Brand President
America's Swimming Pool Co.
America’s Swimming Pool Company, the longtime pool/spa service franchiser based in Macon, Ga., has entered the construction segment of the industry.
The firm has performed renovations for a long time, with some locations even have building new pools and spas since its beginnings. Now America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) seeks to expand on the construction capabilities, in large part responding to demand that began during the pandemic.
“Though that demand has slowed a bit, just because of interest rates, there’s still a great need for pool construction – and the calls we receive are still reflective of that,” said ASP Brand President Jimmie Meece. “So I think the opportunity is there, and our hope is to make the barrier to entry less complicated for our owners.”
Director of Renovation and Construction
America's Swimming Pool Co.
So far, approximately 26 of ASP’s 134 locations perform construction of new inground pools, most of these operations in the southeast. With a new Director of Renovation and Construction in place and extra support staff to come, the company has set the ambitious goal of establishing construction operations in one-third of its locations by the end of 2024.
“We plan to continue to scale that over the next five years to where the majority of our franchisees are providing pool construction in our markets,” Meece added.
Shaun Hurley, a former franchisee whose location performed construction, now oversees the construction division.
The format of pool built by any particular location will depend on market demand and the trades available locally, Meece said. While, shotcrete, vinyl and fiberglass are all on the table for consideration, Meece expects fiberglass to play a significant role throughout the company because of its quicker timelines and less complicated installation process.
At most locations, ASP will perform the sales and project management, while hiring subcontractors to perform the stages.
In addition to using its Macon, Ga. headquarters for training, the company is working with vendors to provide additional instruction, Meece added. ASP also plans to beef up the educational content on its online training channel to include construction content.
ASP’s current 134 locations serve nearly 400 towns and cities. The franchiser projects approximately 150 locations will be established by the end of 2024.
In 2018, ASP was purchased by Authority Brands, a Columbia, Md. firm that owns franchises across a number of industries. Meece was named Brand President in charge of ASP at the beginning of the year. At that time, ASP Founder and former CEO Stewart Vernon took a higher role in the parent company. He now serves as Executive Vice President of Authority Brands, overseeing the development of newer franchises within Authority’s portfolio.
