Last month National Association of Pond Professional (NAPP) board members voted to accept an unusual corporate gift from Savio Engineering. Under the terms of the agreement Savio has offered NAPP full oversight and operational control of its Contractor Certification program. Rick Bartel, acting as a representative for Savio, explained the details to board members at a phone conference.
“We want to make a significant contribution to ensure the health and longevity of NAPP” he said.
Savio’s donation offers the organization a further membership incentive and an additional source of revenue. Bartel discussed the benefits of the procedural component as well. The program, he said, provides immediate upgrades to NAPP’s educational program and its testing procedures. Savio’s turn-key model provides a working template for the organization to develop similar programs with other manufacturers in the future.
In a statement, Savio President Valerie Steele said “We are very impressed with the spirit of cooperation that currently exists within NAPP. We believe the future of the industry lies with an impartial organization galvanized by a diverse membership of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, designers and installation professionals”
“We are confident the Savio Certification Program will be well served under the care of NAPP, this is a good partnership and a good opportunity for the organization to expand in a new direction.”
According to the agreement, the company will provide an annual sum to support NAPP administration of the program. Savio has agreed to use its education program, the Savio Water Feature Institute, as a way to sign new NAPP members and will encourage participants to acquire the NAPP-Savio Certification. Based on the strength of seminar attendance it is believed that this this could result in potential increases for NAPP of up to 500 new members yearly.