A multi-faceted backyard oasis company with a drive for excellence

by brittney_cutler_2 | September 2, 2021 9:58 am

By Jason Cramp 

Pool Craft was established in 1974 and developed into a thriving service company. In 2007, Jason Mitchell, who grew up in the industry collecting over 20 years’ experience on the retail and business management side, partnered with Jim Perkins, a meticulous builder with more than 25 years of experience in steel and vinyl pool installations. Together, they purchased Pool Craft and built up the brand to what it is today.

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The shop, an award-winning turn-key steel and vinyl pool builder, prides itself in specializing in design, custom pool installation, landscaping, carpentry, renovation, and project management. The shop’s landscaping projects are overseen by its Stone Craft division and carpentry by its Timber Craft division. The company’s service division handles more than 1000 pools annually, and its retail location is just about to launch an e-commerce platform.

Pool & Spa Marketing recently spoke with Pool Crafts’ co-owner, Jason Mitchell, to learn more about their shop’s culture, some recent projects, and the future of the business.

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Pool & Spa Marketing (PSM): What makes your company unique?

Jason Mitchell (JM): Our company is built on quality, integrity, and having a true passion for what we do. We are a diversly skilled team of award-winning designers, installers, and managers who take a creative, progressive approach to everything we do.

Our focus has always been—and continues to be—building and maintaining long-term relationships with our customers by providing next-level service, communication, and experiences. Our follow up and project management practices has built us an extremely strong referral business.

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We also continue to attract great talent. We have a loyal team that has been with the company for a long time, giving 110 per cent. They have become part of our brand, and we appreciate them.

These are some of the details that not only separate us from our competition but also make us unique. We take pride in our craft and love what we do.

PSM: How large is the shop?

JM: Our team is made up of 50 full-time and part-time employees. We currently occupy three locations with more than 557 m² (6000 sf) of office and retail space, as well as approximately 4 ha (10 acres) of land. Currently, we are operating three construction divisions: Pool Craft; Stone Craft; and Timber Craft. We also have a successful service division and a growing retail department.

PSM: What type of work is your shop primarily involved in?

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JM: Pool Craft specializes in installing custom inground steel and vinyl-lined pools as the focal point of our customer’s backyard design. Revitalizing aged pools—both vinyl and concrete—is also a forte of ours.

PSM: What type of projects have you been working on recently?

JM: Over the last five to eight years, vinyl and steel pools have evolved in complexity and 90 per cent of our pools have vinyl over steel elements such as in-pool steps, benches, sun ledges, or custom spas.

Our construction divisions function as stand-alone companies, but we find ourselves performing a complete backyard design for our clients most of the time. As a result, depending on the project, this includes new pool construction, landscaping, and carpentry. It is extremely advantageous to the overall quality and execution of a project when working with a company where all divisions are working in harmony. Pool Craft along with our in-house landscape and carpentry companies are equipped to handle all aspects of our customers’ backyard projects.

PSM: What tools/equipment do you currently use to complete your projects?

JM: Our company relies on many things to ensure a thorough and seamless experience. Internally, we rely heavily on software to keep the communication current. A few years ago, we invested in a customer relationship management (CRM) program which allows us to track every part of the consumer funnel and various stages at each project. This has been a game changer for us. This tool is the key to our success in communication, project management, and tracking on the construction side.

Computer-aided design (CAD) software is something we have always employed, and it is constantly evolving. This blueprint is crucial to keep expectations and client communication clear and on point.

Our point of sale (POS) system and chemical testing software are also

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fundamental in our day-to-day operations.

On the construction side of the business, we are self-sufficient as we own and operate our own machinery and fleet. This includes dump trucks, excavators, trailers, bobcats etc. We also own a fleet of service vehicles that are fully equipped to maintain pools for existing clients.

PSM: What does your planning and design process involve?

JM: Typically, a client will secure an installation date with us at some point during the design process and together we determine the finer details as we approach the final stages of the design. We explain to our customers an effective landscape design incorporates the functionality of the space, the environmental factors, and the local municipal bylaws, all while working with their personal style and vision.

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Next, our experienced designers meet the client on-site to capture their canvas. This is where municipal bylaws, property grade and slope, etc., must be considered to ensure the feasibility of the project. An understanding of pool hydraulics, various options, and any restrictions are vital in the early stages of the design as planning and accuracy are imperative for a project to be successful. Otherwise, the client will be set up for disappointment.

Once the design is in place, the grading plan is submitted to the town and permits are obtained. Our construction teams take over from here. The site is staked out, all utility lines are located and marked, and the finishes are finalized. At this stage, we are preparing to start the project and work through any outstanding details.

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PSM: How is technology changing your business?

JM: Technology is everywhere, and if you fail to incorporate it in your marketing approach, there is business to be lost. That said, online has been a huge win for us in terms of where we generate a lot of our leads. We rely heavily on our website and social media at the top of our marketing funnel. Therefore, to remain current, fresh, and on trend, we invest heavily in this space.

We go back to digital at the end of our marketing funnel, too, because reviews and testimonials are primarily online. Consumers have a lot of power with their voice; therefore, we nurture this feedback by being extremely responsive.

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We also use digital software to stay in touch with our clients. This platform helps us maintain open communication and stay relevant. Our gradual shift from paper marketing to online has been dramatic over the last 18 months. We still produce a print brochure, but our client presentations are primarily digital at this point.

The technological advances that have been made on the manufacturing side have increased the value of our finished product. A basic pool has jumped in value (COVID-19 price increases aside) approximately 30 per cent with the innovations in steel and hydraulics.

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However, the developments in e-commerce have impacted our margins on the retail side. Despite being late to the game, we are currently working on an e-commerce platform to capture those consumers who are also looking for convenience while shopping for their pool and other backyard leisure products.

PSM: What is the key to staying successful in this industry?

JM: The key to our success is centred on five core values.

1. Strong relationships—both with vendors and clients.

2. Having a good team. We are nothing without good people who are committed. So, it is important to treat them well.

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3. Quality. Relationships and personality may win a sale but producing quality work and providing quality products will keep clients happy. Word of mouth can make or break a company’s reputation.

4. Communication. Talk, talk, talk… and then talk some more.

5. Resiliency. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that you must be resilient in business and expect the unexpected.

PSM: What are the plans for your business?

JM: Our focus moving forward is how to thrive post-COVID. We need to ensure we manage the influx of business in a way that is sustainable.

PSM: How has the pandemic affected your business operations? How has the shop coped through the various stages of the lockdowns?

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JM: We were extremely fortunate the Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada (PHTCC) lobbied for our industry, deeming us an essential service. This designation allowed us to continue to work.

The first wave hit in our off-season, so we had time to modify our practices, equip our team with personal protective equipment (PPE), and adjust some policies. Most of our business had yet to pick up.

We closed our retail location and switched to curbside pickup. Since we did not have e-commerce in place at this time our retail arm was the only part of our business that was negatively impacted. In the early stages, and throughout the pandemic, we were concerned about the spread of COVID-19, the safety of staff and customers and, therefore, we took the necessary steps of limiting contact with people. Thankfully, our clients proved to be very loyal, and they adapted with us.

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As each wave of COVID-19 wore on, and people were home starring at their pool covers, pool openings started much sooner then they would have during a typical season. Our fleet was large enough that travelling individually was not an issue and our clients respected our personal space. We adapted and maintained the adjusted practices throughout both waves.

With the influx of business, the pandemic has brought our industry, we decided to keep our retail store closed to walk-in business and reallocated staff responsibilities to managing the headaches that came with COVID-19—supply and demand. Tracking down product turned into a full-time job and three-to-four times the effort in a normal year.

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Overall COVID-19 forced us to re-evaluate certain aspects of our business and streamline some processes, but we were fortunate, nonetheless.

PSM: How has the shop adapted to the surge in homeowners looking to create a backyard staycation? What is being done differently now in terms of shop operations to handle the increased number of projects compared to pre-pandemic?

JM: We hired additional staff to break up responsibilities and keep our team strong. We also moved our leads to our CRM platform for easier tracking and focused on our response time.

These measures proved to be extremely important as we sold out for 2021 months before we would in a “normal” season. Once consumers got wind of this, many started to put deposits down just to reserve a space, without even knowing what they wanted. It has been crazy to say the least, and 2022 sales continue to be strong.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/a-multi-faceted-backyard-leisure-scape-company-with-a-drive-for-excellence/

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