Claffey Pools

Builders of a New Industry Standard

 

Organizational expansion and unmatched service create a blueprint for success

In the scenic city of Southlake, Texas, a company named Claffey Pools has shown an incredible ability to navigate and conquer even the most challenging market conditions.

This company’s strategic focus on robust expansion and development strategy came to light following the COVID-19  pandemic, where, unlike many others, Claffey Pools came out stronger than ever.

As a family-owned business, establishing a strong brand identity that communicates reliability, quality, and exceptional service is equally important.

So, part of the company’s larger expansion strategy involves cultivating a more engaging online presence to complement its already stellar reputation.

As Claffey Pools expands, efficiency and quality control remain paramount.

The company maintains a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce, providing ongoing training, and ensuring that all staff are equipped with the latest tools and certifications.

The company’s unmatched relationship management has resulted in a customer-centric culture where clients feel valued and heard, fostering immense loyalty and repeat business.

This includes offering personalized services, prompt responses to inquiries, and a seamless customer experience from initial consultation to project completion and ongoing maintenance.

For Claffey Pools, the goal is to become the only place their customers turn to when they’re in need, and based on its robust portfolio of beautifully crafted pools, it is well on its way to achieving that.

Expanding Beyond the Family Vision

Paul Claffey, the founder of Claffey Pools, originally hailed from Wisconsin. As a mason by trade, he faced the challenges of cold winters, which limited his work opportunities.

Seeking better prospects, Paul moved his family to Texas, where he continued his work as a stonemason for several years before deciding to start his own company in 1987.

As it began growing, running the business became a unified family effort. His youngest son, Brian, worked in the field. Meanwhile, his daughter, Shelly, assisted with administrative tasks.

The eldest sibling, Charlie, who had just graduated from Texas Wesleyan with a finance degree, brought a vision of growth and corporate structure to the company.

Together, the family’s unique skills and shared values created a strong foundation for Claffey Pools, and over time, Paul’s children bought him out of the company as part of a 10-year succession plan.

That leaves us with the current Claffey Pools, which has seen some positive changes over the years.

The company initially focused on constructing inground gunite swimming pools and spas, which remained their primary business for many years.

Over time, the company expanded its services to include outdoor living projects, like building cabanas and even entirely new departments.

Claffey Pools currently boasts an impressive list of departments it has opened over the years, including a separate remodeling, service, warranty, and most recently, a weekly cleaning and maintenance department.

“We have full maintenance, but we used to subcontract that out, and now we’re a lifetime partner to our customers. A lifetime company from the building of the pool to service, warranty, and then as they need to remodel,” says Owner Shelly Claffey.

Claffey Pools also operates a retail store selling pool chemicals, toys, and furniture.

Departmental diversification has proven to be the golden strategy for Claffey Pools, as it has allowed the company to tap into new sources of revenue while further cultivating its overall brand reputation.

Adaptability as the Corporate Advantage

Like many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for Claffey Pools. Texas experienced a major supply chain freeze during the pandemic, which caused a major pile-up for the company.

“We estimated we replaced $3.5 million in pool-related products over a 100-mile radius for 1100 of our customers in 10 weeks,” Claffey explains, noting how the company had been flooded with over 1000 requests in just the first three days of the freeze.

While conditions like this would spell certain doom for the average company, Claffey Pools managed to turn this natural disaster into a success story.

Thanks to a bit of foresight and decisive action, the company went into the pandemic-induced freeze with a surplus of parts, tools, and everything else they needed to do business.

“We called every local distributor we use, our manufacturers, and we secured every bit of possible equipment we could buy before anybody else even thought about it,” Claffey explains, thanking her brother Charlie for proposing the countermeasure.

The company also implemented an online communication portal to help update customers and provide them with easy-to-follow video guides for pool owners to winterize their equipment.

These step-by-step instructions point to a series of fluorescent labels that the company started to label on all equipment as a standard to help customers easily locate specific pieces of equipment when watching the video guides.

This in combination with the company’s proactive approach of securing equipment in advance allowed it to manage the crisis effectively.

More importantly, it allowed Claffey Pools to improve its efforts in several areas. Recognizing the importance of a strong online presence after the pandemic,  Claffey Pools has ramped up its marketing efforts.

It now has a dedicated marketing division to enhance its visibility on social media and improve customer access to its services through online portals.

The focus is on new pool construction and marketing their remodeling, maintenance, and retail services.

These efforts also align with the company’s larger goal of becoming the one-stop shop for all things pool-related for its customers, which it’s already doing, as 90% – 95% of the customers the company builds pools for also use Claffey Pools for all other pool related services.

 

Diving into the Future

Looking ahead, Claffey Pools is focused on expanding its remodel and maintenance departments. The company anticipates significant growth in these areas as more homeowners seek to enhance their pools and backyard spaces.

Claffey Pools recently completed a major expansion of their facilities. This includes a new outdoor showroom, a design center, a sales office, and a large warehouse.

These additions will enable the company to showcase its work, assist clients in design decisions, and manage their growing operations more efficiently.

However, the core of Claffey Pools’ success is undoubtedly its emphasis on relationships and continuous training. Claffey Pools is constantly looking internally to refine its partnerships and base employee expertise across the board.

Internally, the company teaches and trains employees, ensuring everyone is up-to-date with the latest industry standards, certifications, and technologies.

It maintains strong partnerships with key suppliers like Fluidra (formerly Jandy) and Pebble Technology, ensuring its employees have the best materials and equipment.

This dedication to training and relationships lies at the heart of the company’s culture and will serve as a foundation for the results it gets.

As Claffey herself expresses it, the company aims to create the best construction, remodel, service, and maintenance experience for customers so that it becomes a company customers choose to work with over their lifetime.

As Claffey Pools moves forward, it aims to expand its commercial projects and enhance its backyard offerings, creating beautiful, functional spaces where families can create lasting memories.

It’s about creating a trusted brand that homeowners turn to for their dream pool, knowing they’ll receive exceptional quality and service every time.

Claffey Pools will continue to explore opportunities for more diversification and build strategic partnerships with suppliers and other businesses in the home improvement sector.

As the past has proven, this will again give the company access to new revenue streams and ways to enhance its service offerings.

“We train, we keep up with technology and new trends… things are moving forward, so we’re always growing…we’re always forward-thinking, and I think that’s part of where our growth has come in,” Claffey explains.

In summary, Claffey Pools’ journey from a small family business to a leading pool construction and maintenance company is a testament to its adaptability, proactive approach, and strong family values.

As it continues to expand and innovate, it remains dedicated to bringing families together and creating beautiful backyard havens.

AT A GLANCE

Claffey Pools

What: A prominent pool building and servicing company that has set a new industry standard through strategic organizational expansion and exceptional service.

Where: Southlake, Texas

Website: https://www.claffeypools.com/