Welcome to our forum.
I've been on this forum for a long time and worked retail showrooms for 15+ years before this current gig. Used to sell Marquis, Catalina, Artesian, Tuff, Jacuzzi, Viking, Great Lakes, and others. Most were fabulous brands. But I really love what Aspen does in terms of quality and performance. I'll try to be brief - Aspen Spas does not make a low-end series, mid grade series, etc. We build everything the same way, and toggle pricing via how big is the spa and how many holes doe you want in it (i.e.- how many jets, pumps, lights, etc). While the pump numbers and jet numbers, etc, may vary, the quality of the products used, build techniques, overall quality does not.Additionally -we use the same parts/construction process throughout. The compression-fit gaskets (From CMP) are EPDM and create such a tight seal we do not need to use glues or silicone, nor do we use wing nuts on the back. 3/4 inch shurgrip hose wont kink, collapse, and like fingercuffs it will bite down harder as it is pulled. Thus we don't need to have a barbed fitting, a clamp, screw, and foam to ensure security. We've greatly reduced the risk of leaks. And our shell (now 7 total layers) uses 30-35% long-strand fiberglass on every GP Resin or Vinyl Ester coating, is hand-rolled and sanded for better mechanical bonding. Its "neat" (no fillers like calcium carbonate) and uses resin-drenched balsa coring for the "feet and seat" areas - making the weakest part of the shell 28x stronger.Full ABS recycled plastic pan base is standard on all units and series. I could go on and on but in the interest of being concise, I feel that no brand does all the things Aspen Spas does when it comes to ensuring quality from top to bottom. I greatly understand that there are many highly-reputable brands out there, and they have outstanding quality of their own, and I have sold numerous brands over my almost 20 years in the industry (and I have more years to come within this industry as I am still under 40). I also know that coming from someone who works at the factory it can sound like I've been coached or am spinning a sales yarn. By being trained by other sales reps I learned that some pitches are designed to put an emphasis on one thing to hide a flaw somewhere else. Or more likely - to hide why they did not spend money on the better part, build process / technique, etc. With Aspen, I've never felt that any aspect of what we do is not the best way to do it. This is why we are so transparent about how we build, what exactly we do, and why we do it.For any questions you're welcome to reach out to me here on via email: dan@aspenspas.com I hope this helps. Good luck moving forward!
Quote from: The Wizard of Spas on June 06, 2019, 06:51:29 pmI've been on this forum for a long time and worked retail showrooms for 15+ years before this current gig. Used to sell Marquis, Catalina, Artesian, Tuff, Jacuzzi, Viking, Great Lakes, and others. Most were fabulous brands. But I really love what Aspen does in terms of quality and performance. I'll try to be brief - Aspen Spas does not make a low-end series, mid grade series, etc. We build everything the same way, and toggle pricing via how big is the spa and how many holes doe you want in it (i.e.- how many jets, pumps, lights, etc). While the pump numbers and jet numbers, etc, may vary, the quality of the products used, build techniques, overall quality does not.Additionally -we use the same parts/construction process throughout. The compression-fit gaskets (From CMP) are EPDM and create such a tight seal we do not need to use glues or silicone, nor do we use wing nuts on the back. 3/4 inch shurgrip hose wont kink, collapse, and like fingercuffs it will bite down harder as it is pulled. Thus we don't need to have a barbed fitting, a clamp, screw, and foam to ensure security. We've greatly reduced the risk of leaks. And our shell (now 7 total layers) uses 30-35% long-strand fiberglass on every GP Resin or Vinyl Ester coating, is hand-rolled and sanded for better mechanical bonding. Its "neat" (no fillers like calcium carbonate) and uses resin-drenched balsa coring for the "feet and seat" areas - making the weakest part of the shell 28x stronger.Full ABS recycled plastic pan base is standard on all units and series. I could go on and on but in the interest of being concise, I feel that no brand does all the things Aspen Spas does when it comes to ensuring quality from top to bottom. I greatly understand that there are many highly-reputable brands out there, and they have outstanding quality of their own, and I have sold numerous brands over my almost 20 years in the industry (and I have more years to come within this industry as I am still under 40). I also know that coming from someone who works at the factory it can sound like I've been coached or am spinning a sales yarn. By being trained by other sales reps I learned that some pitches are designed to put an emphasis on one thing to hide a flaw somewhere else. Or more likely - to hide why they did not spend money on the better part, build process / technique, etc. With Aspen, I've never felt that any aspect of what we do is not the best way to do it. This is why we are so transparent about how we build, what exactly we do, and why we do it.For any questions you're welcome to reach out to me here on via email: dan@aspenspas.com I hope this helps. Good luck moving forward!You guys had a swim spa on display in the Covana booth in Vegas this past fall didn't you? I think I remember speaking with the owner for a good amount of time about swim spas and the industry in general, seemed like a good guy