America's Swimming Pool

<a href="https://www.aspfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP)</a> has steadily built a reputation as one of the strongest players in the pool care industry, and entrepreneurs are taking notice. With over 140 franchisees now operating in 26 states, the brand continues to expand its footprint by filling a critical service gap in a market where demand consistently outpaces supply.The pool industry is highly fragmented, dominated by small mom-and-pop providers who often specialize in only one part of the service cycle — cleaning, equipment repair, renovations and new construction.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool/info">ASP</a>, on the other hand, offers a full suite of services and the structure of a national franchise system. That professionalism — uniformed employees, branded vehicles, call centers that actually answer the phone — immediately sets the company apart from local competitors and helps franchisees break even quickly.Behind this growth is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmie-meece-63725262/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Jimmie Meece</a>, who started as an ASP franchisee in Clemson, South Carolina, before moving into corporate leadership. Now serving as brand president, Meece manages day-to-day operations and long-term strategy. He carries forward the vision started by founder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-vernon-644871257/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Stewart Vernon</a> while leading the company as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.authoritybrands.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Authority Brands</a>. His own path from franchisee to executive shows what ASP can offer entrepreneurs: a business model backed by demand, clear processes and steady support.Entrepreneurs are turning to ASP because the business model pairs strong consumer demand with scalability. The national average shows one in ten homes has a pool, meaning every pool owner is a potential customer. With new pools being built at a rapid pace, especially during and after the COVID boom, the market continues to expand.Meece recently joined 1851 Publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nick Powills</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPua6-Hd6eo&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">“Meet the Franchise”</a> to discuss ASP’s growth, what makes the brand appealing to franchisees and where it’s headed next. A transcript of that conversation is included below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.Nick Powills: How did you fall into franchising? What’s your backstory?Jimmie Meece: About 20 years ago, I was working for a city as a program director for events. I met a young man in Macon, Georgia, who had started a business around cleaning swimming pools. That man — Stewart Vernon, founder of ASP — was my brother-in-law.I visited Macon from my hometown in South Carolina and became interested in small business and the entrepreneurial spirit I saw in Stewart. After a few conversations, I launched All Seasons Pool Company in Clemson, South Carolina, in late 2004. The brand later became America’s Swimming Pool Company. Not long after starting, I left my city job to focus on the business.I was cleaning pools, repairing equipment and renovating pools. Stewart built the franchise model, and in 2005 the second franchise opened in Charleston, South Carolina. Today we have 148 franchisees in 26 states.Powills: So you started as a franchisee, got the business running and then quit your job. Looking back, how quickly did that process happen, and how soon did you realize there was strong demand?Meece: It moved fast. At the time, my wife and I had two small children — ages three and one — and we had just bought our first house. Leaving a steady job with benefits to clean pools raised a lot of eyebrows, but it motivated me to succeed.I believed in Stewart, and he supported me. I drove three hours to Macon for training. This was before there was a formal franchise model or even websites. It was grassroots marketing — handing out business cards and talking to people. There was excitement and fear, but it fueled my determination. I look back on it as hard work, but with good memories.Powills: At what point, after starting your business and becoming a franchisee, did you shift from an employee to an entrepreneur mindset? How long did it take to realize you were an entrepreneur?Meece: From day one. That’s why I was drawn to Stewart and his vision for America’s Swimming Pool Company. It wasn’t just about cleaning pools, repairing equipment or renovating — and now building — pools. It was about the entrepreneurial side.Stewart taught me the importance of working on the business rather than just in the business. That’s something we now teach all our franchisees. We want to partner with business-minded individuals. We don’t care if you know much about swimming pools, other than maybe having swum in one. Early on, I realized it wasn’t the pool business that drew me in — it was being a business owner and having control of my future and compensation.Powills: In some categories, like carpet cleaning, you can find plenty of providers within minutes. But pools and senior care both have far more demand than supply. I’m sure you saw that early on, and it seems to still be true. Have you seen that change over your career, or is it the same today?Meece: It’s still the same. The pool industry is fragmented, mostly made up of mom-and-pop businesses. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it creates pent-up demand in most markets because there’s little consistency in the services companies provide.Not all pool companies offer weekly cleaning. Those that do may not have the skills to repair equipment when it fails, and very few can handle renovations. That fragmentation creates opportunities for brands like ours. Over the past 20 years, other pool franchises have entered the space as well. But we bring structure. We’re branded, uniformed, have wrapped vehicles, answer the phone and pride ourselves on solving any pool problem a customer may have.Powills: What I hear — and I don’t mean this as a criticism — is that it’s similar to senior care. Caregiver A and Caregiver B both provide the same basic service, as long as there’s professionalism. With pools, the demand is high, but fragmentation leads to a lack of professionalism.The differentiation comes from showing up in uniform with branded vehicles. For a franchise buyer, this isn’t a childhood dream, but it’s a business with pent-up demand. Success doesn’t require reinventing the wheel — just show professionalism and solve problems. That’s why, even with new competitors, there’s plenty of demand and a franchisee can reach break-even quickly.Meece: That’s accurate. That’s the value of franchising. People can start businesses on their own, learn by working for someone or watching tutorials. But franchising provides processes, procedures and vendor relationships.When someone launches with us, demand is already there. Marketing drives calls from day one, and whether through the franchisee or a call center, the phone gets answered. They’re prepared to address customer needs right away. That’s the value we bring in what is still a fragmented industry.Powills: When you’re talking to a buyer today, are they coming in saying, “I want to own a pool service company”? Or are they saying, “I have money, I’d like to be a franchise owner, and this looks interesting”? Has that shifted over time?Meece: Good question. What we typically see is someone looking for a chance to own a business. It’s not always about being drawn to the pool industry. That usually happens once they learn about who we are, the services we provide and how the business makes money.Most candidates come in simply wanting to own a business. Many are introduced through brokers or by searching online for small business opportunities. They find us, start conversations and realize the potential. Often, these are people who’ve worked in corporate America for 20 years and want more control over their future. As for me, I was a franchisee for five years before selling my business in South Carolina. In 2010, I moved into an operations role as vice president, then stepped into the president’s role a little over three years ago.Powills: In your opening statement, you mentioned Stewart as a big reason you got involved, given the family connection. Over time, how important is the founder’s story once the founder exits the business? Is it still central to the brand’s vision, or does it shift to your leadership as president?Meece: It’s a passing of the torch. When Stewart was elevated within Authority Brands, our parent company, he handed the baton to me. His vision is still part of our DNA — it’s embedded in our culture and flows through the franchise system. Of course, new challenges come up each year, and leadership evolves. But the core values and principles from when the business started more than 20 years ago remain in place.Powills: If a franchise buyer is watching this, what else do you want them to know about the business opportunity?Meece: I think you summed it up well. There’s strong pent-up demand. At its core, this business can be simple: answer the phone, meet the pool owner in their backyard, listen to their concerns and offer solutions. They will pay for those services.For anyone considering small business ownership, franchising is a one-plus-one-equals-three concept. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel — we support you every step of the way. The pool industry is still relatively young as a service business, but it continues to grow.During COVID, we saw a surge in pool construction. That’s good for the business. The more pools installed, the more opportunities franchisees will have to serve customers. It’s a huge, long-term opportunity.Powills: I love the category. Our first client years ago was a pool company in Suwanee, Georgia. Looking back, it’s interesting to see how the industry has evolved. That company went retail first, selling hot tubs and pools, and then added service. But after its parent company filed bankruptcy in 2008, the model collapsed.What stands out to me is that 20 years later, demand hasn’t dropped. In many industries, new competitors entering the market would reduce opportunity. Here, customer demand has only grown as more pools are built. Homeowners continue to need service, and new buyers move into those homes and want service too.From personal experience, I would have paid more for an extra cleaning visit each week. The demand is that high. That’s what makes this category special. If you have capital and are willing to get your hands dirty early to build a business before scaling, it’s a fantastic opportunity.And with you still involved, connected to the founder and leading the brand, franchisees can bet on both the business and its leadership. That’s why I think this category has such strong potential.Meece: Absolutely. One point I’d add is the pent-up demand in our industry comes from the fact that not every home has a pool. Most homes have carpet, grass to cut, plumbing, electrical or HVAC needs. But on average, only one in 10 homes has a pool.That means not every homeowner is our customer, but every homeowner with a pool is. That separates us from most service-based businesses and creates an opportunity for anyone looking to get into the industry.Powills: When you think about the nine out of 10 who don’t have a pool, many of them still dream of having one in the backyard. There’s a lot of potential ahead.Meece: Absolutely. There are plenty of backyards without pools, and we now build pools as part of our model. The opportunity is tremendous. I’ve dedicated most of my professional life to this business, and it’s been very good to me and my family. I truly believe in our model and the industry.Powills: Jimmie, thanks for sharing your story.&nbsp;Watch the full episode&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPua6-Hd6eo&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth-2730453" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>.&nbsp;To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool.">https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool.</a>&nbsp;

Why America’s Swimming Pool Company Is Growing With Investors

1851 Franchise

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BPua6-Hd6eo

With 140+ franchisees in 26 states and strong leadership under Brand President Jimmie Meece, ASP is positioning itself as the go-to brand for growth in a fragmented $15 billion pool services industry.

Answering Surging Demand: How America’s Swimming Pool Is Emerging as the Go-To Franchise for Pool Services

This brand page has been paid for by AMERICA'S SWIMMING POOL. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

americas-swimming-pool-company-franchise-growth

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own an America's Swimming Pool

Franchise Opportunity

Consumer Positioning

Deep Dive

Learn

Visit Website

AMERICA'S SWIMMING POOL

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

TikTok

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

From Condo Manager to Pool Pioneer: Carrie Waltman’s Resilient Rise in Franchising

How Justin and Kimberly Retzlaff Built an America's Swimming Pool Co. Franchise and a Routine That Works

AMERICA'S SWIMMING POOL MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT AMERICA'S SWIMMING POOL

CONTACT AMERICA'S SWIMMING POOL

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City

States

Postal code

Amount Available to Invest

Terms and Conditions

Dive Into Business Ownership With Us

image of americas swimming pool 2026 Owners Conference

America’s Swimming Pool Company Celebrates Franchise Growth and Excellence at 2026 Owners Conference

americas-swimming-pool-company-2026-franchise-conference

How America’s Swimming Pool Co. Supports Franchisees With Coaching, Technology, and New Service Lines

how-americas-swimming-pool-co-supports-franchisees-with-coaching-technology-and-new-service-lines

Dive Into a Profitable Future: 5 Reasons To Invest in America’s Swimming Pool Franchise Today

dive-into-a-profitable-future-5-reasons-to-invest-in-americas-swimming-pool-franchise-today

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinretzlaff/">Justin</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-retzlaff/">Kimberly Retzlaff’s</a> franchise story started the way a lot of real-life decisions do: with a layoff, a late-night conversation and a growing sense that the corporate path was not taking them where they wanted to go.“During COVID times, Justin was laid off, and so we really started talking a lot about what our goals and priorities are,” Kimberly said. “My goal and priority was to be closer to family and to move back home. Justin had always wanted to run a business, so we kind of came to the agreement that we would start a company in Tucson.”<h2>A Late-Night ‘Light-Bulb’ Moment</h2>For Justin, the search did not start from scratch. He had spent years around franchise systems and knew what to look for, even if he did not always read every newsletter that landed in his inbox. “My previous jobs — a lot of them — were on the franchisor side of numerous national and international chains,” he said.“I always got the Franchise 500 newsletter in my box and very rarely read it,” Justin said. “One very late evening, I couldn’t sleep and decided to read the Franchise 500 newsletter.”They opened their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aspfranchising.com/">America’s Swimming Pool Co.</a> business in September 2021 — a local franchise operation focused on pool cleaning, repair and renovation — but Kimberly did not step in full time at the start. She kept her job in scholarly publishing while they built the operation, then joined the business as growth made the split harder to maintain. “For the first 18 months, my previous life was in scholarly publishing,” she said. “So I stayed in publishing for the first 18 months of our business.”&nbsp;Justin said that transition came through a practical conversation. “I think the first conversation was whether she wanted to continue on with her career or not,” he said.<h2>Dividing the Work, Sharing the Mission</h2>Once they were both in, the Retzlaffs leaned into a structure that matched their strengths instead of forcing both partners into the same lane. Kimberly describes Justin as the outward-facing driver. “Justin — he’s a visionary,” she said. “He is focused on following the systems to grow our business, and he is very good at marketing and sales to bring in new customers while keeping our current customers happy.”Kimberly’s role is the systems side of the business, the part that keeps a service operation consistent when schedules change and the days get chaotic. “With my prior life being in editing — [I’m] very detail-oriented,” she said. “So I gravitated pretty naturally toward finance and marketing.”Justin said the division keeps the partnership from turning into daily friction. “It just kind of a yin-and-yang fit,” he said. “The things we needed to operate the business, one of us was good at.”<h2>The Hard Part Is Turning It Off</h2>A clear structure helps, but it does not solve the hardest part: work bleeding into everything else. Kimberly said the overlap shows up in the small moments that are supposed to be theirs. “I would say the hardest thing has been that it’s really difficult to turn it off,” she said. “Even when we go out to dinner after work or when we’re on vacation somewhere, we’re constantly talking about the business.”Justin’s take is less about balance and more about the pace of growth that comes with ownership. “Every day we’re learning things,” he said. “We learn so much more every single day.”<h2>Growth That Leaves Room for Life</h2>In 2025, the Retzlaffs earned an internal milestone that validated what they were building. “The one thing that happened recently that we’re extremely proud of is that we were named&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool/info">ASP’s</a> 2025 franchise of the year,” Kimberly said.They have learned what many service owners learn the hard way: growth only helps if it buys back time. “This year, our main goal is to restructure our team and bring on a little bit more management support so that Justin and I can start to step back — so it’s not like we have to have our phones on us 24/7,” she said.Justin said they are also building systems to prevent a common service business plateau. “We’ve noticed a recurring theme in development points of pool companies where they tend to plateau — hit a wall,” he said. “We’re trying to put a new system in place that will avoid us hitting that wall and allow us to keep scaling.”<h2>Advice for Other Husband-and-Wife Teams</h2>Kimberly’s advice starts with alignment before the first busy season hits. “Sitting down and having that discussion about who’s going to do what, and coming to some agreement on how you resolve differences of opinion,” she said.She also pointed to something simpler, but harder to remember when work is constant: reinforce the partnership, not just the operation. “Catch each other doing things right and compliment each other on jobs well done,” Kimberly said.Justin said he did not expect the role they would grow into within the franchise community, but it has become one of the more meaningful parts of the journey. “We are being asked to and have become leaders of our franchise network,” he said.For more information on franchising with America’s Swimming Pool Co., please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool/info">https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool/info</a>.

A move back to Tucson sparked the leap, but the real story is how they built a structure that let both the business and their marriage hold up under pressure.

how-justin-and-kimberly-retzlaff-built-an-americas-swimming-pool-co-franchise-and-a-routine-that-works

COLUMBIA, Md. —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aspfranchising.com/">America’s Swimming Pool Company,</a> a residential pool services franchise part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.authoritybrands.com/">Authority Brands,</a> closed out 2025 by signing 15 franchise deals that added 32 territories during the year. Growth came as the brand expanded its footprint into nine new states, including Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, further strengthening its national presence.“2025 was a strong year for America’s Swimming Pool Company because we remained focused on sustainable growth and giving franchise owners the tools and support they need to achieve their goals,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmie-meece-63725262/">Jimmie Meece</a>, Brand President of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool">America’s Swimming Pool Company.</a> “The addition of 32 territories across nine states shows the strength of our model and the demand we’re seeing for professional pool services as we head into 2026.”During the year, the brand also continued to invest in additional franchisee support while expanding its new construction revenue stream, providing owners with another long-term growth opportunity alongside recurring cleaning, maintenance, repair, and renovation services.Looking ahead, America’s Swimming Pool Company has identified several priority markets for expansion in 2026. These include Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Akron in Ohio; Boston, Massachusetts; Greenwood, Indiana; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Wellington, Florida; Olathe, Kansas; and Omaha, Nebraska as the brand looks to place new franchise owners in areas with strong demand and long-term potential.The brand’s momentum continues into 2026 with multiple industry recognitions. America’s Swimming Pool Company ranked No. 160 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500?type=multisearch&amp;data1=randomize:false,rankId:f500&amp;sort=f500&amp;sortMethod=global&amp;globalLimit=25">Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500® list</a>, released in January 2026, and was recognized as No. 37 on Entrepreneur’s 2025 Top Franchises for Veterans list. The brand also placed No. 310 on the Franchise Times Top 400 and received a Game Changers Award from Franchise Dictionary Magazine.In 2026, America’s Swimming Pool Company will continue its strategic expansion in high-demand markets while empowering franchise owners with the services, support and infrastructure needed to build durable, multi-revenue businesses.About America’s Swimming Pool CompanyAmerica's Swimming Pool Co. is the largest swimming pool cleaning, repair, and renovation franchise in the nation. Founded in 2002 by Stewart C. Vernon, the company is based on the belief that by providing a higher quality pool service at a reasonable price, the brand would raise the industry standards for pool service. In 2005, ASP began franchising and now covers more than 400 cities in 22 states across the nation. For more information on ASP's swimming pool franchise opportunities, click here. For more information on ASP - America's Swimming Pool Co. Company, visit the website.&nbsp;

America’s Swimming Pool Company Signs 15 Franchise Deals in 2025, Expands into Nine States

The pool cleaning and maintenance franchise added 32 territories in 2025 and continued building its new construction service offering.

americas-swimming-pool-15-franchise-deals-2025

Answering Surging Demand: How America’s Swimming Pool Is Emerging as the Go-To Franchise for Pool Services

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS