Tracy Bond, OwnerGreat Valley PoolFrazer, Pennsylvania We try to hire as many people as we can get in the spring. We are always looking for unskilled helpers to assist our technicians with openings and closings. We hope they gain skills and progress into a service technician. Depending how good they are, they may be able…
Chris Cavanaugh, Owner Cavanaugh PoolOwensboro and Madisonville, Kentucky The 2021 trichlor shortage is on every retailer’s mind. [In 2020] between both of my retail stores, we sold roughly 25,000 pounds of 3-inch tablets. My manufacturer is promising 100% of what I purchased in 2020 to be available to me for 2021. I typically buy 75%…
Ana Manning, Co-owner and COOManning Pool ServiceHouston, Texas Ana Manning started at Manning Pool Service in 2012, four years after her husband, David Manning, joined the company. She says it was chaotic until she came on. One of the first things she tackled was restructuring the pool routes. Manning worked at Manning Pool Service part…
*These responses have been condensed and edited for clarity. Dick Abare, CPC, ownerAlgae Busters Pool Service, inc.Tampa Bay, Florida ResidentialInstallation, Warranty and RepairEmployees: 2 I’m going to sound like a broken record, but LaMotte’s Spin Touch is amazing! The ability to run 10 tests within minutes makes us much more efficient. We use it primarily…
Dick Abare, CPC, ownerAlgae Busters Pool Service, inc.Tampa Bay, Florida ResidentialInstallation, Warranty and RepairEmployees: 2 Something new and innovative helps pull us out of a rut and makes us step out of our comfort zone. Embrace technology you haven’t already. If you have, take some more updated classes. One of the many things I enjoy…
Panelists share their experience with industry Facebook groups Joshua Mattey, CPO, CST, ownerJPS Pool ServicesNorth Scituate, Rhode Island Residential/CommercialPool Cleaning, Repair and MaintenanceEmployees: 4Accounts: 100 I first started using Facebook groups about five years ago on a recommendation from a friend in the industry. I was skeptical because in my eyes, most pool guys were…
One panelist shares her experience doing both Heather Linton, Co-ownerSwim Carefree, LLCCarrollton, Texas ResidentialPool Cleaning, Repair and MaintenanceRenovations, Remodels and InspectionsEmployees: 9Accounts: 150 We purchased a route in 2010 or 2011. We were brand new into the business and we had one route, but my husband wanted to get out of where he was working…
These pool professionals have a variety of experience, backgrounds and geography Joshua Mattey CPO, CST, owner JPS Pool ServicesNorth Scituate, Rhode Island Residential/CommercialPool Cleaning, Repair and MaintenanceEmployees: 4Accounts: 100 Sam Folaron, Co-ownerPuravida Custom PoolsWall, New Jersey Joshua Mattey had a short-lived culinary career before his future father-in-law encouraged him to join the pool industry. He…
Derrick Todd, CPO, ownerAquaNut Pool CareGreenville, South Carolina residential/commercial, service, repair, renovation, retailemployees: 9 accounts: 140-180 As far as jobsite safety goes, we have a list of protocols or rules we follow. As a result of following our safety protocols, we don’t have many injuries to speak of. For instance, here are a few of…
Employee pay and tax insight from our panelists Brian Diglio, CPO, AST, CSP, presidentBlue Wave Pool Service and Supplies, Inc.Hamden, Connecticut In the Northeast, typically the pools are too far apart to do a pay-per-pool compensation. Also, because of the seasonal aspect of the business, it sometimes makes it hard to offer a fair and…
Meet our panelists It’s been a longtime goal at PoolPro to create a panel of pool professionals to share their opinions and expertise. Each edition we’ll pose a question to our group. We tried to find panelists who vary in geographic location, experience and company size. Craig Sears, CSP, CPB, CPO, PresidentSears Pool Management Consultants,…
Everyone has a preference in competitive markets: Burger King versus McDonald’s, Walmart versus Amazon — and in this industry, the brand of pool equipment you install and the sanitizer you recommend to customers. In the world of chlorine versus bromine, the competition is likewise fierce. What’s the difference? You can’t have a good matchup without…