What should I ask about a pool company’s chemical suppliers and storage?
Ask who supplies the chemicals, on what terms, and how much stock is normally kept. Then walk the storage area yourself: look at how products are separated, labelled and ventilated, and ask for training and incident records so you know what you would be taking on.
Begin with the supply side. Find out whether the company buys from one distributor or several, whether it has a trade account and whether prices follow a standing arrangement or change with each order. A pool company that depends on one source can be exposed if that supplier changes terms, so ask what the backup would be and how fast it could be arranged.
The storage space deserves a careful look. Ask whether incompatible products are kept apart, whether containers are labelled and intact, and whether there is clear ventilation and spill control. Check how the stock is rotated and whether old product has been sitting. Any damaged, unlabelled or mixed containers are a sign of habits you would need to change.
Finally, ask about people and paperwork. Who is trained to handle the products, and where are the safety records kept? Have there been spills, exposures or complaints? Ask your lawyer and your insurer what storage obligations come with the building, and have your accountant confirm how inventory is shown in the statements. If anything looks unsafe, make fixing it a condition of the deal rather than a promise to look at it later.
Key takeaways
- Find out whether one distributor supplies nearly everything and what the backup would be.
- Inspect the storage area in person for separation, labelling, ventilation and stale stock.
- Ask for training and incident records, and take storage obligations to your lawyer and insurer.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to diversify your supply chain
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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