hospitality-minded service drives growth for atlanta pool company  

In the home services industry, reliability and professionalism often determine whether a customer makes a one-time call or builds a long-term relationship. For The Pool Butler, a Georgia-based pool service company, those qualities are not just goals — they are the foundation of the business.

When Tim Bolden took ownership of The Pool Butler in 2014, he set out to address what he saw missing across the industry. 

“I saw firsthand where things were falling short,” Bolden says. “The gap was simple reliability, communication and professionalism. Homeowners weren’t just looking for someone to clean a pool; they wanted someone they could trust who showed up, communicated clearly and took ownership.”

That idea of elevating service beyond technical work also influenced the company’s identity.

“The name ‘The Pool Butler’ was very intentional,” Bolden explains. “A butler represents service at the highest level: attention to detail, discretion, consistency and anticipation of needs.”

General manager Mark Williams says that philosophy translates directly into the company’s day-to-day operations.

“It is a simple goal that we just want to deliver — a higher standard of professionalism and reliability,” Williams says. “We wanted to take a hospitality-type approach to it.”

Williams brings decades of industry experience, starting with a high school job at a pool store.

He began working in the store but moved into construction after getting the chance to help on a jobsite. His career eventually spanned retail, corporate leadership and business ownership before joining The Pool Butler through a long-standing relationship with Bolden.

“I made the switch from big corporate back to a locally owned company,” he says. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

What began as a small maintenance company quickly grew through word of mouth and a reputation for consistent, customer-focused care. Today, The Pool Butler employs around 30 people and has expanded into repair, renovation, leak detection and construction services, all while maintaining its original service mindset.

Building a strong culture

Both Bolden and Williams say people are central to the company’s success.

“At the end of the day, the company is only as strong as the people in the field,” Bolden says. “They are the brand.”

That guides everything from hiring to long-term development, with a focus on helping employees grow into leadership roles.

“For us, it’s about building careers, not just jobs,” Bolden says. “When people feel valued and equipped to succeed, they perform at a higher level.”

Williams echoes that emphasis on culture and accountability.

“We care deeply about the experience we deliver,” he says. “It’s rooted in our core competencies of accountability and professional growth.”

The team reinforces it through a structured training program led by company trainer, and one of PoolPro’s 2025 30 Under 40 recipients, Maddy Vandiver. 

“She’s really put the work in to create individual training pathways and to keep up with the scorecard of the hours they’re putting in,” Williams says.

The company also does weekly “Training Tuesday” sessions focused on hands-on learning, vendor education and team alignment, all aimed at delivering consistent, high-quality service.

Together, those efforts led to strong retention, with many employees staying long term and advancing within the company.

A service standard and beyond

Consistency is reinforced through a defined maintenance “standard,” but The Pool Butler encourages employees to go further. 

Williams says technicians are expected to complete a clear set of tasks during every service visit, but the real difference comes from what happens beyond that checklist. 

“There are all the intangibles and all the things that we do differently,” he says.

That can mean small gestures or larger efforts, like a technician who investigated a potential leak by digging on a customer’s property to find the source of a problem.

“That’s white-glove service,” Williams says.

For Bolden, that level of care is exactly the point.

“We’re not just servicing pools; we’re taking care of people’s homes and their time,” he says.

Growing with intention

The company’s growth has been driven by decisions like creating internal systems and expanding services.

“First was committing to structure early — building systems, not just jobs,” Bolden says.

Expansions into areas like leak detection and construction were a direct response to customer needs, allowing the company to become a more complete, full-service provider.

After rapid growth during the pandemic, leadership has focused on building the infrastructure needed to support that pace long term.

“It’s taken us about two seasons to really get our feet under us with the right structure to support that kind of business,” Williams says.

Both leaders share the vision going ahead.

“We want to continue growing, but without sacrificing the culture and service level that got us here,” Bolden says.

Ultimately, the goal is bigger than expansion.

“I want The Pool Butler to be known as the standard in the industry,” Bolden says. “Not just for the quality of work, but for how we treat people — customers, employees and partners.”

The Pool Butler

Tim Bolden

Metro Atlanta