Making a splash at the pool store

LUZERNE – People love lounging by the pool on a hot, humid, sticky summer day -- especially if the pool’s just feet from their back door.

Michelle Joyce, an assistant manager at Skovish Brothers Pools, gets to bring a little joy to people’s lives by helping them get their pools or spas installed and then maintain the wet havens, keeping them free of algae and other contaminants.

“I like it when people get really excited about their pool,” Joyce said as she showed off some of the pool toys, the pool noodles and water guns that most children gravitate to.

The family-owned-and-operated company opened its Luzerne site in January 2006 but has installed pools and spas in homes in Luzerne, Lackawanna and Columbia counties for 30 years from its Shickshinny store. The Shickshinny store, which handles the service calls and has a small retail division, is closed from Oct. 31 to April 1.

Despite the economy, business is booming this year, with workers busy installing pools as the weather will allow, Joyce said. With all the rain the area has received in the last few weeks, the company is working to stay on target with its installations this year.

The Luzerne store is open year-round to sell toys and supplies, and offer maintenance and other support as needed.

With business picking up promptly in the early spring when new spa sales start increasing, the company adds a seasonal staff of 25 to 30 to handle the new and repeat customers. Seasonal employees earn more than minimum wage, but the company declined to give exact figures on their salaries or revenue the company generates.

Business stays heavy into the fall as people continue to order new spas. Pool sales, installation, service and chemical sales dominate the spring and summer season as people gear up for fun in the sun, Joyce said.

It’s important for people to maintain their pool’s correct acidic levels, so the Skovish Brothers encourages customers to bring in a bottle of their pool water to test monthly for copper, iron, calcium, PH levels and phosphates. If levels are out of balance, the staff helps customers determine what chemicals are needed to correct the issue.

Joyce, who works full-time in the Luzerne store, recommends people use a home-set of test strips to check the water weekly.

She started working for the firm about four years ago after graduating from high school and loves her new career.

During the winter, the company’s slow season, Joyce and owner Marty Skovish Jr., who oversees the installation services, often attend training seminars and trade shows to stay current on the latest technologies and government regulations for pools and spas.

“I’ve learned a lot here. I’ve seen a lot of stuff I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. I always have to be learning something new,” she said.

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