BY HANA ALANIS “We’ll Stand on Our Heads to Make You Happy” Jackie Robinson (no relation you go from TV’s to swimming pool store owner? Well Perry’s Pool Pumps was
to the wonderful baseball player) was a farm boy from Virginia who moved to Arizona – as most folks did in the 1960s as a prescription for asthma – with his family and started their TV repair shop: Valleywide TV Repair. He’s grandfather to Jake Odom, and here’s their story. Jake Odom wears a black t-shirt with Valleywide Pool Supply on the front with tributes on the sleeve to breast cancer, in honor of his late mother ,and a puzzle piece for Autism awareness just below, a symbol for his daughter who lives with Autism. Saying Jake is a hard-working family man is an understatement, and he’s likely one of the most modest folks I’ve ever met. With a rigorous work ethic instilled in him from both sides of the family (his Grandpa Jackie with Virginia farm blood, and his dad’s side of the family who ran a watermelon farm in Tolleson, Arizona) Jake believes in doing things right, never overselling, and he’s constantly giving back to the community. He told me not to say anything, but whoops, you all need to know this about him. When he hears someone in need, he helps in the areas he knows best, and he’s been supporting our local schools. You have seen his shop on 7th St and Coral Gables, a perfect location to help manage the needs of Moon Valley pool owners. But did you know he drives into work from Chandler every day? Jake considers himself a Moon Valley boy through and through – the Robinson side of his family lived in Moon Valley for over 40 years, with Jake being born and raised in a home off 7th St and Union Hills. His grandfather’s shop was first at 19th Ave and Thunderbird (there’s a CVS in the spot now) before it then moved to 19th Ave and Sweetwater. His mother was in the first ever graduating class at Greenway HS, his uncles went to Thunderbird, another to Moon Valley High, and his sister attended Lookout Mountain, Mountain Sky, and graduated from Thunderbird. And he knew he wanted his shop in Moon Valley, even if it means a long commute into work to ensure his daughter has the best education for herself on the Chandler side of the valley. At 15, Jake could be found repairing away in his grandpa’s shop, so how do
their next-door neighbor, and Jake with his awesome work ethic popped in one day and said I want to work. And put to work he was at 60 hours in his first week earning a whopping $150 commission. He got hooked. In 2004, Jake opened his own pool related motor repair shop, but understanding the fluid nature of business, he also created the store and pool service arm. Motors will eventually not exist to be repaired, but what do people love to do here in Arizona during warm weather? Jump in their pools. With 6,000 pools in a 3 mile radius, it just makes sense and there’s not been a lot of plans to fill them in. Jake states it’s funny with pools they now service, it seems like a bunch of folks his age have moved back into their parent’s old homes and adopted their pools. All of the pool owners who reach out, come shop in the store or use the pool service, Jake describes them as nothing but loyal. A huge part of that loyalty is due to the amazing skill of Jake’s partner in biz, Richard. Richard went to college for Chemistry. He’s a straight up CPO certified Chemist, and he’ll tell you exactly how to fix your pool’s chemical levels - you just need to listen. They noticed a lot of customers were getting disillussioned with big-box stores like Leslie’s because they spends hundreds if not thousands of dollars and get no where. With Richard on the scene, pools get fixed the first time and at a fraction of the cost. So how has COVID affected them? Not knowing if customers would be afraid to come in, Jake developed a completely contactless program of over the phone orders with hand-delivery to Moon Valley backyards. It’s been a great help for those folks who are vulnerable, plus keeping pools in tip-top shape is imperative to preventing other diseases. On a personal level? It’s been hard. Jake is very close with his grandmother. Before COVID, he delivered groceries every Thursday and they have a special bond of texting each other during Dbacks games: neither of those things have been happening right now. Once it’s safe again to see his grandmother, Jake has a beautiful surprise for her. Did you notice his pool store and his grandfather’s TV repair shop both have the same name? Have you seen the sweet caricature mascot for Valleywide? That’s a drawing of his smiley granddad. The original mascot from Valleywide TV Repair was Jake’s grandpa standing on his head, because Grandpa Jackie’s slogan in the 80s was “we’ll stand on our heads to make you happy.” And lastly, Jake’s motor repair shop we mentioned earlier? It’s in the exact same storefront that the TV repair shop was. Pictured: Grandpa Jackie, Left and Uncle Jackie, Right
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