Total Pools splashes into season
By Lynn Wolstenholme
Justin Bell, a 28-year-old Leesburg entrepreneur, found himself looking around Purcellville not too long ago and realizing there was something lacking – a pool service store.
“There is a demand for a pool store in Purcellville,” Bell said. “There used to be one in Hamilton, but that closed down in 2001. There hasn't been another one since.”
Estimates through county licenses and pool chemical companies show there are about 2,000 licenses for pools in the western part of the county, according to Bell, who says the customer base is there to make his business succeed.
Since opening the doors of Total Pools and Service in mid-March, Bell said he already has 20 clients for pool openings and a couple of clients who have gone with a weekly maintenance plan.
The company offers many services to pool owners -- in either a package or a la carte -- including opening and closing pools for the season, weekly maintenance, parts and repairs. Total Pools and Service also carries parts and products in its retail location at 251 N. 21st St. in Purcellville, including Hayward and Pentair filters, Polaris vacuums, BioGuard and AquaBrite chemicals, and pool toys.
“I want to give customers a choice,” said Bell, regarding the selection of products his store carries. So when it came time to pick brands, he “thought outside of the box and began thinking as a customer.”
Bell said that since the Hamilton pool store shut down, he noticed a lot of people were purchasing chemicals and products for their pools either online, or at Wal-Mart or Costco.
“I want to compete with those stores, and I want people to get out of the habit [of going online to buy],” Bell said. So he has competitively priced his products.
Currently, Total Pools and Service has four employees. Bell calls himself “the brains and finance” behind the business. The rest of the crew has more than 25 years of experience in pool service.
Bell plans on expanding the level of service, with adding more employees, and the product level -- the first stage is bringing in spas and some loungers for the pool area.
Contact the reporter at lwolstenholme@timespapers.com