by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Shane Geiger knocks on doors.
R.D. Gray is a firefighter first.
Joe Watson has been forced into the service side of the industry.
Despite the fact there are about 1 million pools in Northeast Florida, virtually everyone associated with the business has adapted to the recession and its effect on pool construction, renovations and even maintenance.
“It’s picking up a little, but it’s still very, very slow,” said Watson, owner of Fantasy Pools of North Florida Inc. in Fleming Island.
Watson has been in the pool business for a decade, most of which was spent doing new construction. When that came to a crawl, he had to offer more or go out of business.
“I have branched out into service,” he said, adding he’s down to a staff of two. “Renovations used to be part of my bread and butter. I still get a couple of calls a month, but it’s nothing like it was a couple of years ago. The economy has forced me into servicing pools.”
Geiger spent five years in the air-conditioning business, but found there wasn’t much money in it. He then jumped into pool renovations.
“I made the switch and kept going,” said Geiger, president of Neptune Pool & Spa in Neptune Beach. “In the pool industry, you are not dealing with everybody under the sun. You are dealing with people who have average to above-average income.”
For the most part, Geiger works on his own. Many jobs involve draining an existing pool and doing repair work. He’s a licensed contractor and often hires subcontractors for bigger jobs. He relies primarily on word-of-mouth advertising and referrals. When things became really tough, Geiger went back to basics to drum up business.
“From 2008 to 2009, there was not that much out there,” he said. “I am a contractor and sometimes had to go back to being a subcontractor. I would beat on doors and talk to people. I had to change my game and find my niche.”
Gray is a 20-year member of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The department operates on three shifts, meaning Gray works 24 hours and has the next 48 off. Many firefighters have additional jobs to battle boredom and make extra money. Gray dabbled in real estate and home renovations for several years before starting Island Pools in Atlantic Beach five years ago.
“I built my own pool and contracted it myself,” he said.
Eventually, friends asked him to help with their pools and even build from scratch.
“It’s interesting and it’s perfect for my schedule,” said Gray, who oversees his projects while using subcontractors for a majority of the work. “The way I use subs, I am not physically there. I do not dig the holes. I act as the contractor for each phase. Whether I am at the station or not, I can get the job done.”
Gray said he has seven jobs in the pipeline. He said business has been good and he attributes that to several things.
“I offer a fair price, do a good job and I answer my phone,” he said.
When Geiger isn’t working on a pool by himself, he works for a handful of local commercial builders.
“My subcontracting keeps me busy between big jobs like this,” said Geiger, who spent most of the past two weeks working on the 76,000-gallon pool at The Reserve at James Place off Gate Parkway. “I do all the work myself expect for the plaster. I have done two pools since last Tuesday, one Friday and one Sunday. I want to keep my contractors happy.”
They’ve noticed another trend. Because of the recession, residential pool owners want to maintain and treat their pools themselves. If done properly and the owners learn how to moderate the chemicals in the pool, they can save money. If not, trouble isn’t far away.
“If the owner drains a pool and the crown pops out, then it’s about $20,000 to $30,000 to fix. It’s about $1,000 if you get me to do it,” said Watson. “It’s an expensive lesson.”
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