Local Pool Market Still Holding Water

With greenhouses, spacious decks and rock gardens growing in local popularity, some contractors have gotten away from building old backyard standbys like swimming pools and tennis courts.

In a number of the neighborhoods recently toured by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, it was obvious that the upscale homeowners who are building amenities like pools are taking more steps to enclose them for privacy. Extensive landscaping, bright gardens and gazebos are now the trappings being shown off.

But brothers Chuck and Robert Smith, owners of Aqua Design Inc. of Bentonville, said they’re building more pools than ever. The growing number of community pools in gated neighborhoods with covenant restrictions hasn’t halted the demand for private ones in other areas.

“We’re covered up,” said Chuck Smith. “We’re trying to take advantage of every daylight hour we can. It’s been busy all winter long, and we haven’t even gotten to our spring rush yet.”

The Smiths, in business locally for 15 years, build 15 to 20 pools annually with a five-man construction crew. Chuck Smith said their best sellers are 18- by 36-foot in-ground models that start at $22,000-$23,000.

“You can add bells and whistles and take it up from there,” Smith said. “Free-form pool shapes are in, such as the kidney-shaped pool with another bulge in it. We also do a lot of off-set rectangles and painter-palette shapes.

“More people are getting into the non-diving pools, and vinyl-lined is our best seller.”

Smith attributed some of his company’s success to spending more on advertising. But he also said the growing number of retail vendors moving to be closer to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is also driving business. Because many newcomers are moving from colder climes and those coming from more metropolitan areas are getting more home for their money, it’s the first time building a pool has made sense to a lot of vendors.

“The area is growing so much and there’s a lot of new money here,” Smith said. “That makes a difference.”

Norman Cline, owner of NC Pools Inc. of Springdale, said his new construction business has taken off to the point where he cut back on doing pool repairs. He said the most popular trend is homeowners who want sports pools — the non-diving variety that are 3 1/2- to 5-feet deep.

“Most of those are 17- to 34-feet, or 20-by-40,” said Cline, whose four-man operation averages 20 to 25 pools per year. “My typical customer is a Wal-Mart executive or vendor in Benton County. But I’ll build two or three per year in Fayetteville, and I have built them as far as Pettigrew and Harrison.”

Cline, who calls himself “the custom pool builder of Northwest Arkansas,” said his average in-ground pools cost about $26,000. Vinyl-lined and ganite pools are his best sellers. Cline has been in business locally for about 10 years.

Sales for pool-related supplies were up for Neptune Pool Services in Fayetteville, another indication the industry hasn’t dried up. Glenda Watts, manager of the Niblock Properties-owned business, said the company’s supply sales were up $5,000 in 2000.

“We usually do about $70,000 in supply sales,” Watts said. “That includes a lot of Bio Guard chemicals and toys and equipment. Our busy season’s not until the middle of April, but with it becoming so economical for almost anyone to have a pool, it seems like about everyone has one either above or in-ground.”

A number of contractors build tennis courts, but Modern Fence & Supply Co. in Fayetteville specializes in specialty fencing for them. The business charges about $18 per foot to enclose an entire court.