Episode 136: The LaMotte Company - A Century of Innovation with Richard LaMotte

Pool Chasers Podcast

Episode Summary:

Today’s guest takes us way back to 1919 when his company was started by his grandfather just after the Great War. He walks us through the many innovative ideas and products that the LaMotte Company has had over that time, what sparked those ideas, and the amount of work that it took to make it all happen.

We go through LaMotte’s pretty incredible list of accolades, including everything from blood kits, soil kits, phenol red, DPD, colorimeters, test strips, to their WaterLink® Spin Touch®.

Richard LaMotte became involved in the family business in 1984—another LaMotte on the long list of 15 family members who have been actively involved so far—and today he serves as the V.P. of Sales and Marketing.

Topics Discussed:

• 01:31 - How The LaMotte Company began
• 08:37 - Introducing the first portable pool test kits in the U.S.
• 10:58 - Steven Seagal using LaMotte test kits
• 15:56 - The original use for soil tests after the Dust Bowl

• 19:30 - Phenol red and why LaMotte began producing it
• 22:31 - Making the switch to DPD for drinking water and swimming pools
• 27:33

Chapters

1. Episode 136: The LaMotte Company - A Century of Innovation with Richard LaMotte (00:00:00)

2. How The LaMotte Company began (00:01:31)

3. Introducing the first portable pool test kits in the U.S. (00:08:37)

4. Steven Seagal using LaMotte test kits (00:10:58)

5. The original use for soil tests after the Dust Bowl (00:15:56)

6. Phenol red and why LaMotte began producing it (00:19:30)

7. Making the switch to DPD for drinking water and swimming pools (00:22:31)

8. Dealing with competitors such as Taylor Technologies (00:27:33)

9. The launch of DPD and phenol red tableting operation (00:29:23)

10. The launch of Insta-Test test strips in 1996 (00:33:16)

11. The introduction of WaterLink and the WaterLink Spin Touch (00:43:43)

12. How LaMotte has handled the challenges of COVID-19 (00:54:12)

13. How many LaMotte’s have worked for the LaMotte Company? (00:58:14)

14. LaMotte’s upcoming projects (01:04:24)