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Hot Tub Factory Outlet owner Ron Kusters sits in a
display hot tub
at the store on Tuesday afternoon in West Bend. The
store opened on July 1.
John Ehlke/Daily News |
WEST BEND -
Kewaskum resident Ron Kusters took his 25-year experience in the
hot tub and pool industry and opened the Hot Tub Factory Outlet
on July 1 in West Bend.
“We’re going
to specialize in new and used hot tubs,” Kusters said. “Really
without a big overhead. More of a distributor, so we’re going to
have more factory type pricing.”
Kusters’
store, at
1120 W. Washington St., offers pool and spa supplies
and service. Kusters also takes used hot tubs as trade-ins and
refurbishes them.
“There’s a
market for the used hot tub. You can get into a nice hot tub for
$2,000-$3,000 instead of spending $7,000-$10,000,” Kusters said.
Kusters has
been in the industry since 1988 after he graduated from high
school. He saw a job posting for summer help at a pool and spa
store and he’s never left the industry.
“I’ve worked
for manufacturers on the road,” Kusters said. “But being in this
for 25 years I wanted my own store - work for myself.”
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A look at the exterior of the
Hot Tub Factory Outlet.
John Ehlke/Daily News |
Jeana Kusters,
Ron’s wife of 15 years, has been helping Ron with the new
business and she said she was very excited when Ron told her he
wanted to open a store.
“I feel like
now is his time,” Jeana said. “This is something he’s wanted to
do for as long as I have known him.”
Ron said he
noticed the building was for lease and the square footage met
his needs to feature tubs on the selling room floor. The
building also had an overhead door and a built-in garage to
bring in the hot tubs.
He said he
chose West Bend as a location because it’s busy, it’s central in
the county and it’s closest to where he lives.
“I think it’s
a good destination town for shopping,” Ron said.
Ron Kusters
said he can help customers figure out who will use the hot tub
and why.
“If it's just
strictly for therapeutic reasons or just for family fun or a
combination of both,” he said.
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One of the seats in a Royal Spa on
display at the Hot Tub Factory Outlet on Tuesday afternoon
in West Bend. The Hot Tub Factory has been in its W.
Washington Street location for close to a week.
John Ehlke/Daily News |
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Ron Kusters
said he might even to go a customer’s home to figure out a location
for the hot tub - usually on a patio or a deck. The hot tub is
delivered and put in place, and he will install accessories like
steps to get in and out or a lifting mechanism to lift the cover
up and down.
Ron Kusters
said the market for hot tubs is growing. They’re easier to take
care of than a pool because they’re less susceptible to the
weather.
“Three to 4
percent of every household in the U.S. has a hot tub, so there’s
a lot of room to grow,” Ron Kusters said.
Jeana Kusters
said one reason for the growing market is that more people are
investing in their home life rather than in traveling.
Ron Kusters
said the challenging part about opening a business is the
financial output and building a client base.
“There’s some
freedoms of owning your own business, but yet the time
consumption is involved forming your own business also,” he
said.
Jeana Kusters
said her husband has worked in every aspect of the business.
“He really
knows his stuff. He wants to be able to match his customers with
the hot tub of their dreams,” she said. “He’s so friendly and
knowledgeable. He’s not just out there to make a buck. He
honestly enjoys what he’s doing.”
The Hot Tub
Factory Outlet is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10
a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays.
Ron Kusters
said it’s a seasonal business and hours will be shorter in the
heart of winter.
For more
information call 353-9677. |
