Beware the Pack

In the hot tub world there is one leader.  One manufacturer that is head and shoulders above the rest.  Watkins Manufacturing is the worlds oldest, largest and leading spa maker.  Watkins makes Hot Spring Spas, Caldera, Limelight, and Hot Spot Spas.  Watkins is a  MASCO company.   http://www.masco.com/  MASCO includes Behr Paint, Delta Faucet and 3 dozen other home improvement companies.  Watkins is the only spa manufacturer that is part of a publicly traded, fortune 500 company.  This makes them not only the strongest, most financially stable company, but also the spa maker with the most resources. 

Watkins employs engineers and designers, while having access to those from other MASCO divisions.  It has the financial strength  to do the research and development necessary to be the industry leader.    Watkins newest innovation, the Ace Salt Water Sanitizing System was in Beta testing for three years.  In many different locations through out the country.   

The second tier has several spa makers like Sundance, Jacuzzi, and Dimension One.  These are good spas, not the equal of Hot Spring, but good.  These spa makers have UL listed products.  They have some level of engineering and do some research and development, as well as testing.  They have national dealer networks and are generally good companies. 

The Pack is all the other spa makers.  Many have products that are not UL listed.  Some are small assemblers that purchase spa shells and equipment from bigger spa makers and then build their products using equipment they did not manufacture.  Most of the pack has no engineering departments at all.  Research and development is nonexistent.  They buy products from original equipment makers and put them in their own.  They are the smallest companies, many with fewer than 20 employees.  Some have fewer than five.  They are companies that have the weakest financial foundations.  That means you take the biggest risk when doing business with them.  They have fewer resources to honor warranties and have the most chance of failure.  They are the companies that can close down one day and open the next under a different name.  So beware the pack.