Nestled in the heart of Waco, Texas, sits Lake Air
Pool Supply, a family-owned
pool and spa company that
has weathered many storms, both
literal and figurative, to stand as a pillar
in its community.
Founded in 1959 by Bob and Alice
Hollingsworth, Lake Air Pool Supply
initially started in pool construction.
However, a pivotal shift occurred in the
early 1980s when Charles and Annabelle
Schrader acquired the business, moving
it away from construction and into
pool service. Fast forward to 2006, and
Charlotte and David Jordan assumed
ownership, bringing the business closer
to where it is today.
“We got away from writing paper
tickets and working until after dark,”
says Katie Maze, a marketing specialist with Lake Air Pool Supply, “and worked
to modernize the business. We now
have a three-tiered business model —
a full retail store, the spa side of our
business, and we still offer pool service.
This has been a really great formula for
us because when one tier is down, the
others always seem to hold strong.”
Now on its fourth generation of
family ownership, Lake Air Pool Supply,
with 40 employees on payroll, remains
a close-knit group. This has helped
to foster a culture of dedication and
community, both cornerstones in
the company’s long-term success. As
Lake Air Pool Supply marks its 65th
anniversary, it has a lot to celebrate.
Here, we dive into some of the key
decision-making behind the successful
business.
Employees are often recognized when out and about, especially when wearing their LAPS gear.
Learning Lessons Around Growth
Something that has been lucrative in
growing sales for Lake Air Pool Supply
is not shying away from trying new
products. “We are not afraid to take calculated risks, and we are also not
afraid to fold our cards when we know
something’s not working,” says Maze.
In making those decisions, Maze
says, it comes down to teamwork and
communication. “It’s about cultivating
a team who cares and feels comfortable
coming forward with feedback. All of
our employees really know their stuff,
and they’re very passionate about being
good at what they do.”
Another key tool in helping to grow
revenue has been digital pricing. The
company said goodbye to printed
pricing a few years ago when costs were fluctuating like crazy.
Because it’s not lost on the team that
swimming pools and hot tubs are large
investments, they have a strategy to
avoid sticker shock.
“When we advertise what the cost
would be per month, the purchase
becomes a bit more palatable for
customers,” says Maze. “We can say,
‘This Freeflow spa would be $102 a
month,’ for example, or $86 a month,
wherever it comes to with financing.
That generates more interest than advertising the full dollar amount.”
“And when you advertise the price
per month it would be to add on
spa accessories, a cover, lifter, steps,
etc.,” adds Maze, “those accessories
suddenly become more affordable,
too.”
That’s not to say the company isn’t
transparent about the total cost. “When
customers think they can afford the
cost every month, that’s when we talk
about the bottom line and everything,”
says Maze, “along with standard
installation and delivery. This process
pretty much makes the sale for us
almost every time.”
They also recognize they can’t make
everyone happy. “We never want to
be a place where we give an answer
we can’t deliver on just for the sake of
making someone happy,” says Maze.
“We have a lot of hard conversations
with customers about not being able to
make a deal work. Those conversations
aren’t fun, but in the end, we found that
forming long-lasting relationships is by shooting it straight with them, and
hoping they’ll be back.”
The company partners with Watkins Wellness on both hot tubs and swim spas.
The Waco Community
When Maze moved to Waco 15
years ago, she notes the town was
significantly smaller than where it
stands now. “We are fortunate that
Waco has grown in population and
continues to grow, and new housing
construction often correlates with new
swimming pools,” she says.
While the community has gotten
larger, it still has a small-town feel. “So
it’s important to capitalize on those
small-town values, which are also
important to us, and be present in
our surrounding community. Whether
that’s in sponsoring No Limitations —
a special needs sporting organization
— or if it’s hosting a fun car show, or
going to networking events, or even
just having lunch with customers, being
entrenched and involved in the Waco
community has helped tremendously to
grow our business.”
The community has certainly been
tested more than ever these past five
years, throughout pandemic times
and during the Texas Freeze. “Ah, the
freeze,” says Maze. “That was a very
hard time for a lot of our customers.
After the world turned back on here
in Texas, when the roads thawed and
everything, we had probably 600 work
orders called in. I mean, it was just
insane the amount of people we were
having to go out and help.”
Lake Air Pool Supply closed its
doors for almost a week, due to
employee safety concerns, with nothing
but a skeleton crew to answer phone
calls. “A lot of people did not have any
power or water during that time,” says
Maze, “and we did not want employees
to drive. We still paid our employees in
the interim. And I hate to say it, but it
was a very profitable time period.”
As for the global pandemic, the
company was well-positioned to meet
Covid-level demand — due to a happy
mistake.
“It’s a funny story,” says Maze. “Our
spa department manager had placed
an order just before the pandemic hit,
a full truck of spas. Well, he fat fingered
the numbers, and accidentally doubled
the order, which gave us the inventory
from Watkins Wellness to sell during
that period where you really couldn’t
get anything. His mistake carried us
through the pandemic! It was one of
the best things that has ever happened
to us.”
The company continues to find
useful a number of new strategies implemented during the pandemic.
After being declared an essential
business, Lake Air Pool Supply started
to offer curbside delivery, for example.
“Customers would call in, explain what
they needed, and we would either
deliver the products to them, or they
would pick them up curbside. That’s
something that stuck around after
Covid,” says Maze.
She says the business also stopped
advertising discounts. “That may
sound weird, because that’s what has
driven our advertising for so long, but
we realized during the pandemic that
our customers’ mindset had shifted.
After going through something so
huge, we recognized when people
need our products and services, they’re
not necessarily worried about dollars
off. Instead, they’re asking, ‘How is
this going to add to my life? How is
this going to make my life easier, less
stressed and make me healthier?'”
As a result, their advertising shifted
toward focusing on health, wellness
and relaxation. “It’s been a very
lucrative advertising mindset to have,”
says Maze.
The company does host one sales
event, a two-day sidewalk sale, where
everything pool-related in the store
is 15% off. And in those two days
alone, Lake Air Pool Supply pulls in
approximately $250,000 to $300,000
in sales. “Because our customers know
we don’t give any discounts outside of
those two days, we have a line out the
door,” says Maze, “and we only extend
our store hours by one hour on that
Saturday. So our customers know that
if they want to get here, they better get
here.”
Owner Ryan Jordan, pictured here, transfered into majority ownership with his brother Cody Jordan in 2021.
Now and Future
To commemorate Lake Air Pool
Supply’s 65th anniversary, the company
has a number of celebrations lined up
and is incredibly excited to celebrate
both its roots and what’s ahead.
“We are seeing growth every
year from keeping our nose to the
grindstone and working really hard,
crunching numbers every day,” says
Maze. “It’s nice to acknowledge the
company’s journey. It’s a testament to
dedication, innovation, and adaptability
in an ever-evolving industry.”
This article first appeared in the June 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
