Pools are booming in Queensland! Luke Geering of Smart Self Cleaning Pools

What is the fibreglass pool market like in QLD at the moment?

At the moment the industry is booming. All fibreglass Manufacturers are at maximum production and are struggling to keep up with demand. We could install a lot more pools than what we are currently receiving but with manufacturing and freight times, it is a struggle!

We are getting a ridiculous amount of enquiries. My website is relatively new and I’m getting too many leads to service them all.

The boom is due to Covid-19. People can’t go on that holiday they were saving up for or spend their money on overseas travel. In QLD we’ve had a lot of Victorians and New South Welshman move up here. The property market has gone through the roof. These people want quotes for pools before they have even selected a house. The number of enquiries is ridiculous and they are quality leads too!

I guess we’re just as busy as everyone else but fortunately we’re not in lock down!

What styles/shapes are in high consumer demand?

Rectangles mainly. We’ve got a lot of different ranges, shapes and sizes. Our two most popular are our vogue range and our sanctuary range. They are both rectangular but are both elegant in style with bench seat where mum and dad can relax with a drink while the kids have somewhere to splash and play. Gone are the days where people want a lagoon style pool with curved sides. Consumers are after a more elegant style these days.

What have you seen change in consumer demand over the years?

Customers rely a lot on social media and really demand a presence there. We’re all over the socials, but consumers also rely on what type of pool their friends bought and who built their friends’ pools, rather than doing their homework themselves. Word-of-mouth is very big for us. Our past customers are ultimately our best salespeople!

What are some of the challenges for pool builders in QLD?

Staffing isn’t so much of an issue now as it was in the past. A few years ago we initiated some training procedures for our staff. The only hurdle we currently have is receiving the shells from our supplier in a timely manner, but at the moment every pool builder has that problem. We have weekly conversations with the manufacturer and they are working 24/7 and just can’t keep up with demand. They work around the clock and their orders have increased phenomenally. When coronavirus began, I looked at the bank account and panicked wondering when I’d sell another pool, because I assumed that everyone was going to be careful with their money. But it turns out that it has been the best thing for our industry! I don’t think there’s going to be any slowing down any time soon either. We’ve had to work out ways to field our enquiries better. We touch base with everyone and just try to service them as best we can. We send out information to everyone who has made contact with us and that usually ties them over until I can get to them to conduct a site inspection.

I take care of St Lawrence, North of Rockhampton, in the North to Ayr as far West as I want to go. I’m a sub-dealer for my Dad (Jeff Geering of Composite Pool Solutions). He is the distributor for Compass Pools and takes care of all of central and North QLD.

What are you doing in terms of innovation?

We haven’t had to innovate too much but we have changed some of our processes around to manage things a little better. We’ve now got the capability to install more pools in the same amount of time. At the end of 2019, Composite Pool Solutions planned to grow by 20% so we had extra trailers built and purchased more tools and machinery. We put on more guys to train up with our existing installation crews. They had to learn quickly because by February 2020, Covid-19 had already hit. Last year we ended up growing by 80%.

At the moment we’re trying to share the love a bit and we’re looking for sub-dealers in Cairns, Townsville and Mt Isa to take the pressure off Dad. This is a real current focus of ours, as it’s just such a huge region to cover. If you’re interested, please email jeff@ compositepools.com.au

How and when did you become involved in the pool and spa industry?

It’s a long story. Dad used to manage the Compass Pools factory in Newcastle, so I grew up running around the factory and helping Dad out after hours. 12 years ago, Dad had the opportunity to become a dealer for compass in Rockhampton, so he jumped at it. I’m a sheet metal worker by trade but ended up with a back injury so about three years ago I put my hand up to help Dad out in QLD. He has taught me all I know and I had a lot to learn. Especially last year. I had to learn fast!

My original intention was to come up to QLD for six months and learn all about swimming pools and how to sell them, then go back to Newcastle and try to land a job in the local branch. But after six months, Dad didn’t want me to go anywhere and I liked what was happening up here, so we made the decision to move the family up and from that I was offered the sub-dealership in Airlie beach and Mackay.

Is the backyard revolution as big in QLD as it is in Victoria?

I believe it is. The property market throughout QLD is booming at the moment. That is predominantly Victorians and New South Welshman who have moved to QLD and made it their home. Everyone realised they could work remotely during Covid-19. So many still have their workplace in Melbourne or Sydney but they are doing business from a beach front property in QLD. Everyone wants a swimming pool, a shed, a patio and a gazebo. Backyards are being fully transformed over the period of just a few months.

Do you think pool ownership is a great Australian dream for Queenslanders?

I believe it is. It’s too hot up here not to have one. The further North you go, the higher the risk of swimming in the ocean, so people are wanting their own pool at home. Humidity here is 80%-90%. People can either go to a public pool or find a friend with a pool but they end up just wanting to get their own. In the last twelve months, pool builders have popped up all over Queensland and are all wanting a piece of the pie. The customer really needs to do their homework. No-one wants to spend that much money on a pool if the person building it has only built a handful of pools in the past.

We don’t win sales on price. We win sales on quality! We’re actually one of the dearer ones out there due to having a far more superior pool shell, paired with a filtration system that is actually suited for the pool. We try to educate the customer as much as possible before we even do a site inspection.

Are you looking for a change?

Become a Composite Pools sub-dealer in QLD!

Contact

Jeff Geering: 1300 309 691 jeff@compositepools.com.au Luke Geering: 0401 871 192 luke@compositepools.com.au