February Fiberglass Pool Dealer Spotlight: Burton Pools and Spas, Springdale, Arkansas

Every month, we chat with Thursday Pools dealers to learn more about their business and what’s trending in their area. This month, we talked to David Burton, co-owner of Burton Pools and Spas in Springdale, Arkansas. Tell us a little about yourself and about Burton Pools and Spas My brother Dan and I started our business in 1978. At the time, I was 22, working at Kroger and at the fire station. But while all the other guys I knew were sitting around the fire station reading magazines, I was looking for a business opportunity. I knew I wanted to own my own business. My brother was working construction. Somebody sent me an article about the pool business, and I thought, “Yeah. This is something we could do.” It made a lot of sense to me. Gas prices were high, and people were looking to entertain themselves at home. So we created a business called Tallman Pools of Fort Smith. We started out in my garage with a truck, a couple of tools and $7000 in working capital, installing vinyl pools. Dan did all the pool construction, and I took care of the business end of things. Since Dan and […]

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Get Outside After Your Thanksgiving Dinner!

We’ve all experienced that post-turkey dinner food coma, and for years we’ve been told that “tryptophan” is to blame. We could take comfort in the fact that all we wanted to do was nap on Thanksgiving, because our turkey had, in essence, slipped us a sleeping pill. Well, we’re sorry to have to tell you this, but apparently that’s an old wive’s tale. Tryptophan is found in many common foods, including cheese, chicken, beef and eggs. So much for our napping excuse. (We KNOW our need to sleep doesn’t have anything to do with the three servings of mashed potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie we had, right?)  So if we don’t have a good excuse to nap, what should we do? Get outside after Thanksgiving dinner, that’s what!  There’s nothing like a brisk jaunt around the neighborhood to shake off the after-dinner fog. Haul everyone off the couch and toss a football around in the backyard. Get the kids to play a game of freeze tag or throw a frisbee for the pup. (Or, if you have a pool, have an after-dinner swim!) It’s essential that you burn off some calories so that you can have enough energy to dive […]

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Thursday Pools® Names Annie Brock As Director of Business Development

Fortville, IN. October 31, 2013– Thursday Pools® announced today that Annie Brock has been named Director of Business Development.  As Director of Business Development, Brock will be responsible for gaining and strengthening key dealer relationships throughout the US and Canada. “We are excited to have Annie on board and are looking forward to the wealth of knowledge that she brings to us and more importantly to our Independent Dealers.’” –says Ed Vondell, Owner of Thursday Pools®. Annie Brock comes to us from Pools of Fun, Inc., one of Indiana’s largest pool companies. Brock spent 20 years at Pools of Fun experiencing many different facets of the Pool & Spa Industry. “Thursday is phenomenal to work with. They are consistently striving for excellence in everything they do. I met with her (Annie Brock) briefly and she was already bouncing ideas off me. She will be a great addition to the Thursday Pools team.” -says Larry Hemmelgarn, LCH Services, Chicago, IL. Brock began working in the pool industry in 1993 as a Pools of Fun retail associate while still in high school. After graduating from Hanover College with a degree in Business Administration, Blake began to work her way up. She held […]

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Press Release -Thursday Pools to Exhibit at the 2013 Indianapolis Home Show

Thursday Pools at the Indianapolis Home Show Mark your calendar, Thursday Pools will be exhibiting at the 2013 Indianapolis Home Show!  The show runs from Friday January 25th through Sunday February 3rd at the Indiana State Fairgrounds http://www.indianapolishomeshow.com.  Stop by booth 379 and learn about the company, technical details about fiberglass pools and pricing.  You can order at the show and have your pool ready to install by spring. -Ed Vondell

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Press Release – Thursday Pools’ Executives Attending Mid America Pool & Spa Show – 1/19/13

Thursday Pools at the Mid America Pool and Spa Show Thursday Pools US and Canadian executives will be attending the Mid America Pool & Spa Show January 21-24, 2013.  The show will be held at the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg Illinois.  The objective is to participate in seminars, review exhibits and meet with current and potential Thursday Pools dealers.  Mike Vokey, Director of Thursday Pools Canada says, “given the close proximity to our Canadian customers, many of our Canadian dealers will be attending and we will be comparing notes from the seminars.”  Continuous improvement and learning is part of the culture at Thursday Pools so we can provide the best quality and service to our dealer network. Ed Vondell

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Thursday Pools Press Release – CMEP and Bradbury’s Waterin’ Hole Visit

Thursday Pools Press Release – Key Employees Visit Cummins MidRange Engine Plant (CMEP) in Columbus Indiana 12/15/12 Key employees from Thursday Pools visited Cummins MidRange Engine Plant as a part of our benchmarking activities.  The employees looked for best practices in the areas of safety, quality and productivity.  Several items were observed which will be applied to the Thursday Pools Operating System (TPOS).  Operator cross-training was discussed as a way of continuous improvement in the area of quality.  Principal Bill Khamis was impressed with the plant floor organization examples which mimic current stations in the Thursday Pools production area. An additional stop was made in Columbus at Bradbury’s Waterin’ Hole, one of Thursday Pools dealers.  Ray Bradbury and Roy West received the group and welcomed us with open arms.  The Waterin’ Hole is an impressive dealership, with a broad array of spas, outdoor furniture, grills, fireplaces and models of the Thursday Pools product line.  Our thanks to Ray and Roy for their hospitality and we look forward to a great pool season in 2013.

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