Pomona company bets Coleman brand will lift sales of its hot tubs

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For hot tub manufacturers and the small retailers that sell the majority of the industry’s goods, the recession arrived about six years ago, pushing sales down dramatically.

Hot tub sales are expected to tally only about 180,000, down from a high of 452,000 in 2004, said Lauren Stack, a spokeswoman for the Assn. of Pool & Spa Professionals.

The massive drop-off in sales has resulted in about 60 spa manufacturers closing over the last six years and many big-box retailers pulling hot tubs from the stores in favor of selling them online only or not at all.

But LMS Inc., a Pomona company known for its CalSpas brand and outdoor furniture, recently bought the rights to build a new line of hot tubs under the Coleman Spas name.

LMS is hoping the strength of the Coleman name -- known for camping gear such as coolers, lanterns and sleeping bags -- can get hot tubs back into mass retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart and win back sales among consumers, said Casey Loyd, LMS’ president.

The new Coleman Spas, built by LMS, should be available by February, Loyd said.

Read more about the state of the hot tub industry and LMS’ acquisition of the Coleman Spas brand in today’s article.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles