MEETING MINUTES
Friday, July 11, 2008
Volume 15; Issue 24

Membership Report
Paul Kavanaugh has resigned...

Dear MABE Members:

I have found it too hard to make the Friday meetings anymore and my sales guy has too many Friday morning appointments to make the meetings. It is with great sadness that I must resign from MABE. It has been a lot of fun and I have enjoyed meeting each and everyone there. Please if you need a mover do not hesitate to call Mountain Moving and Storage and I will also continue to use the services of MABE members.

Thank you all

Paul Kavanaugh

Social Report
Erin La Grassa has volunteered to organize the Christmas social. 

Dave Lathrop received a letter from the D-Backs.  They are offering to put together a group package for us.  On Fridays they have a fireworks show after their games.  If there is enough interest we will set something up.

Treasurer Report
The quarterly dues billing went out 6/1.  Please contact Melissa Matthews if you did not receive yours.

Leads Report
17-13 (x2), 20-17, 20-15, 56-46, 56-13, 40-41, 45-45 (not a typo), 21-15, 46-21, 51-41, 15-56.

Notable Mentions

There is a board meeting scheduled for Monday, July 14th at the Black Bear Diner at noon. 

Dawn Tallant of from the OfficeMax business development department visited our group today to introduce our newest MABE benefit.  The Retail Connect program allows you to go into any stores and use the card to get discounts.  Discounts run from 10-70% depending on the item.  Your association name is on the card.  The store will laminate the card for free.  When you check out the cashier will scan card.  The discounted pricing is in the system. Members will see the savings on their receipt. You can't use it online or in conjunction with a coupon.  Some of the stores are being revamped to be much more user friendly.  They are going green by offering recycled products on end-caps.  Periodically OfficeMax runs specials to show appreciation for your business. 

Bob Busch had an idea for the next meeting...Bring samples of what you are doing to do to get more business.  Bring marketing tools you are using to be more creative.  We can all share it and learn from each other.

Let's start with some personal background.  Where are you from and how did you end up here in AZ.  Your family?
Bill was born and raised in Michigan.  He worked for General Motors.  He started as an apprentice at the age of 18.  He spent 25 years and 1 month there before retiring at 43 years of age.  The economy in Michigan was very bad when my son graduated, especially for construction.  He found an engineering program at ASU so they moved him out here.  He got a job cleaning pools.  Within a year he had built up such a successful route that he quite school to run his pool route.  Bill and his wife sent their other son to Arizona for the summer to work for his brother.  He didn't come back.  Eventually Bill and his wife followed the boys out here and together, the four of them formed True Blue Pools.

Your spare time is often consumed with your CORVETTE CLUB.  Was it Todd and Buzz in the old 60's TV Show Route 66 that got you hooked on Vettes?  How many do you own and what year's?  Have you ever driven Route 66 in your own Corvette?  Do you go to any Conventions and what happens at one?  Any other hobbies or is there any time left?
There is not a lot of Route 66 left anymore.  Most of the remaining sections are in Arizona.  Bill got hooked on Corvettes from the moment he took a ride in a '55 Corvette with "Vern".  Bill didn't get his own Corvette until the '80's.  He bought one over the phone and had it delivered on a flatbed truck.  Last year a group from his Corvette club drove to Nashville for a convention and toured the assembly plant and museum. 

What year did you open True Blue Pools, Inc. & how many employees then versus now?  At first you were in Pool Service & Repairs.  When & why did you switch over to building Pools & Spa's?
They started True Blue Pools in 1986.  A the time it was just Bill, his wife, and their two sons.  At one point they had up to 12 employees.  Now they are holding steady at 8.  They have one pool route left.  It was their older son that felt it was a natural procession moving from pool repairs to building pools.

What's it like to be in a Family Run Business.....do you recommend it or not?  What's the family philosophy on making decisions?  Who has the deciding vote?  How did you come about putting together an Exit Strategy or do you have one?  What happens if one of you wants to sell and you don't?
It is not easy.  But they still talk to each other and spend time with each other outside of work.  They have four very didn't personalities.  All decisions are made by the group.  If there is not a consensus, it doesn't get done.

What was the Average Price of a Pool back in '86.....and 2008?  Back then, many New Home Builders were "throwing in a $25,000 Pool" in order to sell a new house.  Has the quality changed?  Have the materials or cost of materials increased substantially? 
By law pool builders get a $1000 down payment, then 30% draws at specific intervals.  This is on new pools.

Were there more competitors back then versus today?  Is it a pretty competitive business?  How do competitors in your business get along?  Is it cutthroat?
Probably 10 pool builders have gone out of business in recent years.  TBP won't be the cheapest on the block.  But they always offer quality and personal service.  You can always talk to an owner.

Right now the pool industry is down.  People seem to be holding on to their money.  Pools are not a high priority item.  There is a service out there that tracks new pool construction.  They said that even companies with 15 store fronts are not pulling enough permits to do one per store.  Its not good.  There is only one bank that finances pools right now.

Sand, DE or Cartridge? 
Years ago we only used DE filters.  But a company TBP uses almost exclusively built a large cartridge.  The rep suggested they try them out.  They did a test and dumped 50 pounds of dirt directly into the filter.  The pressure only went up a couple of pounds and continued to work well.  And you will usually only need it serviced once a year.