The California Pools and Landscape Story
How We Began
California Pools & Landscape was founded on the principle of making pool building a better experience for people. We were motivated by a sincere desire to create different kinds of relationships and to make a difference in the lives of the people we build pools for.
“I arrived at a point in my career with pools where I was clear that customers, vendors, and subcontractors needed to have a different kind of relationship. The relationships I saw throughout the industry were largely adversarial and unpleasant. So one day, I came home and said to my wife “I’m going take a cut in pay, and we’ll probably build 8 or 10 pools a year, but we are going have a good time doing it. I’m going make a difference for the people I get to build for.”
–Mike Smith, Founder, and Vice President
We are a family-run business in the truest sense: the original California Pools began as a little computer hutch in a kitchen, run by husband and wife team Mike and Joan Smith. It grew to a few desks in the living room and the tile selection board in the garage. Even though our business has grown larger with multiple locations, it is still a family business at heart.
As we brought employees on board, the philosophy held — we saw that you could build relationships based on respect and honor between employees, customers, and subcontractors, and that philosophy could take your company far.
Mike and Joan eventually retired in 2001 and put the business in the capable hands of their son Jeremy and his wife Stephanie, who had worked at California Pools since junior high school.
Learning From You
When there was a dip in the economy we had an opportunity to go out and start talking to our clients more directly to learn what they really wanted from us. It was an eye opening experience! We heard from you that you loved the services we offered, and you considered us a leader in our industry. We found out you wanted us to be involved in your entire backyard and do more than just pools.
We heard you and began to expand: gazebos, outdoor kitchens, sunken bars, ramadas, bathhouses, and more. That has led us to be the premier outdoor living company in the valley, and we have you, our customers, to thank.
As we grew from a pool builder to a total outdoor living company, we saw the need to recruit more help —
“So I went to my dad, who was retired, and he took the job! It was an awesome opportunity for both of us.
– Jeremy Smith, President
“His vision of where the company could go was so exciting to me that I just jumped back in with both feet.”
– Mike Smith
These days at California Pools & Landscape, the friendships and relationships we have with our employees, customers, vendors, and trade partners still carry that feeling of friends talking around the kitchen table.
“California Pools is such a part of my life in every way. It’s a part of my family’s life, and who we are. And it really hasn’t changed. I’ve got children, grandchildren, in-laws and really close friends that are participating and really active in the business. The vision we set out with, and the heart that we put into this business isn’t a bit different today than it was when we started—there’s just a bit more of it.”
–Mike Smith
