Summer in front of the office - Guido Rengers in an CCI interview

Today one of the European market leaders in the industry, the Emsland-based company grew out of the father's garage startup: in the mid-1960s, Josef Rengers worked with the then still new material polyester. He knew it from his work in the agricultural machinery sector, where it was used for feeding troughs and cooling containers. Together with a mold maker, he developed its first so-called one-piece swimming pools. Today, RivieraPool employs around 200 people within the Rengers Group and maintains business relations in 22 countries.

_ Mr. Rengers, how has the market for prefabricated swimming pools and whirlpools developed in recent years?
Today, people are investing more than ever in quality of life. That is why swimming pools and whirlpools are trendier than ever before. Last year, for example, we delivered a good 1,000 swimming pool systems and are forecasting +10% growth for 2014.

_What would you say were and are the most important success factors for your company?
In the development phase of the company, it was primarily the demand for
quality and the concept of series production of 4 m x 8 m pools. Today, it is also highly about inspiring customers additionally: through shapes, colors, or even lighting concepts. Having ideas: that is important.

_How do you develop ideas - and how do you spot trends?
The most important driving force for new ideas is that we truly love our job and what we do. And by "we" I don’t just mean myself and my two brothers in management, but particularly our employees and sales partners. We are very interested in suggestions and ideas from customers and look into neighboring areas, such as pond construction or natural pools.

_Do you also look around the international market in the process?
Absolutely. We also enter other markets, such as the USA or Asia. We can learn a lot from there. From Asia, for example, we brought back the idea of building black pools with a surface resembling natural stone. The effect: the water surface looks like a mirror, the water color like that of a mountain lake. Among other things, we also run an annual pool design workshop together with our sales partners with Genesis3, one of the world's leading institutes for pool design in California.

_What is it that particularly shapes the work of your company in 2014?
In the product sector, it is certainly the "WetLounge®" - a shallow water zone of about 2 m x 4 m in size, where deck chairs, fire bowls, or water features are placed. Or people sit on cushions around this "lagoon". Such ideas are realized here by a design team consisting of three colleagues, my two brothers, and me. We qualify ideas, define the marketable product, and then do everything: from mold making to the brochure. Everything is "Made in Emsland". And it is an exciting challenge to bring this idea to our customers while proving the practical suitability and importance of this product. Because only then will the 2014 novelty become a solid revenue contributor in 2015.

_ Your company is a family business. Where do you believe this gives you special strengths?
As a family business, we have the responsibility for a lifetime achievement that we took over from our parents and want to pass on to our children. In my view, it is about more than short-term successes. It is also about making all employees, customers, and suppliers feel, as far as possible, part of the Riviera family. As a result, this means we are allowed to take our successes personally, because everyone personally contributed to them. This mindset is one of our success factors. Another success factor is taking failures personally as well. Only that brings honest and good performance.

_Between us: Do you sometimes dip your feet into the display pool of your showroom in summer?
Between us: I swim twice a day at home or in our display pools. Our cleaning staff stopped letting that bother them a long time ago, and I think they can already tell how my day went by the duration and style of my swimming routine.

_ ... and are your employees allowed to do that too?
We actually encourage them to do so. Some use the pools regularly, others come with their families to the outdoor pools on Sunday afternoons. Depending on the weather and mood. By the way, it’s nice when the new model of a pool becomes a topic of conversation among colleagues after their own testing.

Text: Beate Bößl
ihkmagazin Osnabrück - Emsland - Grafschaft Bentheim | July 2014
http://www.osnabrueck.ihk24.de/