After more than two decades, the “ambassador” of Pebble Tec is no longer with the company.
Terry Jirovsky had been president/CEO of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Pebble Technology Inc. since 2005, and was among the founders of the Pebble Tec brand dating to 1989.
The firm announced last month that Chief Financial Officer Darrell Eckstein would take on the additional role of president/chief executive. Eckstein joined Pebble Technology in 2006.
In addition, as part of the restructuring of top management, Bob Haning has been promoted to executive vice president, sales and marketing at PTI. Haning served for the past year as the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. He spent the previous 25 years with Jandy Pool Products and, more recently, Zodiac Pool Systems.
For his part, Jirovsky was taken aback by the decision to let him go.
“After 11 years as president I was, to say the least, shocked and hurt to hear recently that the Pebble Tec board decided to ‘make a change’ and terminate my employment,” Jirovsky wrote in a statement to Pool & Spa News.
He went on to praise the “many talented, passionate and wonderful people” he worked with throughout his tenure.
“I have … made many friends and fostered many business relationships that I pray will last a lifetime,” Jirovsky continued. “I will be forever proud of our accomplishments. … I am excited about the future of this industry as I move into the next phase of my life and career.”
Jirovsky remains linked to the company in more than just history: He is still a PTI shareholder, and his son, Stan, is a regional sales manager.
Across the country, reaction to Jirovsky’s departure among Pebble Tec customers was fairly consistent. In an industry where business relationships often begin with a handshake, Jirovsky was a prototype.
“It’s disappointing to lose a friend,” said Charlie Claffey, president of Claffey Pools, a Pool & Spa News Top Builder based in Dallas. “Terry’s one of the finest guys in this industry, and the words from his mouth are gospel.”
Despite a recent influx of competition to the aggregate finish market, his firm has utilized Pebble Tec exclusively for the past six years, Claffey added.
Indeed, while sentiment for Jirovsky clearly runs deep, loyalty to the product appears just as solid.
Perhaps Christopher Crosby best summed it up: “Terry was the ambassador and the face of Pebble Technology, as well as being a great friend,” said Crosby, co-owner of A&B Pool Services in Fort Worth, Texas. “But I think applicators and builders should take a deep breath, settle in and just see how it all shakes out.”
