United Aqua Group

What United Aqua Group does

United Aqua Group (UAG) is a Las Vegas-headquartered group purchasing organization (GPO) serving the U.S. pool and spa industry, founded in 1963 and operating for over 60 years. It aggregates collective buying power across more than 300 residential and commercial pool builders, retailers, and service companies, channeling that demand into vendor-direct pricing, exclusive rebates, and a rewards program paid partly in stock shares. The company reports that the average member saves up to $180,000 annually through UAG purchasing, and members are advised to route at least 75% of their product spend through the platform.

UAG's core technology is a members-only eCommerce platform offering access to 350,000+ pool and spa SKUs from 250+ vendor partners including Hayward, Pentair, Fluidra, Solenis, BioLab, and Lowe's. The platform supports spreadsheet-based SKU uploads and shopping list management, with orders shipped directly from vendor partners to members. The company does not hold inventory; instead it monetizes through monthly membership dues, vendor-paid administrative fees, and rebate economics. The Aqua Rewards Program (ARP) layers point-based earning on top of the core rebate program.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and selective: UAG approves new members through an application process that considers annual product purchase volume, then onboards them into the proprietary ordering platform with personalized Member Care support. Complementary offerings include the UAG Scholarship Program (established 2005), the UAG Foundation (a 501(c)(3)), annual conferences, and business symposiums, all of which function as member acquisition and retention channels. The company has received investment from Tenex Capital Management (2023) to support expansion.

Name

United Aqua Group

Legal name

United Aqua Group

Website

https://unitedaquagroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Aqua Group is a Las Vegas-based group purchasing organization founded in 1963 that aggregates 300+ U.S. pool builders, retailers, and service companies to negotiate vendor-direct pricing, rebates, and rewards across 250+ manufacturers via a members-only eCommerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Purchasing Organization (Pool and Spa Industry)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital Shared Services, GPOs & System Support Organizations (HLAFAAAO)

Keywords

• Group purchasing organization
• Pool spa supplies
• Buying group services
• Vendor rebate programs
• Pool industry procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Members pay monthly membership dues. In the event that members don't buy any product through the Group, they only owe monthly membership dues.
2. Group Purchasing Revenue: UAG generates revenue through collective buying power, securing vendor rebates and manufacturer partnerships. Annually, UAG secures and awards millions of dollars in rebates for members. The organization charges administrative fees paid by vendors.
3. Vendor Administrative Fees: GPO-funded administrative fees paid by vendor partners for access to the membership base and purchasing volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

United Aqua Group is a group purchasing organization (GPO) that pools the collective buying power of over 300 residential and commercial pool builders, retailers, and service companies to secure vendor-direct pricing, exclusive rebates, and bulk purchasing discounts on pool and spa supplies. Members access 350,000+ SKUs from 250+ vendor partners through a proprietary members-only eCommerce platform, with consolidated ordering, billing, and equity-building rewards programs. The organization charges monthly membership dues and earns revenue from vendor administrative fees tied to member purchasing volume.

Product overview

United Aqua Group operates as a group purchasing organization (GPO) for the pool and spa industry, offering a unified membership platform with multiple integrated services. The core product is the GPO membership program that provides collective buying power for pool equipment, supplies, and chemicals through partnerships with over 250 vendors. This is supplemented by the Aqua Rewards Program (ARP) for point-based earning, an exclusive vendor rebate program, and a members-only eCommerce platform for ordering. Additional services include the UAG Scholarship Program for member employees and dependents, the UAG Foundation charitable arm, and annual conferences and symposiums for education and networking. The company connects over 300 pool professionals including builders, retailers, and service companies to vendor-direct pricing and exclusive discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UAG Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) Membership A group purchasing organization membership for pool and spa professionals that provides access to vendor-direct pricing, exclusive rebates, and bulk purchasing discounts through collective buying power across 250+ vendor partners.
• Members-Only eCommerce Platform A proprietary online ordering system exclusively for UAG members providing access to 350,000+ pool and spa product SKUs with features including spreadsheet SKU uploads, shopping lists, and consolidated billing.
• Pool Equipment & Supplies

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can save up to $180,000 annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PentaircoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor vendor partner providing pool equipment including pumps, filters, and cleaning systems. Pentair partners with UAG to offer exclusive products and pricing to members, and sponsors the Pentair Pool of the Year award.
• HaywardcoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading pool equipment manufacturer offering pumps, filters, heaters, and automation systems. Hayward sponsors the Hayward Pool of the Year award and provides exclusive vendor programs for UAG members.
• FluidracoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal pool equipment manufacturer providing pumps, filters, and water features. Fluidra sponsors the Fluidra Pool of the Year award and provides exclusive pricing programs.
• SoleniscoreTechnology or IntegrationWater treatment and pool chemical specialist providing sanitization and water balance products. Solenis was named Diamond Vendor of the Year and sponsors the Solenis Retailer of the Year award.
• BioLabcoreTechnology or IntegrationPool chemical manufacturer providing cleaning and sanitization products. BioLab sponsors the BioLab Retailer of the Year award.
• Lowe'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMost recently, UAG forged a partnership with Lowe's to offer members even more exclusive benefits. Lowe's serves as a major retail distribution channel for pool products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pool Corporation: Pool Corporation (POOL) is the largest US distributor of pool equipment, supplies, and related products to the same pool professional customer base that UAG serves. While PoolCorp operates a distribution model and UAG operates a GPO/buying group model, both target the same downstream buyers (pool builders, retailers, service companies) with overlapping product categories from the same vendor base.
• Heritage Pool Supply Group: Heritage Pool Supply Group is one of the largest US distributors of pool and spa products, formed via the combination of PoolCorp's formerly divested regional distributors. It serves the same pool professional customer base as UAG with overlapping product lines from the same manufacturer set, competing for the same downstream spend.
• SCP Distributors: SCP Distributors is the largest wholesale distributor of pool and spa products in the US and a subsidiary of Pool Corporation. It sells equipment, parts, and supplies to the same pool builder, retailer, and service customer segments as UAG, making it a direct competitor for member purchasing volume.
• HornerXpress Worldwide: HornerXpress is a US wholesale distributor of pool and spa equipment, supplies, and parts, with a customer base of pool builders, service companies, and retailers that closely mirrors UAG's membership. It competes for the same downstream spend and partners with overlapping manufacturers (Pentair, Hayward, Jandy).
• Affiliated Distributors (AD): AD is one of the largest US buying/marketing groups for independent distributors across multiple verticals, pooling purchasing volume across member companies to negotiate vendor terms. AD is the closest analog to UAG's GPO/buying group model, although it operates in adjacent verticals rather than the pool industry.

Broad incumbents

• Premier Inc. Premier is a US healthcare GPO that aggregates purchasing volume across thousands of member hospitals and health systems to negotiate vendor contracts. Although Premier serves healthcare rather than pools, it is a direct business-model analog to UAG — a member-owned GPO monetizing collective buying power through admin fees and rebates.
• Vizient: Vizient is a leading US healthcare performance and GPO company, serving hospitals and health systems with aggregated purchasing, analytics, and consulting. It shares UAG's GPO economics model — membership dues plus vendor admin fees plus rebate programs — but operates at materially larger scale in healthcare rather than pool services.

Emerging players

• Poolside Warehouse: Poolside Warehouse is an online pool equipment and supplies retailer that sells direct to pool professionals and consumers, increasingly bypassing traditional distribution. It represents an emerging digital-first channel that could compete for the same downstream spend that UAG members aggregate, especially for smaller members.
• In The Swim: In The Swim is an online retailer of pool supplies, chemicals, and equipment selling direct to consumers and small pool service operators. As an emerging digital channel for pool products, it offers a convenient alternative for smaller buyers and could pressure UAG's value proposition for less-engaged members.

Others

• Pentair: Pentair is one of the largest US manufacturers of pool and spa equipment and a strategic vendor partner of UAG. Pentair sits on the other side of UAG's GPO economics — its pricing and rebate terms are a primary driver of UAG's value to members — making it a critical counterpart rather than a direct competitor, but highly relevant as an industry-defining peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UAG.UnitedAquaGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-aqua-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/uag.unitedaquagroup
• Xx.com/unitedaquagroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 United Aqua Group