Bradley Eaves
CEO
Pools by Bradley
Sanford, Fla.
Even in tough times, we’ve always tried to look for the silver lining. In today’s climate, that means expansion. Some may think that now is the wrong time, but this fear only makes matters worse — where projects stall and money grows tighter.
Fortunately, we had some really fantastic years prior to the downturn that helped finance a new building.
We’re currently putting the finishing touches on this facility that broke ground in September. The 5,800-square-foot building in Sanford, Fla., houses several design and sales consultants.
Inside and out, it carries an island theme reminiscent of vacation spots in the Florida Keys or the Gulf of Mexico.
The exterior features a porch with galvanized tin roof, craftsman columns and large, painted Bahamas-style shutters. The interior is done in shades of terra cotta, yellow, aqua and green.
Each design office resembles a small storefront, complete with grass-style awnings, or tin or shingled “roofs.”
At the new building, the lobby features a faux swimming pool, surrounded by a painted deck on the ceiling. The walls are lined with past awards and honors, and Adirondack chairs and upbeat music create a comfortable environment for customers awaiting a sales or design consultation.
Playing off the themes of water and sunshine, we acid-stained the concrete floor a beautiful blue.
A special gallery wall with spotlights showcases professional photos of some of our top projects. We even hired a helicopter to capture bird’s-eye shots of a few pools.
In fact, we’ve begun using some of these photos on our direct mailers. And rather than the standard 4-by-6-inch postcard, we went with an oversized 5-by-7-inch card. Each piece features a show-stopper pool with a catchy tagline.
It’s a very clean look, and we believe the bigger cards stand out from the rest of the mail.
We get walk-ins all the time now, many of whom are drawn to the colorful exterior. And it’s created a great working environment for our employees. People really look forward to coming to work.
We believe that by moving ahead, we’ll be ready with a fresh face on our business once the market rebounds.
