Another high-profile pool/spa service executive has taken the consolidation route.
Recently, industry veteran and leader Javier Payan sold his San Diego-based company, Payan Pools, to a consolidator focused on California and the surrounding states.
California Pool Partners, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay-adjacent San Mateo, Calif., began in 2024 when a trio of friends from the tech industry purchased a small operation and learned from the owner how to service pools and run the business side. After growing AC Pools by acquiring approximately a dozen service routes, the partners decided to begin a consolidation platform.
The founders originally planned to own one large company, but changed course after speaking with other industry professionals seeking an exit strategy, said Evan Ferl, a co-founder with Eric Johnston and Mark Doody.
“As we heard these stories, we said, ‘Let’s figure out how to build a structure to involve multiple owners, multiple high-integrity partners… and really create something that is bigger together than the sum of our parts,” Ferl explained.
This transaction with Payan Pools makes its first acquisition, meant to expand its footprint in the Golden State and serve as a hub in the San Diego area.
While Payan will no longer lead the operation, he will remain part-time on an indefinite basis to serve in various capacities.
Payan Pools will retain its branding, with California Pool Partners serving as the holding company for the various brands that accumulate. Not all who sell their companies to California Pool Partners will necessarily take the same route as Payan. Others may remain as general managers of their locations, while others may exit the company after a short transition period.
“We’re not one-size-fits-all,” Ferl said.
The company is financed and owned by the founders and individuals close to them, said Ferl, adding that they decided against partnering with a private equity firm.
Payan started his company as a teenager 39 years ago. He has made a name for himself within the industry through his active participation in organizations such as the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA) and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA). He was instrumental in launching the San Diego chapter of PHTA and serves as treasurer and CFO of the Pool & Spa Apprenticeship and Training Committee (PSATC), which runs an apprenticeship program for pool/spa service technicians.
While this marks a new chapter in the service company he founded, Payan has already begun two new business ventures. He began a consulting business, Payan Pool Service Inc., that performs services such as forensic plaster evaluations. Another new company, Plunge Pools West, installs prefabricated plunge pools in the San Diego area.
This marks the second California-based consolidator to announce such a high-profile purchase within a matter of weeks. Recently, another well-regarded service company owner and industry leader on the other side of the state, David Hawes, announced the sale of his company, H&H Pool Services, to Cabana, a consolidator based in California but with ambitions to spread across the country.
