A distributor in Florida has set its sights on going national.
Florida Water Products, a supplier that had primarily focused on the Sunshine and Lone Star States, recently closed its second merger, making it the second-largest pool/spa distributor in North America, according to CEO Carlos Del Amo. It plans to further expand its national footprint by continuing to roll up other independent distributors.
Recently, the company merged with Corona, Calif.-based Pool and Electrical Products, known as PEP. Founded in 1992, it brings 29 locations throughout California, Arizona and Texas.
Under the terms, the family that owned PEP, the Becerras, are shareholders, with two members — Sandy and Andreas Becerra — serving on the Board of Directors, Del Amo said. They will not remain active members in the company, he added.
Louie Mozas, who came from FWP as its president, also will serve as president of PEP.
In 2018, FWP merged with Las Vegas-based American Pool Supply, carrying it into Nevada and Utah. The founder of the nearly 50-year-old company, Jack Crockett, remained with the distributor until his recent passing. His son, Rick Crockett, remains with the company.
Both PEP and American Pool Supply will retain their brands.
In total, the company now has 47 locations in the six states.
Along with Louie Mozas, the roll-up plan has largely been implemented by Del Amo, who joined the company in 2017 as executive vice president, after more than 20 years with Big Three manufacturer Pentair.
The team believed the market would benefit from another larger distributor, rather than having a landscape with one dominant distributor, PoolCorp, and many small independents. “I just believed there were people out there who wanted an alternative choice,” Del Amo said.
With the three brands combined, the company now employs approximately 500, Del Amo said, where FWP alone previously had a staff of a little more than 200.
The company is designed to provide the infrastructure of a larger firm, but retain the family-run feel, he added.
Del Amo and Mozas are shareholders in the firm, along with the Becerras and some members of the company’s management team.
Susan Mozas, the other principal in FWP, has retired and left the company. FWP was founded in 1983 in Tampa.
The company expects to continue growing in this manner, focusing for now on the Sunbelt but exploring other regions of the U.S. as well, Del Amo said.
