By Alfred J. ‘Alfie’ Lipshultz
Aquathin Corporation
Aquathin Businesss Centre
950 South Andrews Avenue
Pompano Beach, Florida 33069
www.aquathin.com
With takeovers, buyouts, absorptions and closures ever more the norm for the water industry, a company’s silver anniversary is a remarkable achievement. Having reached that benchmark last year would be reason enough to speak with Aquathin founder Alfred J. ‘Alfie’ Lipshultz. More impressive than that is his declaration that those now joining his corporate family are stepping into the next quarter century with a celebration beginning right now.
“The key to our success is our dealer support and unique proprietary products that live up to their claims, pure and simple,” Lipshultz said when asked the secret to his firm’s longevity. Founded in March of 1980, the single motivating concept was to create the most effective water purification system available. Lipshultz began by designing the systems to do the job both residentially and commercially, but knew that recruiting—and keeping!—committed, motivated and educated dealers in an atmosphere of honesty and transparency would be crucial to Aquathin.
“I worked backwards, actually. I wanted dealers who understood the science of water treatment and purification…so I created Aquathin University to train and educate them. I wanted dealers who would be so successful both financially and through their mutual bond, they would never be tempted to jump ship, so I created Aquathin’s Business Plan as a way they could craft their own achievements,” he explained.
For every factor, he began by establishing the result he sought and then created the tools, practices and processes for obtaining that result. Today, the firm has over 70 patented and trademarked water purification, filtration, softening and treatment systems which serve the residential, commercial, industrial and laboratory markets nationally and internationally via a network of more than 600 highly skilled dealers and distributors.
Lipshultz acknowledges that the belief that even the world’s best products are, in fact, only as good as those representing them out in the field is what has always separated his firm from many others in the industry. His commitment to keeping Aquathin dealers at the forefront of the industry has led to a state-of-the-art database and proprietary software programs to maximize effective management, inventory and prospecting for each and every dealer, namely: Splash News Bulletin, Forum Q&A, Tech Bank, Biz Bank and Quote Bank.
Aquathin’s University program is offered every other month to dealers and their employees. The three-day training/education modules include science and instruction, installation how-tos, marketing and maintenance and financial practices. “It really is a full degree program, unique to our industry,” Lipshultz, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, explains.
Setting the standard for such innovations has placed the Florida manufacturer consistently in the limelight over the years. Invited twice to the White House (during NAFTA treaty discussions), he’s been the recipient of a host of business awards, including the President’s Excellence Award from the U.S. Commerce Department and is a member of his alma mater’s Board of Advisors.
With a product line that extends into every aspect of the water treatment and purification industry, an expanding dealer network and an ever-increasing globalized customer base, the second 25 years promises to keep Lipshultz hopping—and Aquathin Dealers are already enjoying the celebration.