History of Zodiac Group

The Zodiac brand is registered on 2nd February 1909.

• 1934 - Launch of a 2-seat inflatable kayak prototype, followed in 1936 by a second boat in the shape of a catamaran equipped with a sail.
• 1937 - At the request of the Aéronavale, the French Naval Air Service, Zodiac and Pierre Debroutelle develop inflatable bomb and torpedo carriers.
• 1940 - Pierre Debroutelle creates the "A-type" prototype for the future inflatable boats. The first tests weree carried out on the river Seine.
• 1952 - Dr Alain Bombard crosses the Atlantic on a Zodiac® boat.
• 1963 - Development of the nautical market in France and first boat show in Paris.
• 1964 - Opening of the first Zodiac subsidiary: Zodiac Española.
• 1965 - The company changes its name to simply "Zodiac".
• 1969 - Zodiac is the world leader in inflatable boats, and number one in France in the recreational boating industry.
• 1970 - Incorporation of Zodiac of North America, Inc.
• 1978 - Opening of Zodiac Italia.
• 1980 - Bombard - L'Angevinière acquisition of French number two company in inflatable boats.
• 1983 - Incorporation of Zodiac Inflatable Technologies Inc. in Canada.
• 1985 - The pool market expands, Zodiac creates the Winky inflatable pool in 1986 (Zodiac Original).
• 1987 - Purchase of B. Kern (Germany) and Europool (Italy); constitution of a European business segment for above-ground pools. Purchase of shares of Zodiac Hurricane-Marine (Canada).
• 1994 - Acquisition of Sweepy International, manufacturing electric pool cleaners. Polaris Pool Systems, Inc. (USA) incorporates. Over time, it becomes the leading manufacturer of automatic pool cleaners.
• 1995 - Debes & Wunder, a German company joins Zodiac in March.
• 1996 - Acquisition of Baracuda, a company that specializes in the design and manufacture of suction pool cleaners. Located in North America, South Africa, Europe and Australia. Acquisition of Fountainhead Technologies, Inc. (USA), water purification systems and Driclad in Australia.

Zodiac celebrates its first century anniversary on December 22, 1996.

• 1999 - Acquisition of AUTOFLUG's, marine activities (life rafts and life jackets).
• 2001 - Acquisition of CLEARWATER, salt-chlorination water treatment solutions (Australia).
• 2003 - Acquisition of P.S.A., the French manufacturer of pool heating systems and dehumidification units for swimming pools.
• 2004 - Purchase of EVAC, a Finnish company developing environmentally friendly vacuum toilets and wastewater collection and treatment solutions for the marine industry.
• 2006 - Polaris Pool Systems, Inc. (USA), changes its name to Zodiac Pool Care, Inc.
• April 2006 - Common acquisition with Carlyle Group of Jandy Pool Products, Inc., an American manufacturer of pool equipment (pumps, filters, pressure controls, pool heaters).
• 2007 - Acquisition of NORSK INOVA, a major Norwegian manufacturer of waste treatment for cruise ships. Its know-how and activities are complementary with those of EVAC.
• September 2007 - Creation of Zodiac Marine & Pool through the fusion of the Marine Segment of Zodiac Group with Jandy Pool Products, Inc.
• February 2008 - Jandy Pool Products, Inc., acquisition of Cover-Pools Incorporated (Utah), a company manufacturing automatic pool covers.
• August 2009 - Carlyle increases its shareholding in Zodiac Marine & Pool by purchasing the remaining capital held by Zodiac Aerospace.
• September 2010 - Zodiac Pool Care, Inc. (USA) merges with and into Zodiac Pool Systems, Inc. (formerly known as Jandy Pool Products, Inc.).