Pictured, left to right: Fluidra Executive President Eloi Planes and Zodiac Pool Solutions CEO Bruce BrooksLast week, Big Three manufacturer Zodiac Pool Solutions signed an intent to merge with global powerhouse Fluidra to form what company officials are calling the world's largest pool-equipment provider.
“If we now look at the market, we will see that, until last Friday, there wasn’t truly a global leader,” said Eloi Planes, executive president of Fluidra. “This merger … is the most complementary of them all and it’s one that truly creates this global leader.”
The new firm will retain the Fluidra name and global headquarters in Sabadell, Spain, near Barcelona. Zodiac’s Vista, Calif. offices will now serve as Fluidra’s North American headquarters. The new company will serve every continent, with a physical presence in 46 countries, sales in 150 nations, and a staff of 5,500. Sales are expected to total 1.3 billion euro (approximately $1.51B at press time). The new entity will hold approximately 1,100 patents.