Experts say the commercial pool industry is slowly starting to get back to a somewhat pre-pandemic normal. Unlike residential pools — which spiked in usage and demand across the United States when COVID hit — commercial pools shuttered nearly overnight. With approximately 255,000 commercial pools in the United States, the sudden halt was a jolt…
While some pool companies dip into both commercial and residential pools on their routes, others have pivoted to focus solely on the former, citing less competition, healthier contracts and deep coffers for HOA, hotel and gym pools, to name a few. And while large bather loads sometimes cause headaches, they say it’s worth it to…
Water always shows level — a truth that everyone in the pool industry knows. Unfortunately, you can’t eyeball the health of your business, whether you’re making money, heading in the right direction or sloping downward as your foundation shifts. For many in the industry, the foundation has shifted. The way businesses have operated for decades…
After almost two years of utter COVID chaos in the world, it’s time to look beyond the pandemic toward the future for the pool service industry. “Pool service is pretty resilient, no matter the conditions,” says David Hawes, president and CEO of H&H Pools in Dublin, California. Growth, he adds, is inevitable over the next…
For many pool service professionals, the question of whether to raise prices can be tricky. The biggest concern, of course, is losing customers, especially if the company operates in a competitive market. Unlike building a pool, where the rising cost of materials is more readily apparent, raising service prices may not be palatable for customers….
This year, Texas got cold — really cold. It’s been 72 years since the Dallas area saw minus 2 degrees like it did in February, when winter storm Uri hit North America. Texas residents were slammed, and the state was unprepared. “The storm was the worst to hit Texas in decades,” says Scott Waldo, president…
Sometimes, you just need a little help from your friends. Pool pro friends, that is. If you’ve been in the industry long enough, it’s likely you have a handful of trusted experts, colleagues and fellow professionals you turn to on a regular basis. “I absolutely have people who I’ve met throughout the years that I…
For 60 years, Heritage Recreation in Sutton, Massachusetts, used pen and paper to manage the business. In 2015, the company was still scheduling 800 pool openings and closings a year this way. But the method was both time consuming and unworkable, says second-generation owner Paul Domey. “We had one notebook to use among six office…
It’s pretty much a given these days that pool builders are running way behind schedule. The surge in demand for new and renovated pools during quarantining has been historic, and pool builders, subcontractors and manufacturers of materials and equipment are struggling to keep up. Clients will be waiting months, or even a year or more,…
For pool pros, the pandemic has had a surprising twist: A major uptick in business. “This has been one of the best years we’ve ever had. It’s been pretty crazy,” says Justin Lex, operations manager at Swimming Pool Services, Inc., a Wisconsin-based company. “Everyone is stuck at home and trying to build a pool or…
The August fire at the BioLab plant in Westlake, Louisiana, did not cause the current chlorine shortage in the industry, but it certainly contributed to it. Since the beginning of the pandemic and subsequent shutdown, the pool industry has been grappling with shortages of all kinds, including building materials, supplies and labor. With many consumers…
Picture it: The camera pans across the vast expanse of a resort swimming pool. Bikini-clad goddesses sunbathe in lawn chairs, while ripped Adonises hit perfect 10’s off the diving board. There you are, skimming debris from the corner of the pool that is otherwise pristine. You think, ‘I’ve got it easy with this commercial pool…