Pool Scouts

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Ray Marinaccio is a New Yorker through and through. After completing high school, Marinaccio stayed on the East Coast and attended the prestigious Georgetown University for his pre-law undergrad degree. With the ultimate goal of being an attorney, he returned home and received his law degree from the Fordham University School of Law. In 1987, Marinaccio started his career as a prosecutor for the district attorney of New York where he focused on all fields such as civil, psychiatric, homicide, robberies and drug cases. After his work with the DA, Marinaccio shifted gears and moved into the real estate industry where he managed properties. While he got back into the investigative field in 2014 as an investigator for sexual misconduct cases, he decided to retire from criminal detective work earlier this year. “The investigative work takes a toll on you because it’s very intense,” said Marinaccio. “I’m still involved with real estate property management but am gradually moving out of the field completely.” Instead, Marinaccio and his wife decided to focus on making a move they’ve always wanted to, transitioning south to Hilton Head, SC. “We have always wanted to move to South Carolina. At first, we thought about purchasing a vacation home in the area, but decided to relocate to the warm weather permanently,” explained Marinaccio. “We also have twins who are starting at Clemson University in the fall. The move seemed like the best decision for the whole family.” With the move to Hilton Head giving him a fresh start, Marinaccio was committed to a career change. He knew he no longer wanted to practice law but also didn’t feel like it was his time to retire. Instead, he began looking into possible franchise opportunities by connecting with a broker who vetted through his options. But throughout his search, nothing really stood out, so he set his sights on finding a new home first. “When we started looking for vacation homes, we realized pretty quickly that you’re really only allowed to tour the property over the weekends when the home is unoccupied and being cleaned or maintained,” according to Marinaccio. “While the majority of the homes had pools, I wasn't impressed by the quality of the pool cleaning or their maintenance knowledge. We had a pool in the Bronx and I really enjoyed cleaning it. It was very therapeutic.” After looking at the maintenance prices and fees that go into pool cleaning and maintenance, Marinaccio realized there was a major opportunity to provide a valuable service to the people of Hilton Head. He reconnected with his broker and found <a href="https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-ray-marinaccio-and-pool-scouts-2706748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pool Scouts</a>, a concept with trusted service and open territories available in his market. Marinaccio knew immediately that it was the right fit.“I joked about loving to clean my pool with to my broker,” he said. “Little did I know it was an actual franchise opportunity. I just really liked the people that worked with Pool Scouts and the Buzz Franchise Brands team and felt it was perfect.” His quirky interest in pool cleaning also aligned well with the brand’s goal to recruit qualified franchisees. “We’re looking forward to bringing the <a href="https://poolscouts.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-ray-marinaccio-and-pool-scouts-2706748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pool Scouts</a> brand to new communities with the help of passionate franchisees like Ray,” said Michael Wagner, President of Pool Scouts. “Our goal as a company is to elevate the customer experience, and the proven system that we’ve created allows our business owners to do just that. Everything from updates on crew arrival times to reports about a pool’s chemical contents are delivered directly to our customers, and our technicians are knowledgeable, trained professionals. We’re excited to have Ray on board and look forward to seeing what he’s able to accomplish in year one.” Marinaccio opened for business on February 15 and has aspirations to open two more Pool Scout territories within the area. For more information on franchise opportunities, visit <a href="https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-ray-marinaccio-and-pool-scouts-2706748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/</a>.

Franchisee Spotlight: Ray Marinaccio and Pool Scouts

1851 Franchise

How this law school grad went from New York prosecutor to Pool Scouts franchisee

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/">Pool Scouts</a>, the leading national pool service franchise, is once again partnering with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopefloats.foundation/">Hope Floats Foundation</a>. May is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/may/national-water-safety-month-may">National Water Safety Month</a>, and<a href="https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts/info"> Pool Scouts</a> franchise locations will participate in the fundraising campaign, raising money to support Hope Floats’ mission of providing swim lesson scholarships to underserved children nationwide.Since 2021, Pool Scouts has raised $106,000 for Hope Floats. Last year, the campaign helped expand access to swim lessons at a critical time, giving more children access to lessons ahead of summer. This year, the brand is setting a $10,000 goal.<a href="https://www.stepintoswim.org/">Step Into Swim</a>, an initiative of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phta.org/">Pool &amp; Hot Tub Alliance</a>, an organization dedicated to promoting water safety and making waves in drowning prevention, is once again pledging to match donations up to $20,000 for a second year. Step Into Swim has funded swimming lessons for more than 300,000 children across the country.&nbsp;“Water safety is something our franchisees see firsthand in the communities they serve, so this partnership is a natural extension of what we do every day,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynlea-rudell-9a8b797/">Lynlea Rudell</a>, director of marketing for Pool Scouts. “As our system grows and we celebrate our 10th year, we have an opportunity to make an even bigger impact by helping more families access swim lessons and stay safe around the water.”<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-m-b4558317/">Kristin Mabrouk</a>, executive director for Hope Floats, said the collaboration continues to grow in impact each year as both organizations expand. Through the campaign, funds have been used to support families and provide access to children who may be the first in their families to learn to swim.“Pool Scouts is a very aligned partnership because they're working with people who understand the need for water safety,” she said. “Then we're able to allocate those scholarship funds to those same communities that they're in.”According to the CDC,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0514-vs-drowning.html">drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children</a>. Formal swim lessons can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/drowning-prevention-starts-with-swim-lessons/">reduce that risk by 88%</a>, and Pool Scouts’ donations help make those lessons available to more families in the communities it serves.Mabrouk said the timing of the campaign matters because it lines up right before summer, when more families are around pools and water. That makes it easier to get kids into lessons right when they need them. She also pointed out that the funding can make a real difference for families with more than one child, since it allows siblings to take lessons at the same time instead of spacing them out or choosing just one.National Water Safety Month highlights the role education plays in keeping families safe around the water. For Pool Scouts, that focus connects directly to its broader effort to support the communities it serves.“The Pool Scouts network keeps expanding and so does ours, so we can help more people everywhere,” Mabrouk said. “We're very grateful for the partnership and excited to be going into our 10th year and beyond.”Those interested in donating to the Pool Scouts/Hope Floats campaign for National Water Safety Month can do so at&nbsp;<a href="https://givebutter.com/poolscouts2026">https://givebutter.com/poolscouts2026</a>.&nbsp;To learn more about franchise opportunities with Pool Scouts, visit:<a href="https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts"> https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT POOL SCOUTS:Virginia Beach, Virginia-based Pool Scouts is a premier pool service franchise focused on delivering a quality, consistent brand experience while providing pool cleaning, maintenance and minor repair services at residential properties. Technicians are trained in testing, monitoring, treating and servicing pools and can provide ongoing service as well as help at the beginning and end of the summer season. With 79 territories across 17 states, Pool Scouts offers a great opportunity as a low-cost franchise in the pool services industry with available territories across the United States. For more information or franchising opportunities, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://poolscoutsfranchise.com">http://poolscoutsfranchise.com</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT BUZZ FRANCHISE BRANDSFounded in 2012 and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Buzz Franchise Brands is a fast-growing multi-brand franchising organization that builds companies that get people talking. The organization's first brand, Mosquito Joe, was sold to Neighborly in late 2018 after growing to almost 300 locations. Buzz Franchise Brands currently operates pool cleaning and maintenance company Pool Scouts, residential cleaning company Home Clean Heroes, swim lesson company British Swim School and holiday lighting company Wonderly Lights. The company has been named among the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc.'s Best Workplaces list for several years in a row. For more information about Buzz Franchise Brands, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.">https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.</a>&nbsp;

Pool Scouts Partners With Hope Floats to Raise $10,000 

During National Water Safety Month this May, the entire Pool Scouts system will participate in the campaign, pushing its total donations past the $100,000 milestone.

Pool Scouts Partners With Hope Floats to Raise $10,000 in 2026 as Both Brands Celebrate 10 Years in Business

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Franchisee Spotlight: Ray Marinaccio and Pool Scouts

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