Regardless of your feelings about Facebook, the social media platform continues to be a player in the marketing world. Many small-business owners feel it’s worthwhile to incorporate Facebook’s advertising features into their marketing strategy, while for others, promotional budgets are best spent elsewhere. James Atlas, principal of Platinum Pool Care in Wheeling, Illinois, is in…
Edwards Pool Construction in Andover, Kansas, started using the Orenda Mobile App in spring of 2018 after owner, Steve Edwards, read several posts about it on Facebook. “The Orenda app has greatly enhanced our water chemistry comprehension and simplified teaching ourselves and our service techs water chemistry,” Edwards says. “Our ability to explain to the…
Alan Smith Pools in Southern California began focusing on commercial growth during the 2008 recession. During an economic crisis, not as many residential customers can afford pool installation and upkeep, but that’s not typically the case with commercial pools. For many in the industry, a mix of both residential and commercial clients can aid financial…
By Kandice Matteson Pool company employees, like any other, are going to want time off for whatever reason. As seasonal as the pool industry is, specific policies for employee attendance and time off are essential. Flexibility is Key “Our earned time off is called FTO — flexible time off,” says Angela Barta, operations manager for…
I am so excited to share PoolPro’s inaugural 30 Under 40, where we honor the underrepresented next generation of swimming pool industry leaders with much-deserved recognition. Some of these will be familiar faces, and others will be as new to you as they were to us. I hope you see yourself in their stories — either…
Cody King 31Zodiac Pool SystemsTechnical sales managerZodiacPoolSystems.com Cody King is a third-generation pool industry member. His grandfather, Doug Wilson, started Wilson Pools in Cartersville, Georgia, which his family still owns and operates. King did both construction and pool service for the family business growing up, and while he attended Ole Miss, he ran a pool…
Julie Johnson 37Store managerMission Pool & SpaMission Viejo, CaliforniaMissionPoolSupplies.com Three years ago, Julie Johnson applied at a Leslie’s Pool Store simply because she was on the hunt for a job and there was one near her house. “I had a retail background and thought I would just be ringing up pool toys,” Johnson says. “Little…
Matthew Boranian 36OwnerDoctor PoolKailua, Hawaiiyelp.com/biz/the-pool-doctor-kailua Matthew Boranian has been in the pool industry off and on since 2005, when he started as a swim instructor during college. It was there that he developed a desire to pursue a career in water chemistry. He worked for a few independently run businesses, and in 2012 was diagnosed…
Beau DeRohan 35OwnerGreat White Pool and SpaBoise, IdahoGreatWhitePoolAndSpa.com Beau DeRohan’s pool industry career began 18 years ago when his mom bought a hot tub. The company she’d purchased it from needed extra help, and DeRohan was paired with an experienced technician to learn the ropes. Over six years, DeRohan learned plumbing, electrical, pumps, filters and…
Austin, TexasPatriotPoolAndSpa.comPhotography by Thao Nguyen Hal Denbar, 36, PresidentNathan White, 37, Repair manager and company integrator Last year, INC magazine named Patriot Pool & Spa the fastest growing pool-industry company in the country. Based in Austin, Texas, it services nearly 800 pools a week and has more than 35 employees. Hal Denbar founded Patriot in…
Andrew May 29OwnerTriton Pool ServiceCumming, GeorgiaTritonPoolServiceGA.com Andrew May used to work in the automotive industry, traveling to auto shows as a product specialist, presenting for brands like Toyota, and as a performance driving coach for Porsche — which he still does when can find the time. “The problem was, I always had to travel and…
Pamela Basham 39 Account manager and service tech Royal Pool Service & More, LLC Charlotte, North CarolinaRPoolService.com Pamela Basham’s parents instilled a strong work ethic in her from an early age. Her mother started a pool service business from her garage in West Virginia in 1979, while her father worked nights in the coal mine…