Bettendorf firm thrives with one-stop solutions
By Stephen Elliott, Staff writer
For Blue Water Pools and Swim Spas owner Scott Pearce, diversity is key to a successful business.Mr. Pearce said his Bettendorf company is on the upswing, due to some wise choices. BPI Development Group, which Mr. Pearce owns, is the parent company of Blue Water Pools.
Starting his business 2 1/2 years ago, demand has grown.
``We build, meaning we don't manufacture them,'' Mr. Pearce said of the pools. ``We partnered with a nursery and landscaping business, Lawns Unlimited, in Bettendorf, to run a test market for the pools.
``One thing led to another, and this became just an explosion of growth. We've started similar operations in Chicago, northwest Indiana, and in Monroe, Tenn.''
BPI offers one-piece fiberglass pools, a product he said lasts a lifetime.
``Actually, we started looking into things almost four or five years ago,'' Mr. Pearce said. ``Certainly, with the nursery, we were hearing people say they wanted a pool, but didn't necessarily want high maintenance.
``So we developed a one-stop solution with the nursery, landscaping, ponds, you name it.''
Most of the fiberglass pools contain a granite coat surface, which Mr. Pearce said has revolutionized the pool industry. Recently, Blue Water undertook a huge project for a Rapid City couple.
The project, which took 45 days and was completed last fall, was recognized by Pool and Spa News. The work won Blue Water the distinction of pool builder of the year in the trade magazine.
Larry and Linda Olsen, the Rapid City couple who had the project done by Mr. Pearce, received a lot of ``no's'' from other pool builders through the years. They told the Olsens it simply couldn't be done.
``I think a lot of people said they wouldn't touch it (the project),'' Mrs. Olsen said.
To build the pool required a major undertaking. Supporting the pool is a 37-by 33-foot cement bunker located on a bluff approximately 140 feet high overlooking the Mississippi.
Mr. Pearce said 22 mixer truck loads were used. All materials were either craned, pumped, or conveyor belted to the site.
The bunker contains 14-inch thick walls that are 14 to 16 feet high. Cross footings were built inside the structure tying the walls together. Anchor cables with bolted plates are inside and outside the structure with 375 tons of aggregate rock tele-belted into the location.
The pool and structure added more than 3,000 square feet to the back of the Olsen's home. This wasn't a typical pool project, Mr. Pearce conceded.
``We can go 10 miles in our view from up here,'' Mrs. Olsen said, adding friends come over for visits and cookouts.
Nearby, Mr. Pearce is working on a similar project. He said he’s busy and business is good.
``It wasn't taking a risk, it was common sense,'' Mr. Pearce said of the pool business. ``What we did was listen to the consumer.''
Staff writer Stephen Elliott can be reached at 786-6441, Ext. 247, or by e-mail at selliott@qconline.com.