The Water's Fine
Wind River Spas riding wave of hot tub popularity at Lafayette site with new facility on horizon

By Kelley King
Colorado Hometown Newspapers

Much like a driver in the market for a new sports car, people visiting a nondescript warehouse in southeast Lafayette are encouraged to test drive their product of choice. In this case, consumers walking through the door at the Distel Drive manufacturing facility/showroom for Wind River Spas are encouraged to "wet test" the waters of their new spas. While some people may find it uncomfortable to don their Speedos and dive into one of Wind River 's more than 20 models available at the Lafayette facility or the company's Englewood showroom, Wind River associates encourage this approach.

"Everyone is invited to come and sit in the tubs and test them out before they take them home," Wind River sales representative Mike Riesinger explained. "At the Englewood store, we're a little better equipped for the wet tests with changing rooms, robes and towels. In Lafayette, we just recently opened the showroom part of the operation so people aren't always as comfortable doing tests here.

"The wet tests are part of our practice of having the customer know as much as possible about their spa," he added. "That's why we have the manufacturing facility right here. If someone buys a spa and wants to come in and follow it through each step of the process, they can. It's important to know that when you are spending money on a luxury item like this, you are getting what you paid for." Although some Wind River customers may shy away from hitting the hot waters of their new hot tubs at the Lafayette facility, other customers soon will have little to fear as Wind River Spas plans for the 2006 grand opening of a new fully equipped retail facility, complete with a carpeted main showroom and wet-test areas.

"Within the next year, we're going to have a new building with a new showroom right here," Riesinger said. "It's one way we are showing our investment in Colorado by keeping the operation local and working with our customers in Northern Colorado."

For more than 25 years, Wind River Spas owner Rick Hallet has strived to make his products unique for Colorado consumers focusing on craftsmanship that withstands the state's demanding climate and offering customer service in a highly competitive industry. From its start in Hallet's garage to today's operation of two showrooms and a bustling manufacturing facility - the only spa manufacturing facility in Colorado, according to Riesinger - Wind River Spas boasts more than $3 million in annual sales and service to new and pre-owned hot tubs. Industry statistics illustrate that Wind River Spas is not alone when it comes to fluid success. In fact, if the current figures are any indication of what the future holds, the spa industry is in for many more years bolstered by solid sales.

"Few leisure products have experienced the growth in sales enjoyed by hot tubs over the past several years," according to a consumer survey summary conducted by officials with PK Data of Duluth, Ga. The survey states that more than 5 million American households feature spas/hot tubs, leaving a sizeable consumer base for future sales.

Since the industry got its start in the 1960s in California where early spas, also called hot tubs, were created from the wooden barrels used in local wineries, the models and technology have advanced to become a multi-billion dollar business. Some of the industry's success can be linked to medical reports that tout the health benefits of hydrotherapy, or the effects soothing water have on people enduring everything from insomnia to type-II diabetes. For years, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, a trade association representing more than 5,300 spa and swimming pool companies, has promoted the assertion that "health professionals say that immersion in warm water raises a person's body temperature, causing blood vessels to dilate which improves circulation. This effect - vasodilation - creates the ideal environment for relaxation."

In addition, supporting statements from studies completed by the British Journal of Rheumatology, the University of Minnesota, the New England Journal of Medicine and a Gallup Poll, show that spa use can help alleviate lower-back pain, reduce anxiety, reduce blood-glucose levels in diabetics and induce sleep for people suffering from insomnia.

Other factors contributing to the spa industry's success are the nation's relatively stable economy and homeowners seeking to increase property values. A January 2005 Realty Times report showed that home-remodeling projects are scheduled to outpace new construction by 2010. Following this trend, nearly 45 percent of all remodels tackled by homeowners today are improvements and additions, specifically additions of interior spas. A report unveiled by the MIT Joint Center for Housing Studies also found that more than one third of homeowners will undertake some home-improvement project this year.

As if the remodeling trend were not enough, spa retailers doing business in Colorado, can expect new residential developments in Broomfield, eastern Boulder and Weld counties to further elevate demand for spas that now boast a variety of bells and whistles including water features like fountains and water falls, underwater stereo speakers and misters. At Wind River Spas, the diversity of models allows customers to find a tub to fit their every need. Featuring a nearly chemical-free operation, Wind River Spas are known for their 24-hour continuous-clean circulation pump that is designed to turn over the entire body of water every eight-10 minutes ensuring a 100 percent filtration every 30 minutes. Additionally, Wind River Spas use a patented ozone-purification system to further treat the water.

"We try to stay away from chemicals because we know most people don't want the added expense and time commitment associated with chemical treatments," Riesinger said. Additionally, Wind River Spas are constructed with EPS high-density foam to ensure long-term, consistent insulation, and the structure features a fully enclosed base to keep animals from setting up shop inside the spa's shell. "Another feature to our spas is that the plumbing is fully accessible to the customer," Riesinger said. "You can pop off all sides of the shell and still access the pipes in case of any problems."

With a new Lafayette showroom in the works and continued consumer support of the hot tub industry, the future is bright at Wind River , where new models are in development. "After nearly 27 years of business offering just two models, we're now up to 23 models and more on the way," Riesinger said. "It's an exciting time for us."

For more information, call 303-789-2656 or visit www.windriverspas.com.

Reprinted with permission. Colorado Hometown Newspapers 2005.