Ted speaks with Brent Macklin, co-founder of Arctic Spas, about building one of the world's leading hot tub manufacturers from a single Calgary retail store in 1992 into a global brand with dealers across Canada, Europe, and beyond. Brent shares the engineering philosophy behind Arctic's cold-climate design, including their pioneering perimeter insulation and equipment placement, the evolution toward more comfortable seating, and Spa Boy, their automated water care system nearly two decades in the making. The conversation also touches on international expansion, weathering the 2008 downturn, and thirty years of partnership that built the company.
Ted speaks with Brent Macklin, co-founder of Arctic Spas, about how he and his partners built one of the world's leading hot tub manufacturers, starting from a single retail store in Calgary in 1992. Brent traces the company's growth from taking over a small Edmonton manufacturer in 1997 to becoming Canada's largest hot tub maker and expanding into Europe, including long-standing dealer relationships across the UK, France, and Scandinavia.
The conversation dives into what sets Arctic Spas apart: their pioneering "perimeter insulation" design, which places equipment inside the insulated cabinet to keep hot tubs running efficiently in extreme cold, and their evolution toward more comfortable, ergonomic seating. Brent also discusses Spa Boy, the company's decade-in-the-making automated water care system, and reflects on thirty years of partnership, growth, and weathering downturns like the 2008 financial crisis.
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Brent Macklin
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