Rick Woemmel left his computer-science job and got into the pool business because he didn’t want to sit behind a computer and a desk all day.
“Now I sit behind a computer and a desk all day,” Woemmel says, which shows just how much the world and the industry have changed since he opened Bi-State Pool & Spa in 1994. “But it is absolutely fun. I enjoy the industry and the people in it.”
When Woemmel started his St. Louis-based company, “I was the president, the CEO, the bathroom janitor, the head technician, installer,” he says. “Now my job is primarily a supporting role. It’s to make sure people are developing within our company and within our industry.”
Education is a passion for Woemmel, who travels the country teaching seminars for the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.
“Education is the real separator in our industry,” Woemmel says. “You can have nice T-shirts and trucks, but if you don’t know what you’re doing you’re not going to have customers for a long period of time. Taking seminars, reading articles and networking with other great people in our industry is how the industry will move forward.”
Woemmel attributes his own company’s growth to the education they received through the APSP and to his excellent employees.
“I always try and educate them and help them learn more, treat them fairly and make them feel like part of the family,” Woemmel says. “It’s great to have wonderful people working with you.”
