The Jacuzzi family celebrates 30 years at Jason International

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2A Lasting Legacy• •THE WHOLESALER ® — DECEMBER 201230 years of Jason International:The Jacuzzi family continues legacyJacuzzi Brothers turned to building irrigationpumps during the 1920s, and soon began makingother pumping products.Irecently had the opportunity to sit in on one of Jason International’sshowroom training programs, where I joined showroomstaff from Modern Supply, Kenny Pipe and Brock McVeyas they toured the facility, met members of the Jacuzzi familyand other key Jason executives, and learned more about the latestin Jason’s product offerings.I also had the pleasure of getting to experience the company’snew MicroSilk ® technology first-hand, taking a soak in the workingdisplay at the nearby Falk Supply showroom. To be honest, I’vealways been more of a “shower person” — but this was truly one(Continued from page 44.)ents and 11 other siblings followedand settled in California. BrotherRachele heard that the aviation industrywas booming in the Los Angelesarea, and asked Valeriano and Franciscoto join him there. The brothersdid some farm work, and Racheletook a job with an aviation company.“Rachele was really the inventivegenius of the brothers,” Remo described.“All of them were very intelligentand ambitious, but theyhad very little formal education.They were self-taught andreally worked hard.“One of the people Rachelemet told him of some problemshe was having with his plane,and Rachele said he couldmake a new propeller thatwould work much better. Heasked my father to help himwith it, and they developed anew type of highly efficient airplanepropeller made fromwood. The man was verypleased with the result of their• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •work, and soonword spreadand peoplebegan comingto him for propellers.Rachelewent to an eventin San Franciscowhere hemet many peoplefrom theaviation industry,and decidedto form JacuzziBros. Company,setting up a factoryin the BayArea to buildpropellers for our country’s militaryduring WWI. It was very successfulfor a time, but after the war, the industryconverted to metal propellersFirst-hand training educates customersof the most relaxing experiences I’ve ever had. In fact, if they hadn’thad a timer set for 20 minutes — and I wouldn’t have had moreinterviews to do — I could have soaked in that tub all morning!Jason introduced MicroSilk in 2011, and they’ve gotten a verygood response from customers. “We believe the best way to sellthis product is by demonstrating it and letting people actuallyfeel it,” noted director of sales, marketing and IT Paulo Jacuzzi.“We have various programs for showrooms so they can putdemo models on their floor. You can talk all you want about howa product works and its benefits, but it’s nothing like seeing orexperiencing it in person.”The folks at Jason sometimes refer to MicroSilk as the “newfountain of youth” because of the effect it has on bathers. Billionsof oxygen-rich microbubbles provide therapeutic levels of negativelycharged ions, which improve serotonin levels in the brain— a well-known contributor to feelings of well-being. They alsohelp relax the mind and body, promote deep sleep, and enhancerecovery from physical exhaustion.These tiny microbubbles remain suspended below the water’ssurface, which releases heat energy into the water. This helps thebather stay warmer by raising skin temperature evenly, increasingcardiovascular activity, and providing a “sauna effect” that openspores, allowing in more moisture. Because they are so tiny, the microbubblesalso penetrate the skin’s pores and remove impurities.Jason typically brings in 10 to 15 showroom personnel foreach of its training programs, which they host about once amonth. “It’s a great way to get to know the people who are sellingour product,” Paulo said. “We always look so forward to thesegroups. It’s nice to be able to show them our processes and introducethem to our people.”Training was done over a day and a half, with everyone arrivingat the host hotel in Little Rock in the late afternoon and then gatheringfor an introductory dinner in a private room at Graffiti, alocal restaurant, with key members of the Jason team.The next day was a mix of presentations by the Jason ownersand management, as well as a tour of the Jason factory to seestep-by-step how their product is made. Among the topics coveredduring the presentations were the history of the company,R&D, engineering, sales, customer service and marketing.As Remo’s grandson Daniel Peregrin noted, “We try to giveour customers a little glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.It is our goal to create an experience for them and learn aboutthe products — and our family — first hand.”That evening, Remo and Paula Jacuzzi, along with membersof their family and key staff, hosted everyone for dinner in a privatesection of one of their favorite local restaurants, Loca Luna.An ideal complement to the dinner was the selection of winesfrom the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma, Calif. Followingdinner, Remo and Paulo Jacuzzi presented everyone with coursecertificates and a copy of Remo’s book — Spirit, Wind & Water(www.spritwindandwater.com).In my years of covering this industry, I’ve been extraordinarilyfortunate to get to know some incredible people. The Jacuzzis aretruly one of the most gracious, humble and genuine families I’vehad the privilege to interview. And the impression they made onthe showroom personnel was very evident. It was an ideal way tonot only educate customers on product, but also to strengthen thepersonal bond that is so critical in the marketplace.As Donna Snowden, showroom manager for Brock McVey,shared, “I appreciated touring the factory, watching the processof how the tubs were made. But what impressed me most wasthe history of the family, getting to know them, and how theycontinue to innovate. Jason is very family oriented and that translatesto their relationship with us; it lets us feel like we are an importantpart of the relationship.”— Mary Jo MartinLeading the company today are three generations of the family.From left: Paulo Jacuzzi, Jennifer Jacuzzi Peregrin, RemoJacuzzi Sr., Daniel Peregrin and Remo Jacuzzi Jr.The Jacuzzi brothers designedand built the first enclosed monoplanein the U.S. The U.S. PostalService used it to transport passengersbetween San Franciscoand Yosemite National Park.and the business waned.”The brothers then turned their attentionto designing and building thefirst enclosed monoplane in the U.S.It was used by the U.S. Postal Serviceto transport passengers betweenSan Francisco and Yosemite NationalPark. Tragically, in 1921 theplane crashed, killing brother Giocondo,and the grieving family decidedto close their aviationbusiness. Things became very toughfor them as they set about lookingfor new work. “Some of them, includingmy father, bought farms inCentral California, and that’s whereI grew up,” said Remo.They began focusing on developingother products, and their fathersuggested that they focus on farms’needs for irrigation. He thought theycould develop something that wouldbenefit the farmers, and soon,Rachele invented and patented adeep-well injector pump that allowedwater to be pumped to the surfacewithout any moving parts in the well.“That product allowed the brothersto regroup again,” said Remo. Theyalso developed turbine, centrifugaland submersible pumps, along withsome pool equipment. Jacuzzi Bros.built factories in Canada, Mexico andBrazil, and were licensed in a numberof different countries. They eventu-(Turn to Water is life... page 48.)
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The Jacuzzi family celebrates 30 years at Jason International

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