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The company that lives and breathes water
Accessibility and safety was the focus of this SPASA national award winning renovation, transforming a spa section to integrate new access stairs and ensure more members of the community can access the pool
T ABOVE: Amanda Stephenson
he time has come for award winning construction company Statewide Pool Services to find a name that better reflects their brand. After all, they may be based in South Australia, but their work crosses state borders and they have a national mindset. This broader expanse of the company is even more apparent following their SPASA national gold awards in the Community Project and Commercial Renovation categories, as well as a highly commended in the Commercial Pool over $250,000 category. “For us, as a company, the awards have come at a particularly exciting time as we are expanding and about to change our name to Hydrilla,” says corporate services manager Amanda Stephenson. “The rebrand is a platform for us to carve out a uniquely identifiable brand and to position ourselves to lead the future of aquatics in Australia. After evaluating our strengths and passion for the industry we discovered the name Hydrilla, a competitive aquatic herb that, like us, lives and breathes water. With our industry-leading new products and services, we remain committed
Stephenson says that their former name of Statewide Pool Services is no longer indicative of what they do, as they work nationally with a much wider range of services than before. “We do a lot of work in Tasmania, and we have projects in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. I think we have a natural affinity with country people and we tend to build up lasting relationships with our clients. When it is appropriate, we also take an innovative approach to pool building. An example of this would be the stainless steel pool we built at Kalumburu, one of the most remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia, or the stainless steel pool at the University of South Australia.” They also do a lot of water quality work which is not necessarily linked to pools, having gained a reputation as water system experts, and are brought in as partners with other builders and organisations.
A pat on the back
Stephenson says their whole team has really celebrated the awards. “It’s a pat on the back and an external acknowledgement of what we do. Lindsay McGrath and SPASA have done a great job running these awards. It helps to build camaraderie both at the state and national levels. We didn’t enter for some years and we realise that was a mistake. Now, we’ve made some nice connections with the domestic pool builders and they are really worthwhile.” The company was started in 1987 by Mark Higgins and today he shares ownership with five other staff members. Higgins has always had an interest in commercial pools and the team continues to enjoy the complexities and challenges offered by commercial work. “It’s not quite as straightforward as domestic pools but it’s something to really sink your teeth into,” says Stephenson. “Part of the succession planning has been to bring in new blood and to encourage new ideas too, so we are still moving forward. There are fifteen of us now and we really are a big happy family. It’s a great place to work. “We’ve got national ambitions and we want to be the best commercial builder in Australia, or the best commercial aquatics company, while maintaining our culture of family and teamwork.” n Contact: www.hydrilla.com.au Aquacove at West Beach Parks Resort
“We discovered the name Hydrilla, a competitive aquatic herb that, like us, lives and breathes water.” to sharing knowledge, technical expertise and supporting safe, high-quality systems and commercial pool construction. “We feel the name Hydrilla really represents us,” she says. October/November 2020
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