Living in a material world: rising raw material costs have forced pool builders to get creative in the way they do business.

The following article originally appeared in Pool & Spa News and was written by Bob Dumas. Elite Weiler Pools of Sarasota is proud to have been named a top 50 pool builder in the nation.

John Kennedy wasn’t pleased. The veteran pool builder and president of Elite Weiler Pools Inc. (No. 16) in Sarasota, Fla., had never witnessed such a convergence of supply shortages and demand increases in his entire career.

“This is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen,” he says. “I am right in the heart of short supply and unprecedented demand. They have met and now it’s the perfect storm.”

Kennedy is not alone. Pool builders across the nation have been stunned by the staggering cost increases in raw materials ranging from cement and steel to petroleum-related products such as PVC piping.

The domestic cement industry can produce between 90 and 95 million tons annually, according to the Portland Cement Association. However, the demand will be about 120 million, resulting in a tremendous reliance on imports. In fact, about 25 percent of the cement used in the United States is imported and is thus more expensive.