Aquatic Access

What Aquatic Access does

Aquatic Access Inc. is a privately held Louisville, Kentucky-based manufacturer that designs and builds water-powered hydraulic lifts for swimming pools, spas, and bathtubs used by people with disabilities and mobility limitations. Founded in 1987 by John and Linda Nolan following the 1985 acquisition of J.E. Nolan & Company by Sunrise Medical, the company sells a single-product-line portfolio — the IGAT, IGRC, IGMT, and AG series — differentiated by municipal-water-pressure operation (35-70 PSI) rather than batteries, motors, or electronics, with field units reported to remain in service for 30+ years. Pricing ranges from $4,500 to $6,600 per lift with an accessories catalog (armrests, headrests, rescue board attachments, recessed sockets), and IGAT series models hold formal ADA-compliance designation from the U.S. Department of Justice for public pools, exceeding requirements with 350-400 lb weight capacity.

The business operates as a build-to-order direct-to-consumer manufacturer. Customers download dimensional worksheets and customer order forms from the company website, submit measurements, and receive a quote including shipping before payment terms are set; standard units ship UPS Ground and heavy-duty or custom units by common carrier, with international shipping handled by the customer. Go-to-market is sales-led through a toll-free number, dedicated email contacts for engineering (Joe), accounting (Irene), and customer service (Ann), supported by customer testimonials, an ADA information page, and educational content on water-powered reliability. Customer segments are segmented vertically into public/commercial pool facilities (municipal, community recreation, hotels, healthcare, fitness clubs), private residential pool owners, above-ground pool/spa owners, and — as a secondary segment — healthcare and rehabilitation facilities requiring therapeutic-pool access equipment. The company has 11-50 employees, no external funding rounds or parent company, and is currently led by Linda Nolan following the deaths of founder John Nolan (2010-2011), Ruth Nolan (2010-2011), and designer David Nolan (2019).

Name

Aquatic Access

Legal name

Aquatic Access Inc.

Website

https://aquaticaccess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aquatic Access is a Louisville, Kentucky manufacturer of water-powered hydraulic pool, spa, and bathtub lifts for ADA compliance and disability access, selling build-to-order direct-to-consumer at $4,500–$6,600 per unit since 1987.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pool Accessibility Lifts

NAICS

Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Pool Draining, Refill & Water Exchange Services (HSAIALAK)

Keywords

• Water-powered pool lifts
• ADA compliance equipment
• Swimming pool lifts
• Mobility assistance lifts
• Accessibility pool equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pool Lift Sales: One-time sale of water-powered pool, spa, and tub lifts. Customers purchase lifts with various specifications based on pool type (in-ground, above-ground), turn mechanism (automatic, manual), and weight capacity. Pricing from $4,500 to $6,600 for standard models, with additional costs for accessories and custom configurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aquatic Access designs and manufactures water-powered hydraulic pool lifts for ADA compliance and disability accessibility. Their lifts use municipal water pressure (35-70 PSI) instead of electricity or batteries to raise, lower, and rotate users into pools, spas, and bathtubs. The company produces a line of commercial-grade lifts serving public pools, healthcare facilities, hotels, and residential pools, manufactured in Kentucky with custom engineering for each installation.

Product overview

Aquatic Access manufactures water-powered pool and spa lifts for accessibility, operating as a single-product-line company where all lifts share water-pressure operation technology. The portfolio includes the IGAT series (IGAT-180, IGAT-180/135, IGAT-180 AD, IGAT-90) for in-ground pools with automatic turn mechanisms, the IGMT and IGRC for in-ground pools with manual turn, and the AG series (AG-48, AG-60, AG-72) for above-ground pools—all designed for ADA compliance in commercial and residential settings. Accessories include armrests, headrests, seat belts, rescue board attachments, and mounting options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model IGAT-180 Pool Lift A water-powered hydraulic pool lift designed for in-ground swimming pools. The lift seats users approximately 20 inches above the pool deck and lowers them into the water via municipal water pressure operation. Targeted at commercial pools, public facilities, and residential installations requiring ADA-compliant accessibility.
• Model IGAT-180/135 Pool Lift A variant of the IGAT-180 with a 135-degree seat turn designed for pools with limited clearance or specific geometry requirements. Uses the same water-powered hydraulic technology for ADA-compliant pool entry.
• Model IGAT-180 AD Pool Lift An extended-deck variant of the IGAT-180 designed for pools with wider top decks or installations requiring additional clearance. Retains the same water-powered hydraulic lift mechanism and ADA-compliant specifications.
• Model IGAT-90 Pool Lift A water-powered hydraulic pool lift designed for in-ground pools. The 1994 IGAT-90 model was the company's first lift engineered to meet ADA requirements following the 1990 ADA legislation, establishing the foundation for the IGAT product family.
• Model IGMT Multi-Tier Lift A multi-tier water-powered hydraulic pool lift designed for pools with raised bond beams or varying deck heights. Provides ADA-compliant accessibility for pools where standard lifts cannot accommodate deck elevation differences.
• Model IGRC Recline Pool Lift A reclining-style water-powered hydraulic pool lift designed for users who cannot maintain an upright seated position during pool transfer. Provides full-body support and is suitable for therapeutic and rehabilitation applications.
• Model AG-48 Above-Ground Pool Lift A water-powered hydraulic pool lift engineered specifically for above-ground swimming pools up to 48 inches in height. Provides ADA-compliant accessibility for above-ground pool installations.
• Model AG-60 Above-Ground Pool Lift A water-powered hydraulic pool lift engineered for above-ground swimming pools up to 60 inches in height. Uses the same municipal-water-pressure technology as the in-ground models.
• Model AG-72 Above-Ground Pool Lift A water-powered hydraulic pool lift engineered for above-ground swimming pools up to 72 inches in height. Includes a manual turn handle enabling independent operation by users with sufficient upper-body mobility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifts lasting 30+ years in service with minimal maintenance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Permobil: Permobil is a global manufacturer of power wheelchairs and advanced mobility solutions serving rehab and complex rehab clients; comparable as a broad accessibility/mobility incumbent that could expand into aquatic access products.
• Sunrise Medical: Sunrise Medical acquired J.E. Nolan & Company (the predecessor to Aquatic Access) in 1985 and is a global manufacturer of wheelchairs and mobility products; strategically comparable as a prior owner of the Nolan lift technology and as a broader accessibility equipment incumbent.
• S.R. Smith: S.R. Smith is a major pool equipment manufacturer that offers a pool lift line alongside a broad catalog of pool accessories, deck equipment, and aquatic recreational products — competing with Aquatic Access in lifts while operating a much wider product portfolio.
• Invacare (now part of Motion Concepts / Melrose Industries portfolio): Invacare is a long-standing manufacturer of wheelchairs and home medical equipment; comparable as a broader mobility/accessibility incumbent serving many of the same institutional buyers (rehab centers, hospitals, long-term care) as Aquatic Access.

Emerging players

• EZ-Access (Homecare Products): EZ-Access manufactures a range of residential accessibility products including ramps, lifts, and bathing systems, with emerging overlap in residential pool/spa accessibility solutions for aging-in-place buyers.

Direct peers

• Aqua Creek Products: Aqua Creek Products is a direct competitor that manufactures ADA-compliant pool lifts, including battery-powered and manual models, targeting the same public pool and residential accessibility buyers as Aquatic Access.
• Spectrum Aquatics: Spectrum Aquatics manufactures ADA-compliant pool lifts and aquatic accessibility equipment sold to competition pools, universities, and municipal aquatics facilities — a direct competitor in the commercial pool lift segment.
• Global Lift Corp: Global Lift Corp designs and supplies ADA-compliant pool and spa lifts for commercial and residential pools, directly competing with Aquatic Access on turn mechanisms, weight capacity, and ADA compliance.
• Palmer Industries: Palmer Industries builds custom-engineered wheelchair lifts, pool lifts, and accessibility solutions, with overlapping design/build capability and target customers (rehab facilities, private pools, accessible housing).

Others

• Pride Mobility Products: Pride Mobility is a leading manufacturer of power lift chairs and mobility scooters; adjacent rather than directly competitive, but serves an overlapping end-user demographic (aging consumers and individuals with mobility limitations) and could expand into aquatic accessibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Aquatic-Access-Inc-194247220591532
• Xx.com/AquaticAccess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquatic-access-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquatic Access