Australian Franchise News – 22-07-14
The quickly evolving pool care industry has awarded Poolwerx’s Anthony Wheatley as the co-winner of Australia’s best pool technician following his instrumental involvement in establishing the leading pool and spa care franchise’s premier training facility earlier this year.
The Swimming Pool Retail Association Australia’s (SPRAA) National Pool Technician of the Year award recognised Mr Wheatley for his commitment to lifting industry standards in customer service, product and technical knowledge and maintenance through his Technical and Commercial Executive role supporting Poolwerx’s national network of 230 franchises.
His 25 years’ experience in the industry was also the driving force behind the innovation and development of Poolwerx’s pool and spa technical and retail training Centre of Excellence, which was officially opened in April.
Following the announcement at the SPRAA National Awards on the Gold Coast last night, Mr Wheatley said he was humbled by the recognition.
“I’m delighted to receive this award but more importantly, proud to be involved in the significant advancements Poolwerx has made in improving the standards in Australian pool care,” he said.
“Over the past year we’ve introduced the industry’s first national qualification to recognise and improve the skills and experience of the workforce, and we’ve also opened a world-leading training facility to ensure our network is at the forefront of the industry.”
He said the pool industry had undergone some of the most significant changes in its history over the past two years.
“On top of residential spaces reducing in size, there have been major advances in technologies making pool equipment more energy efficient.
“The uptake of smart phone technology and automation has also been popular among pool owners, but while these technologies simplify pool care people are becoming less knowledgeable in how a pool works and operates.
“As a result our training has focused on understanding the diverse equipment and environmental issues for both residential and commercial pool operators and becoming adept at explaining our solutions in simple and clear terms that clients understand.”
Poolwerx CEO John O’Brien said Anthony’s commitment to enhancing both the company’s internal standards and that of the pool industry, which employs over 14,000 pool technicians nationally, meant he was very deserving of the accolade.
“Anthony’s extensive knowledge and experience has been critical to the planning, building and completion of our centre of excellence, ensuring not only that it offers a complete practical and theoretical training solution but also to ensure it truly enhances our training outcomes,” he said.
“His technical expertise in terms of planning, facilitating and implementing training for a wide variety of pool and spa services has been a huge asset to improving our national network and a major contribution to our industry leadership.”