Episode 155: How the Manufacturer’s Role Should go Beyond Just Supplying Product with Brad Parker and Donny Cislo of Fluidra

Episode Summary:  Since its founding in 1969, Fluidra has grown into a well-respected multinational group in the pool and wellness industry, operating in more than 45 countries through its subsidiaries with a team of over 6000 employees. Fluidra’s portfolio includes a number of prestigious brands such as Jandy®, AstralPool®, Polaris®, Cepex®, Zodiac®, CTX Professional®, and Gre®.  Joining us today are Fluidra’s North America’s Vice President of Marketing Brad Parker, and Director of Trade Marketing & Sales Ops Donny Cislo. After a brief introduction to Donny and his professional journey, we talk about the overall response to Fluidra’s rollout of Jandy® quitting the internet (a topic which we discussed at length with Brad back in Episode 31) as well as the merger between Fluidra and Zodiac.  The rest of our conversation with Brad and Donny revolves around what all goes into being a manufacturer, such as product development, quality processes, and improving existing products. We also discuss why a manufacturer should strive to become a good partner to its dealers, as well as how they can stay accountable as the first mover in the supply chain.  Lastly, we touch on communication as being key when looking to retain consumers, especially as demand begins to go up and how the manufacturers alongside pool companies have a responsibility to create products and experiences that will allow customers to capture those poolside memories that last a lifetime.  Topics Discussed:  01:13 - An introduction to Donny Cislo  08:18 - What Brad Parker has been up to  11:20 - The Response to Jandy quitting the internet  12:50 - What qualifies as a violation of the policy