protect the welfare and bottom line of their members while maintaining an uncompromising commitment to industry safety and excellence.
Through their affiliation with the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, members of the Texas Pool and Spa Coalition enjoy a wealth of benefits. See accompanying article about PHTA.Membership pricing is the same as PHTA.
To learn more about the Texas Pool and Spa Coalition or become a member and support the work that they do, go to www.txpsc.org or email memberservices@phta.org.
If you are looking to join an association with great insurance and near total autonomy, look no further than the United Pool Association.
With over 1,800 members and growing, this is an association for the very independent pool service professional According to Steve Homer, association president, the whole premise of UPA is to serve the member.
“We look for ways to provide value for the membership – that’s how we grow, and our growth last year was 6.8%. We don’t take any money from our members, which is really important. The money we get, we raise on our own through a variety of ways, from support from our vendors to rebates from our insurance company,” Homer said.
Homer says that among UPA’s biggest perks is their insurance, which is through Allianz, a commercial insurance giant.
“The insurance program is great, with double the coverage of anyone else. We cover up to $2 million for just $67 a month. Most everyone else covers $1 million. It’s a 50-year-old policy with the fewest number of exclusions and limitations,” Homer said.
According to Homer, Allianz pays members back in the form of dividends if membership can keep their losses down. With these dividends, they can use the money to promote UPA and grow it.
Last year, claims were down, so this year, starting from July 1 2021 through June 30, 2022, they will be buying down member’s premiums by $8 a month.And Homer says that’s just another example of how UPA does everything they can to add value for their members.
“But when we do get a claim, we look at it, and research it so that we can learn from it. Then we pass that information to our members,” Homer said.
In Homers opinion, the insurance is the association’s biggest selling point, but second to that is the independence that UPA’s members enjoy.
“The chapters can really do whatever they want. If the members don’t like the way its run, they can call a meeting, hold an election, and put in new leadership. Or they can spin off their own chapter. You are not required to stay where you are unhappy,” Homer said.
And for those that don’t like to attend meetings, or live in areas where there are no chapters, members can join the associations newest chapter – UPA’s virtual chapter.
With over 100 members, this is their largest chapter, and can accommodate people in all 50 states.
Homer says that this is how they are able to compete with no-meetings associations, which tend to appeal to the younger generations of pool service professionals.
“It emulates the chapter meetings where you have a speaker come and talk about pool service issues. We’re accomplishing the same thing without making a guy drive across town and pay for a dinner he doesn’t want,” Homer said.
To accomplish this, UPA takes its members cell phone numbers or email addresses and sends them information about the organization, information about their insurance, and informational videos.
“Some of my favorite videos to send are the Orenda water chemistry videos. Harold Evans has done a killer job with those water chemistry videos. And I like the water chemistry videos because then we get fewer claims which means lower premiums,” Homer said.
UPA’s members are getting a lot out of it. It a big focus now for the association because the younger members are the future of the organization.
“We are vulnerable to these nomeetings chapters and we’ve lost members to them over the years. So, we had to find a way to combat them. The formula from 1992 doesn’t always work. But there’s also a lot of pools in places like Georgia and Oklahoma and our organizations haven’t served them that well. But the virtual chapter can, and it’s been successful,” Homer said.
Recently, they also started a study-athome contractor’s license program for their members in California. And it’s a great value. For just $125, members can obtain their contractors license, and the program has a 97% pass rate.
Members pay monthly insurance dues. Otherwise, membership with UPA is free.
To learn more about UPA member perks and details about their insurance coverage go to www.united poolassociation.org or call UPA directly at 714-274-5566.
United Pool Association
