The man who turned Blue Haven Pools into one of the largest pool builders in the country, Al Eisman passed away May 22, just shy of his 92nd birthday.
He grew the company into something doubly rare in this industry — a pool builder that operated nationally, and one espousing the franchise model. In this capacity, he is credited with helping untold numbers of franchisees to evolve into entrepreneurs.
True Believer
A native of St. Louis, and then a California transplant, Eisman entered the industry in the 1960s, when he became involved with a builder called Sunset Pools.
He ultimately purchased the contractor from the holding company that owned it and grew it into the third-largest builder at the time.
In 1980, after he sold Sunset, that same holding firm approached him about purchasing Blue Haven, then an outfit with just a handful of corporate-owned offices. By applying the franchising model that had shown success at Sunset Pools, he expanded the company into one of the most prominent in the country.
While franchising is finally cementing its place in this industry, Eisman was a believer 50 years ago, says Steve Treese, president of Blue Haven National Management, who first began working with Eisman in the 1970s.
“Nobody had really tried to franchise pool companies before on a grand scale like Al did,” Treese says. “He believed that self-employed people will be more successful because of the risk-reward factor than an employee [at a company-owned store].”
Much of his success establishing the Blue Haven franchise had to do with his instincts about people, says Treese: “He was really good at finding qualified people and helping them put themselves in business. He was looking for the entrepreneur type — someone willing to take the risk for the reward.”
These individuals would receive training and initial financial help so that, even if they didn’t start in a financial position to own a franchise, they eventually would get there.
Additionally, Eisman and Blue Haven worked to stay ahead of new technologies, being among the first adopters of such products as automatic pool cleaners, salt chlorinators, fiberoptic lighting and even solar heat in order to help distinguish franchisees from their competitors, Treese says.
Finally, Treese credits Eisman with knowing early on the importance of connecting customers with financing.
Franchisees and employees alike appreciated not only Eisman’s material help, but his character as well, Treese says.
“Al was loyal almost to a fault,” he says. “He would support you in whatever way he could ... And in the 50-something years that I worked with Al, I don’t think I ever heard him raise his voice — he was always the calm in the middle of the storm.”
Eisman partially retired in 2007, then completely transitioned in 2013. But he never fully walked away from the company.
“He was always on the phone with me, at least a half dozen times during the week,” Treese says. “Every month he wanted to see the dig report, he wanted to know how many pools we dug nationwide, and he’d still come up with suggestions for different marketing [approaches] that we might try.”
Eisman did make time for his other passion, racing horses, seeing two of his thoroughbreds go to the Kentucky Derby.
