Mike Isley didn’t picture himself in the hot tub industry, but he did envision working at a small business.
“I always wanted to be with a private business,” Isley says. “Somewhere that I could make a difference. I started off in the retail department [at Paradise LeisureScapes] and worked my way up and then became a partner about 15 years ago. It’s been a fun ride.”
In 1970, Paradise Pools was founded by Doug Mieyette and Dennis Ebell, focusing on swimming pool construction in Regina, Saskatchewan. Ten years later, the company expanded 160 miles north to Saskatoon. Then in 2007, Mieyette’s son, Kelly, took over the business, and Isley went from being an employee to a partner.
It didn’t take long for Paradise Pools to expand into pool remodels and retail, quickly adding more backyard living products to its offerings. In 2002, it rebranded as Paradise LeisureScapes and opened an 18,000-square-foot superstore in Regina. Four years later, the Saskatoon location was also moved into a larger facility. Isley says they recognize customers want one company that can do it all, so they’ve become that outdoor destination provider.
Isley says it’s not uncommon for a customer to say, “ ‘Here’s a picture out of the magazine — could you please just make my yard look like this?’ ” And he’s happy to respond with, “We’ve got the ability to build the yard that you want in the way that you want it,” he says.
Mieyette manages the Regina area and Isley manages Saskatoon.
“We service all of Saskatchewan,” Isley says. “So, we split up the province. We get the north side of the province, and Regina gets the south side of the province.”
Saskatchewan is home to severe weather, with highs of 104 degrees Fahrenheit to lows of -40, making it imperative Paradise sells products that can withstand the extremes, which currently includes Hot Spring Spas, Bullfrog Spas, Coast Spas and Viking Spas.
“Western Canada is a different animal when it comes to the weather,” Isley says. “We’ve done a good job partnering with the right manufacturers. A lot of our success is just making sure that we’ve got the proper product that people need for our climate.”
The right mix of products goes beyond durability. Isley stays in tune with backyard living trends to ensure they have the latest on their floor. With social media, things can change overnight, and customers often want to imitate what they see celebrities doing in their backyards, he says.
To Isley, it’s important to not only keep products up to date but also to continually challenge the “this is the way it’s always been done” mindset.
“We need to grow with the times and give people the new technologies they’re looking for,” he says. “Our industry has those capabilities, and we need to make sure people are aware of them. They’re going to be happier in the long run.”
Ultimately, that is the goal — happy, satisfied customers.
“What we strive toward and what makes it a better business through the years is saying,
‘How can we help consumers in other ways? How can we do our job better?’ ”