Bob’s Pools and Screens – Casselberry, Florida, USA

August 29, 2024

Bob’s Pools and Screens

Captains of Premier Pool Building

Technological advancements and partner-based operations build success in Central Florida

Headquartered in Casselberry, Florida, Bob’s Pools and Screens has thrived over the years thanks to its service-centric values and well-managed operational structure.

The company’s strategy largely relies on planning that anticipates market shifts and customer needs.

Additionally, integrating cutting-edge technology into the operation has streamlined operations and enhanced the company’s overall customer experience, setting it apart in the competitive landscape.

Bob’s Pools and Screens’ supportive workplace culture empowers its dedicated team through clear communication and ongoing opportunities for personal and professional growth.

By focusing on creating a workforce that feels valued and motivated, the company ensures consistent delivery of high-quality service that exceeds customer expectations.

As it continues to expand, the company’s strategy revolves around community engagement and customer satisfaction.

Bob’s already has an established legacy of trust and reliability, and it aims to deepen its relationship with local homeowners and home builders alike.

By expanding its service offerings and maintaining a focus on safety and eco-friendliness, over the years, Bob’s Pools and Screens has become a recognized authority in pool construction and service.

Success for Bob’s Pools and Screens means not only achieving financial milestones but also enriching the lives of our customers, employees, and community.

It’s about creating beautiful, functional spaces that bring joy and relaxation, all while upholding the core values of integrity, innovation, and superior craftsmanship.

Building a Family-Founded Legacy

Founded by Robert Wendorf in 1974, Bob’s Pools began with a visionary leap of faith. Armed with his inheritance and a drive for success, Robert acquired the soon-to-be iconic Tropicana Pools building in Orlando, Florida, transforming it into Bob’s Pools.

Initially focusing on renovations and full-service pool installations, the company soon secured a pivotal contract with Ryland Homes, propelling it into the realm of home builder partnerships and expanding its influence in the industry.

However, in the early 2000s, adversity struck with the aftermath of hurricanes and the loss of the company’s screen building division due to employee departures.

While this was a loss, it also presented an opportunity for growth.

Undeterred, Robert’s son and current owner, Eric Wendorf built an entirely new screen company division which was then re-integrated back into the company, after which it was aptly named Bob’s Pools and Screens.

Wendorf, alongside his wife, took the reins in 2009 amidst a housing market downturn. Despite the rough economic conditions, Bob’s Pools and Screens not only persevered but soared during a time when other companies in its market struggled to stay afloat. The growth of the company has also been attributed to the extreme dedication of Elyse Dorr who has been instrumental in many of her efforts within the company.

“So my wife and I, during our first year of business owning it all by ourselves, took the company from $3 million to about $18 million from 2009 to 2018,” Wendorf explains.

The immense development gave the company the ability to speed up its production timelines without having to compromise on quality.

Wendorf and his wife refocused efforts on recovering from the reduction in pool contracts caused by the economic headwinds of the time.

By 2018, the company had done so well that it had begun acquiring more strategic partnerships allowing it to secure larger and larger accounts.

The most notable of these accounts was undoubtedly the contract secured with the Lennar Corporation, which gave the company the daunting yet lucrative task of constructing 600 swimming pools.

Thanks to the Lennar account, the company catapulted to $60 million in revenue by 2020, further adding to the momentum it had been gaining in the years prior.

Fortunately, that motion wasn’t deterred by even the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the company’s reliable distribution practices and partnerships.

Integrating Technology and Accountable Operations

The key to Bob’s Pools and Screens’ success lies in two factors that both play a pivotal role: innovative technology and engaged employees.

Much of the company’s operations — from its processes to its finished pools and products — seamlessly incorporate advanced software.

Two of the main software the company uses are ProEdge Build and iAqualink, which work together to handle the bulk of the pre and post-build operations for their pools.

ProEdge Build, a scheduling software, handles pre-build planning and intra-build tracking.

It allows employees to track leads through the sales process, accurately predict job costs, and facilitate communication between clients and designers, as well as many other uses.

iAqualink, on the other hand, manages all automated pool functions, tracks chlorine or salt level regulation, and can even remotely control and customize the pool’s lighting. As Wendorf explains, it provides “total pool control and maintenance.”

These two programs collaborating are responsible for a large portion of the company’s enhanced operational efficiency and customer experience.

However, it’s not just technology that creates the customer experience; collaborating with other companies is also a necessary part of the strategy.

Central to Bob’s Pools and Screens’ success is a robust vendor network.

“These are long-term vendors, vendors that have worked with us for 15 to 20 years, and we even have vendors that have worked with us for over 30 years,” Wendorf says.

Among these long-lived partnerships, the most substantial relationship has to be with Pool Corp. which has provided Bob’s Pools and Screens with seamless supply chain management for over three decades.

Thanks to practices in early communication and strategic foresight with supplies, Pool Corp.’s presence has minimized logistical hiccups and greatly enhanced the company’s overall reliability and customer satisfaction.

The greatest thing that can be said about how Bob’s Pools and Screens maintains its network is that it’s largely reciprocal and collaborative.

The company’s vendor network is so long-lived simply due to its sheer professionalism and the experience it provides to even its vendors.

“It’s about creating a process in which everyone can communicate and see what’s upcoming,” Wendorf says, clarifying that everyone from clients to builders to designers to vendors can access and are encouraged to actively leverage the advanced software used to run the entire operation.

By doing this, Bob’s Pools and Screens can streamline its sales phase while seamlessly integrating it into its delivery and maintenance phases.

In this way, a purchase with Bob’s Pools and Screens becomes more of an experience where all parties are involved, informed, and accountable.

Community and Employee Engagement Set the Foundation for the Future

At its core, Bob’s Pools fosters a culture of mutual respect and growth. Employee engagement is prioritized through regular communication, team-building events, and opportunities for career advancement.

“We’re very family-run, we get together a lot. I would say we have at least four or five company events each year where we all get together,” Wendorf says, explaining how these meetings present valuable opportunities to connect, communicate gaps, and refine the company’s overall culture and process.

This inclusive approach not only enhances workplace morale but also fuels innovation and operational excellence.

At the end of the day, however, the guiding principles of the Bob’s Pools and Screens operation are foresight and service.

Bob’s Pools emphasizes customer-centric service and community engagement. With a strong foothold in residential, commercial, and vacation rental markets, the company continues to innovate, eyeing expansion into new territories and potential acquisitions to sustain its growth trajectory.

Additionally, the company is even exploring AI technology to enhance the accuracy of its marketing ad campaigns.

It’s doing this in tandem with the more traditional marketing methods like radio, using that as more of a branding tool for the company’s image and reputation.

Beyond business success, Bob’s Pools is also enhancing its safety and sustainability initiatives.

From low-voltage pool lights to safety covers for drains, the company is showing through action that the customer experience is still its top priority even after the sale.

The local community also enjoys the additional benefit of free swim lessons the company offers to promote the community’s well-being.

As a bonus, these lessons also subconsciously promote safe pool practices, pool ownership, and environmental awareness and responsibility.

Bob’s Pools and Screens exemplifies resilience, innovation, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

With a storied history of overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities, the company stands poised for continued growth and leadership in the competitive pool and screen-building industry.

The company’s greatest advantage lies in its longevity and consistency; as an organization, it knows and has done more than most within the industry, which is its strongest differentiator.

“You will know when you come into Bob’s Pools, compared to walking into a different pool company — the way you feel when you walk into our building is different than when you walk into another company. We create that feeling with over 50 years of knowing how to treat customers and give them the experience they want,” Wendorf proudly states.

The industry may evolve, but some companies will fortunately always be the same.

As it looks towards the future, Bob’s Pools remains dedicated to exceeding customer expectations and shaping the landscape of aquatic leisure with cutting-edge solutions and timeless values.