Krystal Guilhemotonia began her pool industry career the same way many get their start in a family business: She started working for her dad, Brian Goettlich, off the books when he was running Aqua Creek Products from their family’s dining room table. Aqua Creek, based in Missoula, Montana, manufactures lifts and other accessibility products for…
Ernad “Ernie” Civic was working as a personal trainer after moving to Florida when he got a message from his dad, Zlatko Civic, that changed his life. “[My dad] was ready to leave his current job in Pennsylvania but could not find work,” Ernie says. “My dad is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever…
Adam Beech has always loved tech, so in 2006 when he started his pool service company, Pool Agency, he integrated as much technology as he could. Beech says he invested heavily in a good website, Google Ad Words campaigns and review sites. In 2008, he switched all his customers to autopay with paperless billing. The…
In a male-dominated industry, Nicole Newkirk has made research and knowledge her secret weapon. She says she makes a point to be knowledgeable about construction methods and not only focus on design: “I want to be respected without changing the way I present myself,” she says, adding that she’s struggled throughout the years with people…
While attending the University of Pittsburgh, Jordan Frabasilio spent much of his time playing Division 1 college baseball. Baseball helped get him into school, thanks to an athletic scholarship, and it was a far cry from the pool industry in which Jordan had grown up watching his father, Presidential Pools & Spas president James Frabasilio….
The pool industry helped Colton Frabasilio along while he was also pursuing his dream of becoming a major league baseball player. He worked in the company warehouse stocking parts for construction crews and service techs while he was in the minors: “This helped me learn all the different manufacturers and parts that go into building…
Michael Krause may have only started his pool service company, First Response Pool Service, this year — but he’s not new to the industry. Were it not for a freak accident, he’d have an extra year of business ownership under his belt. When Krause went on a camping trip and broke both of his ankles…
For Rudy Hablewitz, owner of ELEVATEDesign, a design firm specializing in outdoor spaces, including pools, every day is an opportunity to push boundaries and to create something unique. Hablewitz studied landscape horticulture at Southern Illinois University and in 2017 began working for a pool company doing design work. “This was my first real opportunity to…
To Robert Daniels, branch manager for Pool Doctor Service & Supplies/National Pool Partners, a pool technician is more than someone who cleans and balances your pool. “Behind the scenes,” he says, “we are ensuring you and your family are safe while swimming. When you are out of town, we are normally the first to report…
While getting his engineering degree in Brazil, Max Filho worked at engineering firms specializing in tall buildings and shopping malls. “That experience made me understand a lot about how a construction company works,” Filho says. He went to work for his father, who in addition to plumbing pools also did repairs and renovations. Since Filho…
Servicing and cleaning pool covers is a skill unto itself, and something Alex Diaz hopes to capitalize on. “[I want] to build a national brand, sparking a new service within the pool industry,” Diaz says. Diaz worked for a pool cover company in Santa Barbara, where he learned how to clean covers, and then how…
William Graham admits that it’s a cliché, but he feels like he’s found a home at Spa Electrics. His dad, Bill Graham, who has worked in the pool industry for more than 20 years, pointed him to the company. “Coming from a background of customer service, technical service, sales and a strong business acumen, my…