Author: Andy Warrener

There are so many things to consider when installing a new swimming pool.

From the size to the shape and from the color to the texture, it’s important to have someone who will both listen to and embrace your ideas about the pool of your dreams, as well as have the knowledge and experience to deliver it.

Owners James and Alexis Staten have installed pools in neighborhoods all around the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, including Estancia, Grand Hampton, K-Bar Ranch, Live Oak Preserve, Meadow Pointe and Seven Oaks to name just a few. And, while the company takes on projects all over the Tampa Bay area, the Statens says that more than half of their business is done right here in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.

James and Alexis, as well as Olympus Pools’ construction manager, scheduler, general manager and field representatives have more than 200 combined years of experience.

“All of our heads together mean a lot of experience and knowledge on your side when you build a pool with us,” James says. That experience makes for first-rate customer service and an attention to detail that sets Olympus Pools apart from its competitors.

“I called at least a half dozen companies to bid on our pool project and James was the first to respond and the first to personally meet with me,” customer Dave Hoversten says. “Not only did he know every aspect of pool building, he also was extremely professional and very open to my ideas and also was very helpful in making crucial recommendations that ultimately added to the success of the project.”

Transferring the customer’s vision into a living, breathing swimming pool can be like a dream come true, James says. Every pool owner wants to have that, “Ahhh” feeling when they step out onto their patio and Olympus Pools specializes in delivering just that. The company’s designs are both practical and visionary.

The process begins with an introductory appointment where typically James will come to the customer’s house to discuss their options. It gives James the opportunity to see the available space and how best to fill it within the customer’s budget.
“We have a very small and unique space in our backyard to say the least,” customer Eric Wingard says. “We had several pool builders draw a design and price a pool for us, but nothing seemed to fit. But, Olympus was able to take our space constraints and create a fantastic pool design that is now the envy of my neighborhood.”

The next step is for the customer to begin selecting from the plethora of design options. James notes that many Olympus customers will end up coming into the company’s design center showroom off MLK Jr. Blvd., a few blocks west of Raymond James Stadium, where customers get to look at their pool design on a 60-inch LED screen. From there, all of the little details are filled in. Following the original design proposal, customers select all of the finishing touches for their pool.

“The customer gets to see and touch every product before they buy it,” James says.

Whether it’s something as broad as the color of the tile around the pool or as intricate as what type of faucet to use in the outdoor kitchen, Olympus Pools brings each customer’s vision into reality before construction begins.

“They had put our ideas together in a 3D presentation that visually showed us how the pool, spa and deck would look in our backyard,” customer Antonio Chavez says. “We appreciated how James collaborated with us as a true professional to finalize the details, materials and total cost of the project.”

There’s an aspect of pride when a company takes a customized approach to pool installation in a community where they are deeply invested. The Statens, who live in New Tampa and send their children to Turner Elementary and the Bartels K-8 School in Live Oak Preserve, enjoy the variety of projects they get to undertake.

“With Olympus Pools, there’s no menu of pools to choose from,” James says. “We’ve done over a thousand pools and you won’t find two of them that are the same. It’s exciting for us that every project is at least a little bit different.”

He adds, “If it’s not something we’d accept at our house, it’s not something we’d accept putting in at a customer’s house.”

Staying On Time…And On Budget

Timely completion of the project is a vital and sometimes overlooked aspect of pool construction. Olympus Pools won’t sacrifice quality for speed, but everyone at the company works hard to make sure each project stays on schedule.

“We do our best to make sure projects get done quicker,” Staten said. “We’ll notice a pool down the street that’s half way finished (when we’re just starting) and we’ll often finish before that one gets done.”

Olympus accomplishes this with aggressive scheduling and by owning a lot of its own equipment, equipment many pool companies have to subcontract out, which will drive up the cost for the customer. “We’re able to offset some of our costs because we own our own dump truck, our own Bobcat,” James says. “We’re able to do a lot of those things in-house.”

Another way Olympus Pools keeps costs down for its customers is that the company mainly relies on the most tried, tested and inexpensive form of marketing — word of mouth. Indeed, James says that referrals are usually the most effective and cost-efficient way to get the word out.

“If we didn’t have referrals, we wouldn’t do a third of the work we do,” Staten said. “Our bread and butter still lies in referrals.”

Olympus Pools, located at 4422 N. Lauber Way in Tampa, is running a promotion through March 1, where anyone building a new pool with Olympus can receive a pool heater for half-price. For more information, visit OlympusPoolsFl.com or call 983-7854.