Stittsville couple opens pool supply shop on Stittsville Main

Bucket of cholorine with your double-double?

Scott and Angie Jessiman opened a pool supply and services company at the end of swimming season in a retail plaza on Stittsville Main Street.  They’re confident the business will take off, thanks to a large concentration of backyard pools and hot tubs in the area — and a prime location next to some high-traffic stores.

The Jessiman’s are the owners of 4 Season Pool & Spa, now open in the strip mall next to the Tim Horton’s and Brown’s Independent.

The company is actually over ten years old, and used to run out of the Jessiman’s garage in the Timbermere area.  They recently took over part of the business from Stittsville Pool & Spa after the owner retired, and decided it was time to open a retail location.

“We did this as a side job, and if you do a good job it spreads. We quickly went up to 350 clients that we serviced on a regular basis, just opening and closing pools,” says Scott.

Their space on Stittsville Main was previously occupied by Rogers Video.  The original plan was to open in August, but building permits and complying with inspections (including installing a large new bay door at the back)  pushed the opening to September.

There are a lot of swimming pools in Stittsville.  A combination of high incomes and large lots make it one of Ottawa’s hot spots for backyard pools.

“Take a look at Google maps and there’s probably one in five have a pool,” says Scott.

Hot tubs are a growing business too.  “It’s like a cheap pool in your backyard that you can use all year long. Have a drink in the backyard even if it’s snowing out.”

As for the location, the Jessiman’s agree that you don’t usually see a pool supply store in a strip mall but that the strategy was to locate the business near high-traffic stores.

“Being close to Tim Horton’s, it’s a good spot for visibility and new clients that want to come in,” he says. “It’s easy to get your chemicals when you’re going to the grocery store.”

And as for the fall opening, Scott says pool maintenance is a year-round business.   Closing season doesn’t wrap up until late November, and they have enough clients over the winter to keep them busy until people start opening their pools in the spring.

“Over the winter we’ll still offer hot tub testing, and we have a few indoor pools and some commercial contracts,” he says.

“It’s not going to be thriving like in the summer but we’ll be ready for April.”

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