This year, we asked the principals of each Top 50 company to share their business insights and tackle a tough industry issue. We asked them: What was the best business decision you made in the past year? What has been the key for your company in managing the labor shortage? Which of your company policies has been most conducive to company growth? Here, 10 of them, listed according to their Top 50 ranking, share their strategies.
2. Keith Zars, Keith Zars Pools
The best business decision I made in 2018 was the implementation of our new online construction scheduling program. Our superintendents and sales team can access in real time every phase of each job under construction. This accessibility became critical when record rains hit in early fall and persisted for weeks, delaying start times for construction. We were able to guide customers effectively on timelines, when the next phases of construction were scheduled to begin, and could follow up as each phase was completed.
4. Jeremy Smith, California Pools & Landscape
We focused our development team on creating the MyCPL customer portal to serve our clients better using technology. This app provides our customers with customized information for each project. Customers can download their contract documents, plans, view project specific construction schedules, receive broadcast alerts relevant to all jobs, see project balances and make payments all through a convenient app. It frees up our team to work on building meaningful relationships with each customer.
6. Keith Harbeck, Premier Pools and Spas of Sacramento & Central Valley
We changed our company management structure to a team management system. We created positions that oversee all phases of our business from beginning to end, including an individual focused on the customer experience after construction is completed. This person ensures that we are working to improve our relationship with our customers as they go through life using and enjoying our product. It has allowed us to focus on all aspects of the business and ensure day-to-day operations are being completed fully and efficiently.
8. Charles Barnes, Riverbend Sandler Pools
We expanded and completely modernized our building and added to our pool showroom. The indoor, climate-controlled, 5,500-square-foot “Dream Center” has ten interactive video wall stations that include 3-D construction models, Planar 5-by-8-foot video walls (playing over 60 videos covering pool construction), one 10-by-20-foot video wall, a Water Wall to demonstrate pool hydraulics, two indoor pools with almost 40 computer-controlled water features using 16 pumps and a night simulator for 30 LED light displays, and several outdoor living (arbor, kitchens) displays.
20. Michael A. Giovanone, Concord Pools & Spas
One company policy instrumental to our growth is that we offer an exceptional "experience” to our clients. We want our customers to remember the process, not the price. When you deliver an exceptional “experience” to a consumer, price and product become secondary.
30. Taylor Hamlin, Hamlin Pools
Our best recent decision was to pay down our debt from purchasing the company at twice the pace required. Doing so has allowed us to be in a great position going into this year's busy season. In addition, we've implemented two policies that have aided in our growth. Our service department has required a credit card for any work order or service call before we will go. This has drastically reduced our past-dues to negligible amounts, resulting in a far more profitable department. In our construction department, we collect our final payment prior to plaster.
34. David Hobaica, Easton Pool & Spa
One of the many challenges is finding and hiring highly skilled workers. When we do find a good one, we work hard to keep them happy. But sometimes we become so reliant on them and they have become so good at their specific job that we would be severely challenged to replace them if they left the company or became hurt. This year we have identified several "single points of failure" that exist in our firm and we are working hard to reduce our exposure in these areas.
45. Matt Gohlke, Gohlke Pools
The key for us in managing the labor shortage is by really focusing on being a better place to work — this has led to our employee retention improving dramatically and when we do have an open position, we have quite a few applicants. We have done our best to create a workplace culture that people want to be a part of. We offer Financial Peace University, a money management course; we have a full time mechanic who takes care of our vehicles, providing oil changes and auto repairs to our staff at cost; and we offer free haircuts for staff members.
39. Hank Thompson, Cascade Custom Pools
We have recruited some very experienced, knowledgeable employees this past year by compensating them well and including them in a profit sharing program tailored to their performance in their respective positions. We have retained our long time employees by listening and implementing their ideas, as well as, encouraging and paying for their continuing education. After a certain amount of tenure, there is an option for Cascade to built their personal pool at cost. In a nutshell, we treat them like part of the family.
50. Gina da Roza, Rising Sun Pools & Spas
We empower our sales staff and managers to customize discounts and incentives for customers. This allows them to help personalize a contract to fit the needs, budget and wants of the customer. We put parameters in place, maximum discounts or added value packages, and then let them decide which approach would work best for each customer. This has allowed the sales staff to close more sales achieving a 35% closing ratio.
