Kara Weed, 36
Ultra Modern Pool & Patio, Managing partner
Wichita, Kansas
As the third-generation co-owner of Ultra Modern Pool & Patio in Wichita, Kansas, Kara Weed is working hard to grow the business and add two more stores in the next five years.
“We have been busy making our company procedures scalable and easy to follow to allow this growth in the future,” she says. “I would also like to continue to grow our construction department.”
Weed started at her family business in 2015 as a marketing professional, which transformed into doing accounting and general management duties.
In 2019, she became 50% owner and the following year became the managing partner of Ultra Modern.
“We have three stores, a service department and a construction department,” she says. “It’s a sizable operation, and we are celebrating our 70th year in business this year.”
Since becoming the managing partner, Weed has increased the company’s growth and found ways to maintain it as the economy came out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How’d she do it? Weed loves and believes in the products they sell.
“I love that we sell products people want versus products they need,” Weed says. “I see it as a long-term career due to how much I like it and because the industry is constantly innovating and changing so that hot tubs stay relevant.”
In the future, besides opening two more stores, Weed aims to make the industry more unified.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who sets the example with a strong moral compass as a leader in the industry,” she says.