Step 1: The Pond Industry
Is A Growing Industry
- Of the 75.4 million homeowners in the U.S., approximately 15% of homes (11.31 million). have some sort of water feature on their property. *1
- Fragmented industry - there are no national or regional retail pond store brands.
- The National Association of Pond Professionals estimates that more than 5,000 contractors build ponds and water features in the U.S. *2
- Water features - including ponds, pondless waterfalls, and fountains are one of the "Top 10 Trends" in landscaping. *3
- The pond industry is a $1.4 billion dollar per year industry and growing. *4
- Water feature and water gardening product sales have doubled over the past decade and is still growing. *5
- Approximately 90% of water garden product customers prefer to do their own work. *6
- The number of water gardens has been growing 20% annually since 1997. *7
- The National Pond Society estimates there are about 9 million homeowners who are pond hobbyists in the U.S. *8
- The average pond owner rebuilds a pond three times. *9
- Well designed and maintained water features can add to a home's resale value. *10
- The AKCA (Associated Koi Clubs of America) is affiliated with 104 local Koi Clubs across the U.S.*11
- Over 32 Koi Clubs hold Koi Shows every year. *11
- The AGA (American Goldfish Association) has member clubs across the U.S. *12
- The International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society has chapters all over the U.S. *13
- Water features/pond installation and maintenance is one of the Top 10 revenue opportunities in the landscaping industry. *14
*1 U.S. Census Bureau
*2 www.nationalpondpro.com
*3 www.landscapemanagement.net
*4 www.inc.com/magazine/20031101/aquascape.html
*5 2006 National Gardening Survey
*6 www.pondmarket.com/article/trends_article.htm
*7 http://findarticle.com/p/articles/mi_qa5388/is_200706/ai_n21291664
*8 www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_water_features/article/0,1785,HGTV_3575_1383232,00.html
*9 http://76.12.128.120/article.cfm?articleID=24547
*10 Jacksonville (FL) Business Journal, September 24, 2002
*11 www.akca.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=53
*12 www.americangoldfish.org/
*13 www.iwgs.org
*14 Landscape Management - October 2010