Pool Scouts, the Virginia Beach, Va.-based pool/spa service franchiser, has a new person at the helm.
With the departure of founding President Michael Wagner, the company has recruited David Mele to take that slot.
Mele brings 20 years of experience in business leadership, with an emphasis on digital marketing. He most recently served as president of the home search website Homes.com. In nearly a decade heading the company, Mele said, he saw it go from receiving approximately 6 million unique visitors per month to more than 100 million in the same time period.
His digital-marketing experience comes from his time working for a regional media company, whose services included building digital marketing programs for local businesses, as well as his time with newspaper The Virginian Pilot, first as digital marketing manager, then publisher.
“What I’ve really been doing for the last couple of decades is building and growing businesses, particularly through the use of digital marketing and digital media,” he said.
He expects this expertise to serve Pool Scouts franchisees well as the company helps them grow their locations.
“One of the key things that we help our franchisees with is marketing and helping them grow their business through customer acquisition and consumer outreach,” Mele explains. “And that’s one of the things that I bring a lot of experience to the table with, that I’m eager to help leverage so that we can continue to grow the customer base for Pool Scouts.”
Mele will work from Virginia Beach, where parent company Buzz Franchise Brands, is headquartered.
The company holds a presence in 18 states, with a total of 89 franchises sold among 42 franchisees. Currently, 74 of those locations are operating.
Pool Scouts plans to focus on further growth, more than likely taking place next year. It plans continued expansion in the sunbelt, particularly the South and Southwest. But it also expects to target the Northeast, where it currently just has a toe hold.
“We would really like to continue to expand in the Northeast, and particularly the Tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,” he said. “We have very low penetration right now. There’s a large population, a large inventory of pools, and a lot of demand for pool service. There’s plenty of untapped potential.”
In addition to growing geographically, the company continues an initiative it began in 2023, working to increase revenue per location by providing new services, such as renovation, cover installation, vinyl-liner replacements and even construction.
Wagner served as president of Pool Scouts for nine years. During his tenure, the company grew to a $24-million per year operation.
