Global demand for Brisbane pool manufacturer’s ‘game-changing’ solution
Brisbane-based pool manufacturer Plungie expands into US market, and has sights on Canada and Europe with game-changing prefabricated pools.
A Brisbane-based manufacturer at the forefront of pool construction innovation is creating ripples worldwide with its revolutionary approach to prefabricated concrete pools.
Following expansion into the US market – opening a manufacturing facility in Texas – and existing export agreements in place with New Zealand, Plungie announced plans to operate in Canada and Europe.
Chief executive Cameron Levick said Plungie’s “game-changing” solution delivered a new level of convenience and efficiency for designers, builders and homeowners.
“If you’re a builder and you’ve got people wanting a new home, you want to be able to offer them a pool because pool is the number one searched word on Australian real estate websites,” he said.
“Concrete pools are always seen as being more premium than fibreglass or vinyl pools, so in 2018 (the Plungie founders) designed a range of prefabricated concrete pools that come fully finished, complete with lighting and a specialised coating.
“It’s literally taken to site, dropped into place and you can be swimming in it that afternoon.
“For builders, this increases the contract price, but the issue has always been that they’ve would normally need to bring in a third party contractor to put in or build the pool for them.
“What Plungie has done is given all of that control back to them, all of that cost back so that they can confidently sell a pool to their clients.”
Designed to cater to a wide range of design preferences – with six different colours and various sizes available, the pools can be installed fully in-ground, above ground or as a half-and-half option.
Plungie also provide a raw coping tile, allowing builders and architects to customise the pool’s appearance.
“We control the manufacturing in an environment that’s a factory and we have a high quality control program and each pool comes with its own ‘birthing certificate’ so the (client) knows exactly what’s coming to site and the concrete testing that goes with it,” Mr Levick said.
He said architects particularly appreciated the ease with which they can incorporate Plungie’s pools into their designs, thanks to the company’s digital integration tools.
Plungie’s success has extended beyond Australia, with rapid growth overseas.
“We are in Pinkenba in Brisbane, we’re in Kilmore in Victoria, and then we’re in a place called Alvarado in Texas, to cater to the US market, and we have received inquiries from Europe, including Spain, Italy, and Poland,” Mr Levick said.
“Canada will be next, if not by the end of this year, then early next year and we’ll start installing pools in their summer.
“We’ve got patents around the designs in America, not just Australia, which is important for us.
“As we think about expansion, we need to ask how do you get the intellectual property rights so that you’re protected as you expand overseas?”
Mr Levick said venturing into the overseas market came with trepidation, as they were unsure Australian pool construction concerns would be the same elsewhere.
“My first day with Plungie was going to the US to the International Builders Show and you’re never really sure whether the frustration that builders have in Australia with putting pools in is going to be the same overseas – but it was,” he said.
“We’re working with a developer in Washington State who is building 200 villas around a lake, and he’s just ordered 200 pools.
“His construction team have put in their first pool and found it very straightforward and are looking forward to doing the next 200, whereas if they were trying to do 200 traditional onsite concrete pools or even fibreglass, it would be very frustrating for them.
“Europe is on the radar for next year but there’s a lot of demand there already.”
Plungie’s success in export activities has been supported by Trade Investment Queensland, which Mr Levick said provided valuable introductions and support.
The company’s achievements were further recognised when it was awarded the Emerging Exporter award in the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards last year.
“TIQ have got such a great network of experience in so many different industries, but ours in particular, which has been really valuable for us not only in the US but as we start to think about other markets,” Mr Levick said.
“Because you’re taking a bit of a leap to go into some of these markets, so to be able to have somebody who can support you and hold your hand is really comforting, that’s been the key role.”
Trade and Investment Minister Cameron Dick said the Plungie story was: “Queensland ingenuity in action, disrupting an industry on an international scale”.
“Plungie’s solution to swimming pool design and construction is an example of the creativity and originality that Queensland is known for on the world stage,” he said.
Mr Dick said the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards offer small and large businesses, whether “in the heart of Brisbane or in regional Queensland” an opportunity to elevate business profiles, strengthen networks and open doors to new markets.
Applications for the 2023 Export Awards are now open. Visit tiq.qld.gov.au
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Originally published as Global demand for Brisbane pool manufacturer’s ‘game-changing’ solution
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