>“The solar sensors that have been sent with the new Pentair Solar Touch Control System have failed several times. It seems the problem is the color: the old sensor was black and the new one is grey; when the wind blows by this new sensor, it becomes cold and does not activate the system even if the sun is shining at the same time. Maybe another solution is to paint the sensors in black… what do you think about it?”</blockquote>\r\nWhat do I think about a grey solar sensor? The first thing I did was check our inventory and sure enough, both sensors were grey at best - more like off-white. The second thing I did was call our good friend Steve Peake at Pentair to let them know they made a mistake in packaging. Steve replied that it wasn’t’ a mistake - their engineers had determined that the solar sensor just needed to be a temperature sensor and in order to make all their sensors the same, they choose an off-white color. It’s nearly five months later and Pentair is finally about to send out some samples of a black solar sensor. This prompted us to start our own project of comparing all the available sensors in the market not just to each other, but to different collectors and determining what sensor and turn-on / turn-off differential would work best with each of our collector designs.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2-1024x295.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"184\" /></a></p>\r\nOur early results just comparing sensors showed some pretty startling results. As you’d expect, the Pentair off-white sensor read just above ambient air temperature. In other words, even if the sensor reached more than six degrees over the pool water temperature, a light breeze or clouds were enough to make the system cycle off.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"Sensor Testing May 17\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17-1024x791.png\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" /></a></p>\r\nOne other thing that we’re learning is what we all would have expected; the aluminum mass of the painted black Heliotrope sensor skipped over the momentary lows caused by clouds and wind which kept the system from cycling all day.\r\n\r\nNext, we’ll be testing for a delta-T across the system and comparing it to what the sensors are telling the control to do. We’ll let you know what we find.\r\n<h3>Last Call for Paradise</h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>Aquatherm’s 2013 Summer Sales Retreat along Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Pacific coastline is just two months away and before we let go the last few of our block of rooms at our group rate, we’re just asking one more time if you’d like to join us. The dates are July 28th to August 2nd. If you’d like more information on rates, please give Pat or myself a call. If you want to check for airfare, the local airport is Liberia (LIR).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Buck Stops Here: May 2013','','inherit','open','open','','1043-revision-2','','','2013-05-30 15:44:19','2013-05-30 15:44:19','',1043,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1043-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1053,5,'2013-08-15 13:31:03','2013-08-15 13:31:03','I am pleased to announce that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting its <b>2014</b> <b>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings </b>in Orlando<b> </b>January 22nd – 24th and will tentatively take place at the <b>Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World. </b>We will be updating you with a detailed agenda as the date gets closer, but we wanted to reach out early to all of you so you can add this information to your calendars.\r\n\r\nAquatherm Industries celebrated its <b>21st Summer Sales Retreat</b> this year in beautiful Costa Rica. Attendees stayed at the RIU Guanacaste for five nights and took advantage of all Costa Rica had to offer. Some chose body surfing for hours in the water in Tamarindo, a local surfing village. Others plastered themselves at the mud baths and enjoyed the hot springs among the lush surroundings. Most notably, half of the group decided to go whitewater rafting only to spend more time in the water than in the boat! Our farewell night was spent having dinner together at the Octal Restaurant where everyone exchanged stories about their week and enjoyed one last night together. Another great retreat in the books!\r\n\r\nOn to the numbers! The top dealer spot for the month goes to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists</b> with 357 collectors sold in July – congratulations Mark! In 2nd place is <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> who had a great month with 164 collectors. Well done Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>SunChaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 155 collectors sold for a solid 3rd place finish for the month. Way to go Brandon!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor </b>is the Top Salesman for the month with 47 sales. Amazing month Mark!\r\n\r\n<b>Terry Naylor </b>and <b>Brandon Chase</b> tied for 2nd place with 22 sales each. Congratulations gentleman! And, in 3rd place is <b>Bill Park</b> with 12 sales for July. Nice job Bill!\r\n\r\nOn a sad note, we were very sorry to hear of the loss of John Dunn, owner of Discount Solar in Orlando, who passed away earlier this month. John had been in the solar industry for the past 8 years selling and installing Solar Industries and was just appointed a Master Dealer this past year. Discount Solar was a great company and John will be missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  2014 Kick-off Meetings, Jan. 22nd – 24th in Orlando, Florida</li>\r\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, Jan. 28th – 30th in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAlso, Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 26th.\r\n\r\nDuring this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal business hours.\r\n\r\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','July 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','july-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-09-19 13:33:15','2013-09-19 13:33:15','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1053',0,'post','',0),(1054,1,'2013-09-19 13:30:54','2013-09-19 13:30:54','I am pleased to announce that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting its <b>2014</b> <b>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings </b>in Orlando<b> </b>January 22nd – 24th and will tentatively take place at the <b>Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World. </b>We will be updating you with a detailed agenda as the date gets closer, but we wanted to reach out early to all of you so you can add this information to your calendars.\n\nAquatherm Industries celebrated its <b>21st Summer Sales Retreat</b> this year in beautiful Costa Rica. Attendees stayed at the RIU Guanacaste for five nights and took advantage of all Costa Rica had to offer. Some chose body surfing for hours in the water in Tamarindo, a local surfing village. Others plastered themselves at the mud baths and enjoyed the hot springs among the lush surroundings. Most notably, half of the group decided to go whitewater rafting only to spend more time in the water than in the boat! Our farewell night was spent having dinner together at the Octal Restaurant where everyone exchanged stories about their week and enjoyed one last night together. Another great retreat in the books!\n\nOn to the numbers! The top dealer spot for the month goes to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists</b> with 357 collectors sold in July – congratulations Mark! In 2nd place is <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> who had a great month with 164 collectors. Well done Terry!\n\n<b>SunChaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 155 collectors sold for a solid 3rd place finish for the month. Way to go Brandon!\n\n<b>Mark Naylor </b>is the Top Salesman for the month with 47 sales. Amazing month Mark!\n\n<b>Terry Naylor </b>and <b>Brandon Chase</b> tied for 2nd place with 22 sales each. Congratulations gentleman! And, in 3rd place is <b>Bill Park</b> with 12 sales for July. Nice job Bill!\n\nOn a sad note, we were very sorry to hear of the loss of John Dunn, owner of Discount Solar in Orlando, who passed away earlier this month. John had been in the solar industry for the past 8 years selling and installing Solar Industries and was just appointed a Master Dealer this past year. Discount Solar was a great company and John will be missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.\n\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  2014 Kick-off Meetings, Jan. 22nd – 24th in Orlando, Florida</li>\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, Jan. 28th – 30th in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nAlso, Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 26th.\n\nDuring this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal business hours.\n\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','July 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1053-revision','','','2013-09-19 13:30:54','2013-09-19 13:30:54','',1053,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1053-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1055,5,'2013-07-15 13:31:09','2013-07-15 13:31:09','What a year so far! Many of you are sharing stories of installation lead times in terms of weeks and not days for your customers. As a group, you are up 15% over last year! I thought I would call out a few of our Dealers that are having a banner year:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Performance Solar is up 222% – amazing year so far Dennis</li>\r\n	<li>The Solar Guys are 213% over last year – great job Sean and company</li>\r\n	<li>United Solar Energy is 51% over last year – congrats to Al and team</li>\r\n	<li>Energy Conservation Services are 38% ahead of last year – fabulous Tom</li>\r\n	<li>M &amp; K Solar is 33% ahead of last year – way to go Dave</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nI would also like to acknowledge each level of Master Dealers and how they are trending:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Platinum Master Dealers are up 10%</li>\r\n	<li>Gold Master Dealers are up 12%</li>\r\n	<li>Silver Master Dealers are on pace with last year</li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealers are up 87%</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOverall, a great six months for everyone and your hard work out there is certainly paying dividends. Thank you for your continued business and being the best at what you do. For those of you joining us at the Summer Sales Retreat in Coast Rica, a well deserved break is just a few days away.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists </b>for a great month with 420 collectors sold in June! Another fabulous month Mark! <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> had an impressive month with 235 collectors – strong 2nd place showing Terry! <b>Sunchaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 127 collectors sold for a 3rd place finish. Excellent job Brandon!\r\n\r\nAnd in typical 1-2-3 fashion, 57 sales landed <b>Mark Naylor</b> in the Top Salesman spot for August – nice job Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from Naylor Solar Specialists came in second for the month with 29 sales. Way to go Terry! And, in 3rd place is <b>Brandon Chase</b> from Sunchaser, Inc. with 18 sales. Congratulations Brandon!\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 27th – August 2nd in Costa Rica</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n	<li>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting, January 2013 in Florida</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information or are in need of a badge for the Pool &amp; Spa Expo, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','June 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','june-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-09-19 13:33:24','2013-09-19 13:33:24','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1055',0,'post','',0),(1056,1,'2013-09-19 13:31:32','2013-09-19 13:31:32','What a year so far! Many of you are sharing stories of installation lead times in terms of weeks and not days for your customers. As a group, you are up 15% over last year! I thought I would call out a few of our Dealers that are having a banner year:\n<ul>\n	<li>Performance Solar is up 222% – amazing year so far Dennis</li>\n	<li>The Solar Guys are 213% over last year – great job Sean and company</li>\n	<li>United Solar Energy is 51% over last year – congrats to Al and team</li>\n	<li>Energy Conservation Services are 38% ahead of last year – fabulous Tom</li>\n	<li>M &amp; K Solar is 33% ahead of last year – way to go Dave</li>\n</ul>\nI would also like to acknowledge each level of Master Dealers and how they are trending:\n<ul>\n	<li>Platinum Master Dealers are up 10%</li>\n	<li>Gold Master Dealers are up 12%</li>\n	<li>Silver Master Dealers are on pace with last year</li>\n	<li>Master Dealers are up 87%</li>\n</ul>\nOverall, a great six months for everyone and your hard work out there is certainly paying dividends. Thank you for your continued business and being the best at what you do. For those of you joining us at the Summer Sales Retreat in Coast Rica, a well deserved break is just a few days away.\n\nCongratulations to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists </b>for a great month with 420 collectors sold in June! Another fabulous month Mark! <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> had an impressive month with 235 collectors – strong 2nd place showing Terry! <b>Sunchaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 127 collectors sold for a 3rd place finish. Excellent job Brandon!\n\nAnd in typical 1-2-3 fashion, 57 sales landed <b>Mark Naylor</b> in the Top Salesman spot for August – nice job Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from Naylor Solar Specialists came in second for the month with 29 sales. Way to go Terry! And, in 3rd place is <b>Brandon Chase</b> from Sunchaser, Inc. with 18 sales. Congratulations Brandon!\n\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 27th – August 2nd in Costa Rica</li>\n	<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas</li>\n	<li>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting, January 2013 in Florida</li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information or are in need of a badge for the Pool &amp; Spa Expo, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','June 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1055-revision','','','2013-09-19 13:31:32','2013-09-19 13:31:32','',1055,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1055-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1057,5,'2013-06-15 13:32:20','2013-06-15 13:32:20','This month, we are very excited to announce the addition of three Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network. Having displayed their commitment to quality and dedication to the solar pool heating industry, we proudly welcome the following companies into our Master Dealer Network:\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Bortman</b> is the owner of <b>Exact Solar</b> located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mark founded Exact Solar and moved his family to Costa Rica for a year to learn more about alternative energy options. During that year, Mark worked with and learned with a pioneer in the solar thermal field, Bruce Carey, who’d been active in the solar industry since the 1970s. When he returned to the Philadelphia area, Mark started Exact Solar, and has been designing and installing solar photovoltaic, as well as domestic water and pool heating ever since. Mark’s website is <a href=\"http://www.exactsolar.com/\">www.exactsolar.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Patrick Gallagher</b> is the owner of <b>Gallagher Solar Thermal</b> located in Warwick, New York. Pat has been the local solar expert in New York’s Hudson Valley since 2005, and added solar pool heating to his services offered in 2007. Pat’s company installs both solar domestic water and pool heating systems, and also services and replaces existing systems. In 2010, at the AHRC Camp Loyaltown Summer Camp in Hunter, NY, Gallagher designed and installed what would become the largest solar water heating system in the region – over 4,800 square foot of solar collector area to heat the camp’s 9,000 square foot swimming pool. Pat’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarthermalsolution.com/\">www.solarthermalsolution.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Jesse Christink</b> is the owner of <b>Solar Wave</b> located in Burlington, Ontario. Founded in 2005 by Jesse, Solar Wave specializes in the niche market of solar pool and domestic hot water heating. As a former employee of another solar pool heater manufacturer, it didn’t take long for Jesse to realize the power of solar heating. As a finance graduate, Jesse was immediately drawn to the cost savings from solar, especially pool heating. After a six-year tenure with that manufacturer, Jesse started his own company selling, installing, and servicing solar water and pool heaters, as well as ancillary pool products like salt water chlorinators and automation systems. Jesse’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarwaveenergy.com/\">www.solarwaveenergy.com</a>.\r\n\r\nMark and Patrick are handling the Solar Industries line and Jesse Ecosun. Please join me in welcoming all three of our new Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network!\r\n\r\nI also wanted to give a nod to <b>Matt Mitera</b> from <b>Tenco Solar</b> who shared with me last week that he is installing the <b>largest solar water heating project</b> to date in the State of California on the USC campus in Southern California. Expected to open after the winter break at the end of this year, the students will return to find their dormitory’s hot water heated by the sun. Matt and his team are just about half way done with the project and have just six more months to complete the project. We will post some photos in the new year of the completed project. Congratulations Matt on this huge achievement!\r\n\r\nNow, on to the numbers for May.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</b> who had an impressive month and claimed the top dealer spot with 413 collectors sold for May. Fabulous job Mark! A strong 2nd place finish goes to <b>Stilwell Solar, FL</b> with 224 collectors for May. Way to go Bill and the team at Stilwell! With 211 collectors for May, <b>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>came in 3rd for May – nice job Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> from <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> is the top salesman in the country with 56 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from<b> Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>is 2nd with 28 sales for the month of May. Fabulous job Terry, he tells me this is a record month for him – congrats! And, <b>Bill Long</b> from<b>Stilwell Solar</b> is 3rd with 23 sales for May. Impressive finish for May Bill!\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th  in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<b>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed Thursday July 4th and Friday July 5th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, July 8th.</b><b> </b>\r\n\r\n<b>ATTENTION:</b>  We are currently looking for a project to feature as our “Gold Medal Installation” in the <b>Summer 2013 Solstice</b>. These feature articles always make a great first impression on your customers during your sales presentations – don’t miss out on the opportunity!  If you have a noteworthy commercial project that you have completed in the last year please contact me for more information at 732-905-9002, ext 226 or <a href=\"mailto:mfriar@warmwater.com\">mfriar@warmwater.com</a>.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','May 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','may-2013-sales-memo','','','2013-09-19 13:32:58','2013-09-19 13:32:58','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1057',0,'post','',0),(1058,1,'2013-09-19 13:32:18','2013-09-19 13:32:18','This month, we are very excited to announce the addition of three Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network. Having displayed their commitment to quality and dedication to the solar pool heating industry, we proudly welcome the following companies into our Master Dealer Network:\n\n<b>Mark Bortman</b> is the owner of <b>Exact Solar</b> located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mark founded Exact Solar and moved his family to Costa Rica for a year to learn more about alternative energy options. During that year, Mark worked with and learned with a pioneer in the solar thermal field, Bruce Carey, who’d been active in the solar industry since the 1970s. When he returned to the Philadelphia area, Mark started Exact Solar, and has been designing and installing solar photovoltaic, as well as domestic water and pool heating ever since. Mark’s website is <a href=\"http://www.exactsolar.com/\">www.exactsolar.com</a>.\n\n<b>Patrick Gallagher</b> is the owner of <b>Gallagher Solar Thermal</b> located in Warwick, New York. Pat has been the local solar expert in New York’s Hudson Valley since 2005, and added solar pool heating to his services offered in 2007. Pat’s company installs both solar domestic water and pool heating systems, and also services and replaces existing systems. In 2010, at the AHRC Camp Loyaltown Summer Camp in Hunter, NY, Gallagher designed and installed what would become the largest solar water heating system in the region – over 4,800 square foot of solar collector area to heat the camp’s 9,000 square foot swimming pool. Pat’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarthermalsolution.com/\">www.solarthermalsolution.com</a>.\n\n<b>Jesse Christink</b> is the owner of <b>Solar Wave</b> located in Burlington, Ontario. Founded in 2005 by Jesse, Solar Wave specializes in the niche market of solar pool and domestic hot water heating. As a former employee of another solar pool heater manufacturer, it didn’t take long for Jesse to realize the power of solar heating. As a finance graduate, Jesse was immediately drawn to the cost savings from solar, especially pool heating. After a six-year tenure with that manufacturer, Jesse started his own company selling, installing, and servicing solar water and pool heaters, as well as ancillary pool products like salt water chlorinators and automation systems. Jesse’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarwaveenergy.com/\">www.solarwaveenergy.com</a>.\n\nMark and Patrick are handling the Solar Industries line and Jesse Ecosun. Please join me in welcoming all three of our new Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network!\n\nI also wanted to give a nod to <b>Matt Mitera</b> from <b>Tenco Solar</b> who shared with me last week that he is installing the <b>largest solar water heating project</b> to date in the State of California on the USC campus in Southern California. Expected to open after the winter break at the end of this year, the students will return to find their dormitory’s hot water heated by the sun. Matt and his team are just about half way done with the project and have just six more months to complete the project. We will post some photos in the new year of the completed project. Congratulations Matt on this huge achievement!\n\nNow, on to the numbers for May.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</b> who had an impressive month and claimed the top dealer spot with 413 collectors sold for May. Fabulous job Mark! A strong 2nd place finish goes to <b>Stilwell Solar, FL</b> with 224 collectors for May. Way to go Bill and the team at Stilwell! With 211 collectors for May, <b>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>came in 3rd for May – nice job Terry!\n\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> from <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> is the top salesman in the country with 56 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from<b> Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>is 2nd with 28 sales for the month of May. Fabulous job Terry, he tells me this is a record month for him – congrats! And, <b>Bill Long</b> from<b>Stilwell Solar</b> is 3rd with 23 sales for May. Impressive finish for May Bill!\n\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th  in San Francisco, California</li>\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<b>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed Thursday July 4th and Friday July 5th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, July 8th.</b><b> </b>\n\n<b>ATTENTION:</b>  We are currently looking for a project to feature as our “Gold Medal Installation” in the <b>Summer 2013 Solstice</b>. These feature articles always make a great first impression on your customers during your sales presentations – don’t miss out on the opportunity!  If you have a noteworthy commercial project that you have completed in the last year please contact me for more information at 732-905-9002, ext 226 or <a href=\"mailto:mfriar@warmwater.com\">mfriar@warmwater.com</a>.\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','May 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1057-revision','','','2013-09-19 13:32:18','2013-09-19 13:32:18','',1057,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1057-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1059,1,'2013-09-19 13:32:20','2013-09-19 13:32:20','This month, we are very excited to announce the addition of three Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network. Having displayed their commitment to quality and dedication to the solar pool heating industry, we proudly welcome the following companies into our Master Dealer Network:\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Bortman</b> is the owner of <b>Exact Solar</b> located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mark founded Exact Solar and moved his family to Costa Rica for a year to learn more about alternative energy options. During that year, Mark worked with and learned with a pioneer in the solar thermal field, Bruce Carey, who’d been active in the solar industry since the 1970s. When he returned to the Philadelphia area, Mark started Exact Solar, and has been designing and installing solar photovoltaic, as well as domestic water and pool heating ever since. Mark’s website is <a href=\"http://www.exactsolar.com/\">www.exactsolar.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Patrick Gallagher</b> is the owner of <b>Gallagher Solar Thermal</b> located in Warwick, New York. Pat has been the local solar expert in New York’s Hudson Valley since 2005, and added solar pool heating to his services offered in 2007. Pat’s company installs both solar domestic water and pool heating systems, and also services and replaces existing systems. In 2010, at the AHRC Camp Loyaltown Summer Camp in Hunter, NY, Gallagher designed and installed what would become the largest solar water heating system in the region – over 4,800 square foot of solar collector area to heat the camp’s 9,000 square foot swimming pool. Pat’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarthermalsolution.com/\">www.solarthermalsolution.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Jesse Christink</b> is the owner of <b>Solar Wave</b> located in Burlington, Ontario. Founded in 2005 by Jesse, Solar Wave specializes in the niche market of solar pool and domestic hot water heating. As a former employee of another solar pool heater manufacturer, it didn’t take long for Jesse to realize the power of solar heating. As a finance graduate, Jesse was immediately drawn to the cost savings from solar, especially pool heating. After a six-year tenure with that manufacturer, Jesse started his own company selling, installing, and servicing solar water and pool heaters, as well as ancillary pool products like salt water chlorinators and automation systems. Jesse’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarwaveenergy.com/\">www.solarwaveenergy.com</a>.\r\n\r\nMark and Patrick are handling the Solar Industries line and Jesse Ecosun. Please join me in welcoming all three of our new Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network!\r\n\r\nI also wanted to give a nod to <b>Matt Mitera</b> from <b>Tenco Solar</b> who shared with me last week that he is installing the <b>largest solar water heating project</b> to date in the State of California on the USC campus in Southern California. Expected to open after the winter break at the end of this year, the students will return to find their dormitory’s hot water heated by the sun. Matt and his team are just about half way done with the project and have just six more months to complete the project. We will post some photos in the new year of the completed project. Congratulations Matt on this huge achievement!\r\n\r\nNow, on to the numbers for May.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</b> who had an impressive month and claimed the top dealer spot with 413 collectors sold for May. Fabulous job Mark! A strong 2nd place finish goes to <b>Stilwell Solar, FL</b> with 224 collectors for May. Way to go Bill and the team at Stilwell! With 211 collectors for May, <b>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>came in 3rd for May – nice job Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> from <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> is the top salesman in the country with 56 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from<b> Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>is 2nd with 28 sales for the month of May. Fabulous job Terry, he tells me this is a record month for him – congrats! And, <b>Bill Long</b> from<b>Stilwell Solar</b> is 3rd with 23 sales for May. Impressive finish for May Bill!\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th  in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<b>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed Thursday July 4th and Friday July 5th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, July 8th.</b><b> </b>\r\n\r\n<b>ATTENTION:</b>  We are currently looking for a project to feature as our “Gold Medal Installation” in the <b>Summer 2013 Solstice</b>. These feature articles always make a great first impression on your customers during your sales presentations – don’t miss out on the opportunity!  If you have a noteworthy commercial project that you have completed in the last year please contact me for more information at 732-905-9002, ext 226 or <a href=\"mailto:mfriar@warmwater.com\">mfriar@warmwater.com</a>.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','May 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1057-revision-2','','','2013-09-19 13:32:20','2013-09-19 13:32:20','',1057,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1057-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1060,1,'2013-05-23 13:41:25','2013-05-23 13:41:25','Its official - the busy season is here! In my conversations with all of you it’s clear that this year is out pacing last year and the numbers agree. So far year to date you are reporting 162 systems and 1000 panels more than last year during the same time. A good sign that the economy is starting to recover and you are taking advantage of the pent up demand.\r\n\r\nThis pent up demand it is probably causing your voicemail and email boxes to fill up – a lot! But what about all the homeowners you reached out to over the last few years that you pitched and missed, or the ones who never called you back at all? Where are they now? Many of them are probably ripe for the picking! Well, you’re in luck!\r\n\r\nAquatherm keeps a database of all the past <strong>Internet sales leads</strong> we have forwarded to you, and we would be happy to share with you a spreadsheet of those in your market. These are warm leads – pool owners who have reached out to us at least once, requesting a Dealer in their area. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will make sure to get them in your hands quickly. They could be swimming in a warm pool by Memorial Day!\r\n\r\nSometimes, good things bear repeating: Aquatherm regularly sends out <strong>Press Releases</strong> – usually two each month – announcing new products and happenings in the industry. It is also an opportunity for us to get you some “free press” by promoting any noteworthy commercial projects. They do not need to be large projects to be considered for a press release, so please send us any and all projects that you are proud of and we will consider them for an upcoming release.\r\n\r\nLet’s see the numbers for April. Congratulations to <strong>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</strong>who dominated the top dealer spot with 420 collectors sold for April. Keep up the great work Mark! An impressive 2nd place finish goes to <strong>Stilwell Solar, FL</strong> with 308 collectors for April. Way to go Bill! And it’s a tie for 3rd between <strong>Central Florida Solar, FL</strong> and<strong>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV</strong> with 182 collectors each - nice job Bill and Terry!\r\n\r\n<strong>Mark Naylor</strong> from Mark Naylor Solar Specialists is the top salesman in the country with 57 sales for April. Congratulations Mark! <strong>Bill Long</strong> from Stilwell Solar is 2nd with 31 sales for April - fabulous job Bill. And, rounding out 3rd place is <strong>Bill Park</strong> from Central Florida Solar with 26 sales. Well done Bill!\r\n\r\n<strong>Aquatherm\'s upcoming events:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<strong>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed on Monday, May 27th for the holiday weekend and reopen on Tuesday, May 28th.</strong>\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','April 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1041-revision-2','','','2013-05-23 13:41:25','2013-05-23 13:41:25','',1041,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1041-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1061,1,'2013-09-19 13:32:29','2013-09-19 13:32:29','This month, we are very excited to announce the addition of three Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network. Having displayed their commitment to quality and dedication to the solar pool heating industry, we proudly welcome the following companies into our Master Dealer Network:\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Bortman</b> is the owner of <b>Exact Solar</b> located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mark founded Exact Solar and moved his family to Costa Rica for a year to learn more about alternative energy options. During that year, Mark worked with and learned with a pioneer in the solar thermal field, Bruce Carey, who’d been active in the solar industry since the 1970s. When he returned to the Philadelphia area, Mark started Exact Solar, and has been designing and installing solar photovoltaic, as well as domestic water and pool heating ever since. Mark’s website is <a href=\"http://www.exactsolar.com/\">www.exactsolar.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Patrick Gallagher</b> is the owner of <b>Gallagher Solar Thermal</b> located in Warwick, New York. Pat has been the local solar expert in New York’s Hudson Valley since 2005, and added solar pool heating to his services offered in 2007. Pat’s company installs both solar domestic water and pool heating systems, and also services and replaces existing systems. In 2010, at the AHRC Camp Loyaltown Summer Camp in Hunter, NY, Gallagher designed and installed what would become the largest solar water heating system in the region – over 4,800 square foot of solar collector area to heat the camp’s 9,000 square foot swimming pool. Pat’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarthermalsolution.com/\">www.solarthermalsolution.com</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Jesse Christink</b> is the owner of <b>Solar Wave</b> located in Burlington, Ontario. Founded in 2005 by Jesse, Solar Wave specializes in the niche market of solar pool and domestic hot water heating. As a former employee of another solar pool heater manufacturer, it didn’t take long for Jesse to realize the power of solar heating. As a finance graduate, Jesse was immediately drawn to the cost savings from solar, especially pool heating. After a six-year tenure with that manufacturer, Jesse started his own company selling, installing, and servicing solar water and pool heaters, as well as ancillary pool products like salt water chlorinators and automation systems. Jesse’s website is <a href=\"http://www.solarwaveenergy.com/\">www.solarwaveenergy.com</a>.\r\n\r\nMark and Patrick are handling the Solar Industries line and Jesse Ecosun. Please join me in welcoming all three of our new Master Dealers to the Aquatherm Network!\r\n\r\nI also wanted to give a nod to <b>Matt Mitera</b> from <b>Tenco Solar</b> who shared with me last week that he is installing the <b>largest solar water heating project</b> to date in the State of California on the USC campus in Southern California. Expected to open after the winter break at the end of this year, the students will return to find their dormitory’s hot water heated by the sun. Matt and his team are just about half way done with the project and have just six more months to complete the project. We will post some photos in the new year of the completed project. Congratulations Matt on this huge achievement!\r\n\r\nNow, on to the numbers for May.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists, CA</b> who had an impressive month and claimed the top dealer spot with 413 collectors sold for May. Fabulous job Mark! A strong 2nd place finish goes to <b>Stilwell Solar, FL</b> with 224 collectors for May. Way to go Bill and the team at Stilwell! With 211 collectors for May, <b>Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>came in 3rd for May – nice job Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> from <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> is the top salesman in the country with 56 sales for May. You are on fire Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from<b> Naylor Solar Specialists, NV </b>is 2nd with 28 sales for the month of May. Fabulous job Terry, he tells me this is a record month for him – congrats! And, <b>Bill Long</b> from<b>Stilwell Solar</b> is 3rd with 23 sales for May. Impressive finish for May Bill!\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Intersolar North America, July 9th – 11th  in San Francisco, California</li>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 28th – August 2nd at RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<b>Please note that Aquatherm will be closed Thursday July 4th and Friday July 5th for the holiday weekend. We will reopen on Monday, July 8th.</b><b> </b>\r\n\r\n<b>ATTENTION:</b>  We are currently looking for a project to feature as our “Gold Medal Installation” in the <b>Summer 2013 Solstice</b>. These feature articles always make a great first impression on your customers during your sales presentations – don’t miss out on the opportunity!  If you have a noteworthy commercial project that you have completed in the last year please contact me for more information at 732-905-9002, ext 226 or <a href=\"mailto:mfriar@warmwater.com\">mfriar@warmwater.com</a>.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','May 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1057-revision-3','','','2013-09-19 13:32:29','2013-09-19 13:32:29','',1057,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1057-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1062,1,'2013-09-19 13:31:03','2013-09-19 13:31:03','I am pleased to announce that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting its <b>2014</b> <b>Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings </b>in Orlando<b> </b>January 22nd – 24th and will tentatively take place at the <b>Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World. </b>We will be updating you with a detailed agenda as the date gets closer, but we wanted to reach out early to all of you so you can add this information to your calendars.\r\n\r\nAquatherm Industries celebrated its <b>21st Summer Sales Retreat</b> this year in beautiful Costa Rica. Attendees stayed at the RIU Guanacaste for five nights and took advantage of all Costa Rica had to offer. Some chose body surfing for hours in the water in Tamarindo, a local surfing village. Others plastered themselves at the mud baths and enjoyed the hot springs among the lush surroundings. Most notably, half of the group decided to go whitewater rafting only to spend more time in the water than in the boat! Our farewell night was spent having dinner together at the Octal Restaurant where everyone exchanged stories about their week and enjoyed one last night together. Another great retreat in the books!\r\n\r\nOn to the numbers! The top dealer spot for the month goes to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists</b> with 357 collectors sold in July – congratulations Mark! In 2nd place is <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> who had a great month with 164 collectors. Well done Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>SunChaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 155 collectors sold for a solid 3rd place finish for the month. Way to go Brandon!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor </b>is the Top Salesman for the month with 47 sales. Amazing month Mark!\r\n\r\n<b>Terry Naylor </b>and <b>Brandon Chase</b> tied for 2nd place with 22 sales each. Congratulations gentleman! And, in 3rd place is <b>Bill Park</b> with 12 sales for July. Nice job Bill!\r\n\r\nOn a sad note, we were very sorry to hear of the loss of John Dunn, owner of Discount Solar in Orlando, who passed away earlier this month. John had been in the solar industry for the past 8 years selling and installing Solar Industries and was just appointed a Master Dealer this past year. Discount Solar was a great company and John will be missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  2014 Kick-off Meetings, Jan. 22nd – 24th in Orlando, Florida</li>\r\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, Jan. 28th – 30th in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nAlso, Aquatherm’s annual maintenance shut-down will begin on Monday, August 26th.\r\n\r\nDuring this time there will be no production or shipping, however the office will be open during normal business hours.\r\n\r\nAquatherm will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','July 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1053-revision-2','','','2013-09-19 13:31:03','2013-09-19 13:31:03','',1053,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1053-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1063,1,'2013-09-19 13:31:41','2013-09-19 13:31:41','What a year so far! Many of you are sharing stories of installation lead times in terms of weeks and not days for your customers. As a group, you are up 15% over last year! I thought I would call out a few of our Dealers that are having a banner year:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Performance Solar is up 222% – amazing year so far Dennis</li>\r\n	<li>The Solar Guys are 213% over last year – great job Sean and company</li>\r\n	<li>United Solar Energy is 51% over last year – congrats to Al and team</li>\r\n	<li>Energy Conservation Services are 38% ahead of last year – fabulous Tom</li>\r\n	<li>M &amp; K Solar is 33% ahead of last year – way to go Dave</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nI would also like to acknowledge each level of Master Dealers and how they are trending:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Platinum Master Dealers are up 10%</li>\r\n	<li>Gold Master Dealers are up 12%</li>\r\n	<li>Silver Master Dealers are on pace with last year</li>\r\n	<li>Master Dealers are up 87%</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOverall, a great six months for everyone and your hard work out there is certainly paying dividends. Thank you for your continued business and being the best at what you do. For those of you joining us at the Summer Sales Retreat in Coast Rica, a well deserved break is just a few days away.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to <b>Mark Naylor</b> <b>Solar Specialists </b>for a great month with 420 collectors sold in June! Another fabulous month Mark! <b>Naylor Solar Specialists</b> had an impressive month with 235 collectors – strong 2nd place showing Terry! <b>Sunchaser, Inc. </b>ended the month with 127 collectors sold for a 3rd place finish. Excellent job Brandon!\r\n\r\nAnd in typical 1-2-3 fashion, 57 sales landed <b>Mark Naylor</b> in the Top Salesman spot for August – nice job Mark! <b>Terry Naylor</b> from Naylor Solar Specialists came in second for the month with 29 sales. Way to go Terry! And, in 3rd place is <b>Brandon Chase</b> from Sunchaser, Inc. with 18 sales. Congratulations Brandon!\r\n\r\nAquatherm’s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Summer Sales Retreat, July 27th – August 2nd in Costa Rica</li>\r\n	<li>International Pool &amp; Spa Expo, Nov. 12th – 14th in Las Vegas</li>\r\n	<li>National Master Dealer Kick-off Meeting, January 2013 in Florida</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information or are in need of a badge for the Pool &amp; Spa Expo, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','June 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1055-revision-2','','','2013-09-19 13:31:41','2013-09-19 13:31:41','',1055,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1055-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1064,1,'2013-05-30 15:44:24','2013-05-30 15:44:24','It’s good to be back. Not that you or I ever went anywhere - it’s the economy that I’m talking about. Your continuing efforts, combined with pent-up demand fueled by a cooler than normal spring in Florida and better than average weather in California made April our busiest month in five years. And thankfully, May isn’t far behind.\r\n\r\nThe Great Recession proved to be a perfect storm for our industry. Disposable income dropped, so new pools weren’t being built. Also, folks weren’t moving, adding insult to injury with less new systems installed, and more warranty claims from system owners who normally might have moved every five to six years. We’ve all heard this too many times, “what doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”\r\n\r\nWhile the hot water side of the industry continues to take a hit from still relatively low natural gas prices, pool customers don’t seem to care. Maybe it’s become perception that heating a pool with a fossil fuel must be expensive or that it’s just not environmentally the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>CSI-Thermal Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program</h3>\r\nAs the rest of the nation watches, the CSI Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program is slowly starting to take shape. The Program Administrators for the various utilities have submitted their proposal to the California Public Utility Commission calling for an initial rebate of $7 per displaced therm of natural gas. The rebate, which is funded by rate gas utility payers, could offset as much as 40% to 50% of the cost of the system. All commercial pools in the state will qualify for the program whether they are currently heated or not, as well as replacement systems. The only qualification is that the property has natural gas service. A minimum of $40 million, though potentially as high as $80 million dollars in rebates has been proposed for the state\'s more than 40,000 commercial pools.\r\n\r\nNo, I’m not an advocate for solar incentives, but I am for a level playing field. And as California goes, so often does the rest of the country.\r\n<h3>Online RMR / LAR</h3>\r\nI don’t like change either – even if it is for the better. I still have an iPhone 3GS and it works. The screen cracked recently and instead of upgrading – you guessed it, I got a new screen. Jim Roark and I are what Simon Sinek calls a laggard; if they still sold rotary phones, we’d have one. But I assure you that’s not the case with our new online RMR / LAR. Entering information is a snap and you don’t even have to press hard to make the last page legible! If we said take your time to figure it out, like me, you would. That’s why we’ve put a cut-off of May 31 for the paper forms. Check it out right now at <a href=\"www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a>. Kudos to Kevin and our engineering staff along with some help from Dan and thanks to our Beta tester (Wendy Hall) along the way in getting this done.\r\n<h3>New Strap Clamp</h3>\r\nI’ve always tried to work with regional suppliers for the components in our products when possible. It boosts the local economy plus helps us to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, there’s a point where the high cost of sourcing components locally can outweigh the other benefits. On occasion, we’ve even sourced our metal stampings oversees – something that always bothered me. Actually it bothered me so much, we decided to invest locally in what is called “progressive forming” stamping dies for our more popular stainless steel components. It required a significant upfront tooling investment, but comes closer to matching the offshore per-piece-price while still being made here in New Jersey.\r\n\r\nUp to now, there were still two parts we either couldn’t source in the US, or were just too expensive to make here. The stainless steel filters for the vacuum relief valves are one of them. The only company that makes that particular mesh design is in Mexico and I can live with that. The other component is the Hold-Down Strap Clamp Assembly (Part #10011). If you think they’re expensive now, making them here in the states would have been astronomical. After our success with the progressive dies on our other parts, we worked with our toolmaker on a redesign that could more easily be made with the same type of progressive forming tooling.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"10011 - ISO\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO-300x231.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" /></a></p>\r\nThe new design, which is even stronger than the old one, will be released sometime late summer / early fall. Prices on our stainless components may go up a few cents, but in the end it’s the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>Donations</h3>\r\nOne presentation we just didn’t get to at this year’s National Master Dealer Meeting was a charitable donation by one of our dealers, Compass Solar of Pensacola, FL using Aquatherm collectors. It all started when they were approached by a swimming pool builder who refers business to them about Dustin Tuller, an Iraq veteran from the Pensacola area who lost his legs in combat. Gulf Coast Pools was donating the construction of a new pool to Mr. Tuller through the <a href=\"http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Wounded Warrior Project</a> and asked if Compass would like to donate a solar pool heater.\r\n\r\nWhen Compass approached us, it was never a question of \"how much\" of this project Aquatherm felt comfortable donating towards; it was more like \"where do we send the collectors?\" Compass donated the labor and piping needed to complete the installation.\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;865,864,866&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nYou never read about this, at least not from any press release that Aquatherm did, because we didn’t do one. If you know anything about Aquatherm’s charitable giving, it’s that we do it quietly, only saying something in order to inspire others to do the same.\r\n\r\nIf you come across a situation where a charitable gift of a warm, solar heated pool would make a difference, keep us in mind. We maintain an inventory of fully-warranted factory seconds for just such special occasions.\r\n<h3>QuickMount PV Flashing</h3>\r\nAlso at this years meeting, Marshall Green from QuickMount PV previewed their new flashing specifically designed for Aquatherm’s Eagle Claw stainless steel mounting hardware. Thanks to the PV industry, we’ve been seeing more requests from building inspectors around the country requesting PV type flashings for the thermal industry. Unfortunately, “but this is the way we’ve been doing it for 35 years” just isn’t the right answer sometimes.\r\n\r\nThe first of the new flashings were recently installed by Solar Living under the guidance of Marshall. Rich Bonte, of Sun Source, Aquatherm’s distributor here in New Jersey, and by his own admission perhaps one of he biggest skeptics there ever was, joined in to photograph the event.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;873,874,876,875,877,878&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\r\n\r\nThough Solar Living took their time, the installation of the flashings didn’t take nearly as long as they had imagined. Along the way, they also discovered that the outlet header flashing served double-duty as a mount for their return line. Another benefit was that the top flashing was just long enough to slide under the top hose and protect the roof from expansion and contraction. Rich is now sold that the QuickMount PV flashing can be part of a unique upsell package that will give his dealers another advantage over the competition.\r\n<h3>New Ratings / ISO 9806</h3>\r\nJust about all major manufacturers have had most of their products tested under the new ISO 9806 test protocol by now. Compared to the old ASRAE 96-80 standard, the new ISO standard is considered much more real world by incorporating three set wind speeds instead of simply being tested at a wind speed of under 3 mph as ASRAE 96-80 specifies. Ultrasun, Ecosun and our other center-web products were tested last fall and their new ratings are currently available with IAPMO and shortly with SRCC and FSEC. The SI collector is slated to be on the test stand this fall at TUV in Tempe, Arizona for its ISO 9806 testing.\r\n<h3>IAPMO vs. SRCC</h3>\r\nSo IAPMO now certifies solar collector performance? For over 30 years one company has had a virtual monopoly on national collector performance certification here in the US. Now there’s a new kid on the solar thermal ratings block. IAPMO has listed solar collectors for over 30 years by verifying that a collector was in fact tested and had passed the test. But now by also verifying the performance component of the testing, IAPMO is finally giving manufacturers a choice. As IAPMO gains acceptance, Aquatherm will continue to maintain both its IAPMO and SRCC certifications. There could wind up being some slight variances in the performance matrix between the two agencies, but I wouldn’t expect anything substantial.\r\n<h3>Sensor and Control Testing / Pentair sensor</h3>\r\nIt all started with an email from our SI distributor in Peru this January who also happens to purchase the Pentair Solar Touch control for his systems.\r\n<blockquote>“The solar sensors that have been sent with the new Pentair Solar Touch Control System have failed several times. It seems the problem is the color: the old sensor was black and the new one is grey; when the wind blows by this new sensor, it becomes cold and does not activate the system even if the sun is shining at the same time. Maybe another solution is to paint the sensors in black… what do you think about it?”</blockquote>\r\nWhat do I think about a grey solar sensor? The first thing I did was check our inventory and sure enough, both sensors were grey at best - more like off-white. The second thing I did was call our good friend Steve Peake at Pentair to let them know they made a mistake in packaging. Steve replied that it wasn’t’ a mistake - their engineers had determined that the solar sensor just needed to be a temperature sensor and in order to make all their sensors the same, they choose an off-white color. It’s nearly five months later and Pentair is finally about to send out some samples of a black solar sensor. This prompted us to start our own project of comparing all the available sensors in the market not just to each other, but to different collectors and determining what sensor and turn-on / turn-off differential would work best with each of our collector designs.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2-1024x295.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"184\" /></a></p>\r\nOur early results just comparing sensors showed some pretty startling results. As you’d expect, the Pentair off-white sensor read just above ambient air temperature. In other words, even if the sensor reached more than six degrees over the pool water temperature, a light breeze or clouds were enough to make the system cycle off.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"Sensor Testing May 17\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17-1024x791.png\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" /></a></p>\r\nOne other thing that we’re learning is what we all would have expected; the aluminum mass of the painted black Heliotrope sensor skipped over the momentary lows caused by clouds and wind which kept the system from cycling all day.\r\n\r\nNext, we’ll be testing for a delta-T across the system and comparing it to what the sensors are telling the control to do. We’ll let you know what we find.\r\n<h3>Last Call for Paradise</h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>Aquatherm’s 2013 Summer Sales Retreat along Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Pacific coastline is just two months away and before we let go the last few of our block of rooms at our group rate, we’re just asking one more time if you’d like to join us. The dates are July 28th to August 2nd. If you’d like more information on rates, please give Pat or myself a call. If you want to check for airfare, the local airport is Liberia (LIR).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Buck Stops Here: May 2013','','inherit','open','open','','1043-revision-3','','','2013-05-30 15:44:24','2013-05-30 15:44:24','',1043,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1043-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1065,1,'2013-09-19 13:35:09','2013-09-19 13:35:09','It’s good to be back. Not that you or I ever went anywhere - it’s the economy that I’m talking about. Your continuing efforts, combined with pent-up demand fueled by a cooler than normal spring in Florida and better than average weather in California made April our busiest month in five years. And thankfully, May isn’t far behind.\n\nThe Great Recession proved to be a perfect storm for our industry. Disposable income dropped, so new pools weren’t being built. Also, folks weren’t moving, adding insult to injury with less new systems installed, and more warranty claims from system owners who normally might have moved every five to six years. We’ve all heard this too many times, “what doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”\n\nWhile the hot water side of the industry continues to take a hit from still relatively low natural gas prices, pool customers don’t seem to care. Maybe it’s become perception that heating a pool with a fossil fuel must be expensive or that it’s just not environmentally the right thing to do.\n<h3>CSI-Thermal Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program</h3>\nAs the rest of the nation watches, the CSI Commercial Solar Pool Heating Program is slowly starting to take shape. The Program Administrators for the various utilities have submitted their proposal to the California Public Utility Commission calling for an initial rebate of $7 per displaced therm of natural gas. The rebate, which is funded by rate gas utility payers, could offset as much as 40% to 50% of the cost of the system. All commercial pools in the state will qualify for the program whether they are currently heated or not, as well as replacement systems. The only qualification is that the property has natural gas service. A minimum of $40 million, though potentially as high as $80 million dollars in rebates has been proposed for the state\'s more than 40,000 commercial pools.\n\nNo, I’m not an advocate for solar incentives, but I am for a level playing field. And as California goes, so often does the rest of the country.\n<h3>Online RMR / LAR</h3>\nI don’t like change either – even if it is for the better. I still have an iPhone 3GS and it works. The screen cracked recently and instead of upgrading – you guessed it, I got a new screen. Jim Roark and I are what Simon Sinek calls a laggard; if they still sold rotary phones, we’d have one. But I assure you that’s not the case with our new online RMR / LAR. Entering information is a snap and you don’t even have to press hard to make the last page legible! If we said take your time to figure it out, like me, you would. That’s why we’ve put a cut-off of May 31 for the paper forms. Check it out right now at <a href=\"www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr\">www.aquathermindustries.com/rmr</a>. Kudos to Kevin and our engineering staff along with some help from Dan and thanks to our Beta tester (Wendy Hall) along the way in getting this done.\n<h3>New Strap Clamp</h3>\nI’ve always tried to work with regional suppliers for the components in our products when possible. It boosts the local economy plus helps us to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, there’s a point where the high cost of sourcing components locally can outweigh the other benefits. On occasion, we’ve even sourced our metal stampings oversees – something that always bothered me. Actually it bothered me so much, we decided to invest locally in what is called “progressive forming” stamping dies for our more popular stainless steel components. It required a significant upfront tooling investment, but comes closer to matching the offshore per-piece-price while still being made here in New Jersey.\n\nUp to now, there were still two parts we either couldn’t source in the US, or were just too expensive to make here. The stainless steel filters for the vacuum relief valves are one of them. The only company that makes that particular mesh design is in Mexico and I can live with that. The other component is the Hold-Down Strap Clamp Assembly (Part #10011). If you think they’re expensive now, making them here in the states would have been astronomical. After our success with the progressive dies on our other parts, we worked with our toolmaker on a redesign that could more easily be made with the same type of progressive forming tooling.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"10011 - ISO\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/10011-ISO-300x231.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" /></a></p>\nThe new design, which is even stronger than the old one, will be released sometime late summer / early fall. Prices on our stainless components may go up a few cents, but in the end it’s the right thing to do.\n<h3>Donations</h3>\nOne presentation we just didn’t get to at this year’s National Master Dealer Meeting was a charitable donation by one of our dealers, Compass Solar of Pensacola, FL using Aquatherm collectors. It all started when they were approached by a swimming pool builder who refers business to them about Dustin Tuller, an Iraq veteran from the Pensacola area who lost his legs in combat. Gulf Coast Pools was donating the construction of a new pool to Mr. Tuller through the <a href=\"http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Wounded Warrior Project</a> and asked if Compass would like to donate a solar pool heater.\n\nWhen Compass approached us, it was never a question of \"how much\" of this project Aquatherm felt comfortable donating towards; it was more like \"where do we send the collectors?\" Compass donated the labor and piping needed to complete the installation.\n\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;865,864,866&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\n\nYou never read about this, at least not from any press release that Aquatherm did, because we didn’t do one. If you know anything about Aquatherm’s charitable giving, it’s that we do it quietly, only saying something in order to inspire others to do the same.\n\nIf you come across a situation where a charitable gift of a warm, solar heated pool would make a difference, keep us in mind. We maintain an inventory of fully-warranted factory seconds for just such special occasions.\n<h3>QuickMount PV Flashing</h3>\nAlso at this years meeting, Marshall Green from QuickMount PV previewed their new flashing specifically designed for Aquatherm’s Eagle Claw stainless steel mounting hardware. Thanks to the PV industry, we’ve been seeing more requests from building inspectors around the country requesting PV type flashings for the thermal industry. Unfortunately, “but this is the way we’ve been doing it for 35 years” just isn’t the right answer sometimes.\n\nThe first of the new flashings were recently installed by Solar Living under the guidance of Marshall. Rich Bonte, of Sun Source, Aquatherm’s distributor here in New Jersey, and by his own admission perhaps one of he biggest skeptics there ever was, joined in to photograph the event.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<img title=\"gallery ids=&quot;873,874,876,875,877,878&quot;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpgallery/img/t.gif\" />\n\nThough Solar Living took their time, the installation of the flashings didn’t take nearly as long as they had imagined. Along the way, they also discovered that the outlet header flashing served double-duty as a mount for their return line. Another benefit was that the top flashing was just long enough to slide under the top hose and protect the roof from expansion and contraction. Rich is now sold that the QuickMount PV flashing can be part of a unique upsell package that will give his dealers another advantage over the competition.\n<h3>New Ratings / ISO 9806</h3>\nJust about all major manufacturers have had most of their products tested under the new ISO 9806 test protocol by now. Compared to the old ASRAE 96-80 standard, the new ISO standard is considered much more real world by incorporating three set wind speeds instead of simply being tested at a wind speed of under 3 mph as ASRAE 96-80 specifies. Ultrasun, Ecosun and our other center-web products were tested last fall and their new ratings are currently available with IAPMO and shortly with SRCC and FSEC. The SI collector is slated to be on the test stand this fall at TUV in Tempe, Arizona for its ISO 9806 testing.\n<h3>IAPMO vs. SRCC</h3>\nSo IAPMO now certifies solar collector performance? For over 30 years one company has had a virtual monopoly on national collector performance certification here in the US. Now there’s a new kid on the solar thermal ratings block. IAPMO has listed solar collectors for over 30 years by verifying that a collector was in fact tested and had passed the test. But now by also verifying the performance component of the testing, IAPMO is finally giving manufacturers a choice. As IAPMO gains acceptance, Aquatherm will continue to maintain both its IAPMO and SRCC certifications. There could wind up being some slight variances in the performance matrix between the two agencies, but I wouldn’t expect anything substantial.\n<h3>Sensor and Control Testing / Pentair sensor</h3>\nIt all started with an email from our SI distributor in Peru this January who also happens to purchase the Pentair Solar Touch control for his systems.\n<blockquote>“The solar sensors that have been sent with the new Pentair Solar Touch Control System have failed several times. It seems the problem is the color: the old sensor was black and the new one is grey; when the wind blows by this new sensor, it becomes cold and does not activate the system even if the sun is shining at the same time. Maybe another solution is to paint the sensors in black… what do you think about it?”</blockquote>\nWhat do I think about a grey solar sensor? The first thing I did was check our inventory and sure enough, both sensors were grey at best - more like off-white. The second thing I did was call our good friend Steve Peake at Pentair to let them know they made a mistake in packaging. Steve replied that it wasn’t’ a mistake - their engineers had determined that the solar sensor just needed to be a temperature sensor and in order to make all their sensors the same, they choose an off-white color. It’s nearly five months later and Pentair is finally about to send out some samples of a black solar sensor. This prompted us to start our own project of comparing all the available sensors in the market not just to each other, but to different collectors and determining what sensor and turn-on / turn-off differential would work best with each of our collector designs.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Layout-Test2-1024x295.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"184\" /></a></p>\nOur early results just comparing sensors showed some pretty startling results. As you’d expect, the Pentair off-white sensor read just above ambient air temperature. In other words, even if the sensor reached more than six degrees over the pool water temperature, a light breeze or clouds were enough to make the system cycle off.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"Sensor Testing May 17\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sensor-Testing-May-17-1024x791.png\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" /></a></p>\nOne other thing that we’re learning is what we all would have expected; the aluminum mass of the painted black Heliotrope sensor skipped over the momentary lows caused by clouds and wind which kept the system from cycling all day.\n\nNext, we’ll be testing for a delta-T across the system and comparing it to what the sensors are telling the control to do. We’ll let you know what we find.\n<h3>Last Call for Paradise</h3>\n<a href=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica\" src=\"http://www.aquathermindustries.com/portal/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Riu_Guanacaste_Costa_Rica-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\n\n<strong></strong>Aquatherm’s 2013 Summer Sales Retreat along Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Pacific coastline is just two months away and before we let go the last few of our block of rooms at our group rate, we’re just asking one more time if you’d like to join us. The dates are July 28th to August 2nd. If you’d like more information on rates, please give Pat or myself a call. If you want to check for airfare, the local airport is Liberia (LIR).\n\n&nbsp;','The Buck Stops Here: May 2013','','inherit','open','open','','1043-autosave','','','2013-09-19 13:35:09','2013-09-19 13:35:09','',1043,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1043-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1067,5,'2013-09-20 14:11:42','2013-09-20 14:11:42','Have you ever logged on to a company’s website and become frustrated that you have to hunt, and sometimes never find, a phone number to call them? It may seem trivial, but, personally, if I can’t find a number quickly and efficiently on a website, I go back to my search and try the next one on the list.\r\n\r\nRecently, Jim Roark has been getting compliments from his customers on how easy it was to find his phone number on his website. It is up at the top right hand corner in large font along with his email address. And, it is in the exact same spot on every single page of his website! To take a look, go to <a href=\"http://www.roarksolar.com/\">www.roarksolar.com</a>. According to a recent poll done by BIA/Kelsey\'s (<a href=\"http://www.bia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.bia.com</a> and <a href=\"http://www.kelseygroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.kelseygroup.com</a>) User View Wave VII, more than 90% of all consumers are using the internet to research products or find services in their local area. Making it easy for customers to contact you is the most important step when you are a service provider. Is your phone number easy to find on your website?\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nI announced last month that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting our <b>2014 Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</b> in Orlando January 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup>.<b> </b>We’ll keep you updated as the date gets closer, but I just wanted to remind you so you can add this information to your calendars.\r\n\r\nLet’s see the numbers for August.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </b>who claimed the top dealer spot with 266 collectors sold for the month. Keep up the great work Mark! An impressive 2<sup>nd</sup> place finish goes to <b>SunChaser, Inc.</b> with 161 collectors for August. Way to go Brandon! Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> place for August is <b>Stilwell Solar </b>with 154 collectors - nice job Bill!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> is the top salesman in the country with 36 sales for August. Congratulations Mark! <b>Brandon Chase</b> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 23 sales for the month. Fabulous job Brandon! And, rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <b>Terry Naylor </b>with 21 sales. Well done Terry!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 14<sup>th </sup>in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  National Dealer Meeting Jan. 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup> in Orlando, Florida</li>\r\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show Jan. 28<sup>th</sup> – 30<sup>th</sup> in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','August 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','august-2013-sales-memo','','','2014-05-23 14:51:44','2014-05-23 14:51:44','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1067',0,'post','',0),(1068,1,'2013-11-20 14:11:38','2013-11-20 14:11:38','Have you ever logged on to a company’s website and become frustrated that you have to hunt, and sometimes never find, a phone number to call them? It may seem trivial, but, personally, if I can’t find a number quickly and efficiently on a website, I go back to my search and try the next one on the list.\n\nRecently, Jim Roark has been getting compliments from his customers on how easy it was to find his phone number on his website. It is up at the top right hand corner in large font along with his email address. And, it is in the exact same spot on every single page of his website! To take a look, go to <a href=\"http://www.roarksolar.com/\">www.roarksolar.com</a>. According to a recent poll done by BIA/Kelsey\'s (<a href=\"http://www.bia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.bia.com</a> and <a href=\"http://www.kelseygroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.kelseygroup.com</a>) User View Wave VII, more than 90% of all consumers are using the internet to research products or find services in their local area. Making it easy for customers to contact you is the most important step when you are a service provider. Is your phone number easy to find on your website?\n\nI announced last month that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting our <b>2014 Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</b> in Orlando January 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup>.<b> </b>We’ll keep you updated as the date gets closer, but I just wanted to remind you so you can add this information to your calendars.\n\nLet’s see the numbers for August.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </b>who claimed the top dealer spot with 266 collectors sold for the month. Keep up the great work Mark! An impressive 2<sup>nd</sup> place finish goes to <b>SunChaser, Inc.</b> with 161 collectors for August. Way to go Brandon! Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> place for August is <b>Stilwell Solar </b>with 154 collectors - nice job Bill!\n\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> is the top salesman in the country with 36 sales for August. Congratulations Mark! <b>Brandon Chase</b> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 23 sales for the month. Fabulous job Brandon! And, rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <b>Terry Naylor </b>with 21 sales. Well done Terry!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 14<sup>th </sup>in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  National Dealer Meeting Jan. 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup> in Orlando, Florida</li>\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show Jan. 28<sup>th</sup> – 30<sup>th</sup> in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','August 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1067-revision-v1','','','2013-11-20 14:11:38','2013-11-20 14:11:38','',1067,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1067-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1069,1,'2013-11-20 14:12:46','2013-11-20 14:12:46','Have you ever logged on to a company’s website and become frustrated that you have to hunt, and sometimes never find, a phone number to call them? It may seem trivial, but, personally, if I can’t find a number quickly and efficiently on a website, I go back to my search and try the next one on the list.\n\nRecently, Jim Roark has been getting compliments from his customers on how easy it was to find his phone number on his website. It is up at the top right hand corner in large font along with his email address. And, it is in the exact same spot on every single page of his website! To take a look, go to <a href=\"http://www.roarksolar.com/\">www.roarksolar.com</a>. According to a recent poll done by BIA/Kelsey\'s (<a href=\"http://www.bia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.bia.com</a> and <a href=\"http://www.kelseygroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.kelseygroup.com</a>) User View Wave VII, more than 90% of all consumers are using the internet to research products or find services in their local area. Making it easy for customers to contact you is the most important step when you are a service provider. Is your phone number easy to find on your website?\n\nI announced last month that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting our <b>2014 Distribution Center and Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings</b> in Orlando January 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup>.<b> </b>We’ll keep you updated as the date gets closer, but I just wanted to remind you so you can add this information to your calendars.\n\nLet’s see the numbers for August.<b> </b>Congratulations to<b> Mark Naylor Solar Specialists </b>who claimed the top dealer spot with 266 collectors sold for the month. Keep up the great work Mark! An impressive 2<sup>nd</sup> place finish goes to <b>SunChaser, Inc.</b> with 161 collectors for August. Way to go Brandon! Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> place for August is <b>Stilwell Solar </b>with 154 collectors - nice job Bill!\n\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> is the top salesman in the country with 36 sales for August. Congratulations Mark! <b>Brandon Chase</b> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 23 sales for the month. Fabulous job Brandon! And, rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <b>Terry Naylor </b>with 21 sales. Well done Terry!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 14<sup>th </sup>in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  National Dealer Meeting Jan. 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup> in Orlando, Florida</li>\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show Jan. 28<sup>th</sup> – 30<sup>th</sup> in Atlantic City, New Jersey</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','August 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1067-autosave-v1','','','2013-11-20 14:12:46','2013-11-20 14:12:46','',1067,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1067-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1070,5,'2013-10-20 14:15:13','2013-10-20 14:15:13','Trust. It can take years to earn it and only seconds to lose. You have to be careful with it; if you don’t maintain, nurture, and build on it, it can be extremely costly to get it back. As I talk with all of you and gather numbers every month, I am often struck by the sheer magnitude of the sales numbers reported.  You have sold over 10,000 systems since I started with Aquatherm in 2010.  When you sit back and look at each sale you make, it really boils down to trust.  The homeowner trusted you enough to say yes.  Whether they want to pay less every month for heating their pool, want to swim for therapeutic reasons, or just want to make the kids happy, they trusted you to do the job and trusted that our products will perform as expected.  The more trusted you are, the more referrals you receive, the more jobs you sell.  Is it really that simple?  I believe it is.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nJust a reminder that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting our <b>2014</b> <b>Distribution Center and National Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings </b>in Orlando, January 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup><b> </b>at the Embassy Suites in Lake Buena Vista<b>.  </b>We will be sending out a detailed memo with additional details in the coming week so be on the lookout for that in your inboxes.\r\n\r\nOn to the numbers for September.<b> Stilwell Solar </b>claimed the top dealer spot with 252 collectors sold for the month.  Congratulations to Bill and the team at Stilwell!  In 2<sup>nd</sup> place is <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> with 210 collectors for September.  Excellent job, Mark!  Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> place for September is <b>Naylor Solar Specialists </b>with 117 collectors - way to go Terry!\r\n\r\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> is the top salesman in the country with 27 sales for September.  Nice job Mark!  <b>Scott Bologna</b> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 23 sales for the month.  Fabulous job Scott!  And, rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <b>Terry Naylor </b>with 15 sales.  Another great month Terry!\r\n\r\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 14<sup>th </sup>in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\r\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  National Dealer Meeting Jan. 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup> in Orlando, Florida</li>\r\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show Jan. 28<sup>th</sup> – 30<sup>th</sup> in Atlantic City, New Jersey<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\r\n\r\n<b>I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!</b>\r\n\r\nBest,\r\n\r\nMolly','September 2013 Sales Memo','','publish','open','open','','september-2013-sales-memo','','','2014-05-23 14:51:11','2014-05-23 14:51:11','',0,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/?p=1070',0,'post','',0),(1071,1,'2013-11-20 14:14:48','2013-11-20 14:14:48','','e','','inherit','open','open','','1070-revision-v1','','','2013-11-20 14:14:48','2013-11-20 14:14:48','',1070,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1070-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1072,1,'2013-11-20 14:16:17','2013-11-20 14:16:17','Trust. It can take years to earn it and only seconds to lose. You have to be careful with it; if you don’t maintain, nurture, and build on it, it can be extremely costly to get it back. As I talk with all of you and gather numbers every month, I am often struck by the sheer magnitude of the sales numbers reported.  You have sold over 10,000 systems since I started with Aquatherm in 2010.  When you sit back and look at each sale you make, it really boils down to trust.  The homeowner trusted you enough to say yes.  Whether they want to pay less every month for heating their pool, want to swim for therapeutic reasons, or just want to make the kids happy, they trusted you to do the job and trusted that our products will perform as expected.  The more trusted you are, the more referrals you receive, the more jobs you sell.  Is it really that simple?  I believe it is.\n\nJust a reminder that Aquatherm Industries will be hosting our <b>2014</b> <b>Distribution Center and National Master Dealer Kick-off Meetings </b>in Orlando, January 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup><b> </b>at the Embassy Suites in Lake Buena Vista<b>.  </b>We will be sending out a detailed memo with additional details in the coming week so be on the lookout for that in your inboxes.\n\nOn to the numbers for September.<b> Stilwell Solar </b>claimed the top dealer spot with 252 collectors sold for the month.  Congratulations to Bill and the team at Stilwell!  In 2<sup>nd</sup> place is <b>Mark Naylor Solar Specialists</b> with 210 collectors for September.  Excellent job, Mark!  Coming in 3<sup>rd</sup> place for September is <b>Naylor Solar Specialists </b>with 117 collectors - way to go Terry!\n\n<b>Mark Naylor</b> is the top salesman in the country with 27 sales for September.  Nice job Mark!  <b>Scott Bologna</b> is 2<sup>nd</sup> with 23 sales for the month.  Fabulous job Scott!  And, rounding out 3<sup>rd</sup> place is <b>Terry Naylor </b>with 15 sales.  Another great month Terry!\n\nAquatherm\'s upcoming events:\n<ul>\n	<li>International Pool and Spa Expo Nov. 12<sup>th</sup> – 14<sup>th </sup>in Las Vegas, Nevada</li>\n	<li>Aquatherm’s  National Dealer Meeting Jan. 22<sup>nd</sup> – 24<sup>th</sup> in Orlando, Florida</li>\n	<li>Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show Jan. 28<sup>th</sup> – 30<sup>th</sup> in Atlantic City, New Jersey<span style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\"> </span></li>\n</ul>\nIf you would like more information on these events or are in need of a badge for the trade shows please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.\n\n<b>I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!</b>\n\nBest,\n\nMolly','September 2013 Sales Memo','','inherit','open','open','','1070-autosave-v1','','','2013-11-20 14:16:17','2013-11-20 14:16:17','',1070,'http://aquathermindustries.com/portal3/1070-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),