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Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Ross Seymour partners with homeowners associations to see big profits
By Jessy Goodman
February 25, 2008
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Ross Seymour partners with homeowners associations to see big profits
Ross Seymour knows a lot about being in pools from his stint as a swimmer for his native Australia in the 1976 Olympics.
Today, Seymour knows every aspect of running a pool as well.
His Aurora, Ill., firm, Swimming Pool Management Systems Inc., has exclusive contracts with homeowners associations to provide everything their pools need for smooth operation.
“Our business began in 1982 with a homeowners association,” Seymour said. At the time, he was teaching college aquatics in the Chicago area when the property manager of the homeowners association across the street asked Seymour if he knew someone who could run the pool.
“I was newly married with kids, and said I would do it. In fact, we still have that account.”
Over the next few years, Seymour gathered more clients by word of mouth, eventually starting a full-time business.
A key to his success is the variety of services he offers. SPMS’ sister company, Pool Guards Inc., provides training for those who watch over patrons of the pools Seymour’s company serves. A third business, the DuPage Swim Center, houses all of Seymour’s enterprises and provides lifeguard training and swim lessons. The companies expect to see gross earnings of $4 million in 2008.
SPMS services a handful of commercial pools in addition to its bread-and-butter homeowners associations.
“The Swimming Center is a good training vessel for managers, and we can use it as a lab,” to show service techs how to car for pools, said Seymour of the symbiotic relationship the three firms have developed.
Accountability to the homeowners associations also plays into the plan. As long as the facility stocks replacement parts, Seymour’s firm will pay stiff penalties if a pool repair is not made within 24 hours. While his employees are certified to fix major brands of equipment, Seymour often hires specialists so he can most effectively serve his customers.
“The service relieves [our customers] of the burden of maintaining their facilities,” Seymour said, and that contributes to the success of the business.