Lakewood, New Jersey – Aquatherm Industries, Inc., the largest manufacturer of solar thermal collectors in the United States, recently celebrated its 25th year in business, having been founded in July of 1989. Headquartered in Lakewood, New Jersey, Aquatherm manufactures solar collectors made from polypropylene plastic, referred to in the solar industry as “unglazed solar thermal” collectors, due to the absence of insulation around the absorber plate.
Applications for unglazed collectors include industrial process preheating and agricultural root-zone heating, though Aquatherm’s core competency is the sales and marketing of its collectors for swimming pool heating applications. Since pool water is typically only heated to within 20 degrees Fahrenheit of the surrounding air temperature, unglazed solar thermal collectors are perfectly suited for swimming pool heating. In the 1970’s, polymers replaced copper as the preferred material in solar pool heater construction, due to its low-cost and durability. Aquatherm’s 50,000 square foot facility houses a variety of highly-customized machinery; thermoplastic extrusion lines, 200-ton injection molders, thermal and sonic welders – all operated by workers skilled in the art of making the world’s best solar pool heater. An ISO 9001:2008 registered company,
Aquatherm makes quality control its top priority, and servicing its global network of customers’ unique needs a close second. Dave Sizelove, President & Co-Founder of Aquatherm Industries, says it’s those customer relationships that have resulted in the company’s success.
“For 25 years, we have defined ourselves as a customer-intimate organization; focusing on delivering what our customers are asking for, not shortsighted market trends,” said Sizelove. “Aquatherm doesn’t pursue one-time transactions, but instead cultivates long-term relationships between ourselves and our customers. Our customers don’t buy what we do, they buy why we do it. Every day, we wake up with a sense of why we come to work: to provide value to our customers; to inspire those seeking inspiration; to encourage and develop an entrepreneurial spirit; to be part of something bigger; and to make a contribution to the communities in which we live.”
Sizelove, a California Solar Industries Association (CalSEIA) Hall of Fame recipient, has been involved in the solar thermal industry for over 30 years, and has a passion for making a quality product. “As an ISO 9001:2008 registered company, Aquatherm is committed to continual improvement in everything we do. The work were doing right now is better than the work we did a year ago, and the work well be doing in the future will be even better than the work were doing today.” Solar Industries, Aquatherm’s first flagship product, has been in continuous production since 1976.
The manufacturer added its Ecosun line in 1993 and now manufactures seven popular brands of solar pool heaters which are sold through its dealer/distributor network including its latest introduction, Ultrasun. The manufacturer also produces more than a half-dozen privately labeled products for the industry. At its recent Annual Summer Sales Retreat, the company unveiled an updated corporate logo to mark its 25th year milestone, and plans to announce a new product line shortly called SI Fusion, which will be based on the Solar Industries collector – in time for the product’s 40th anniversary.