Jay Broyer and Brandon Jones, second cousins who co-own St. Cyr Pool & Spa in Middleton, Massachusetts, are a pair of entrepreneurs who take an aggressive approach to business. In the past four years, they acquired three pool and spa businesses, igniting a transformation that shows no signs of slowing down.
“Our vision is to make this a multiregion endeavor,” Broyer says.
In 2019, they acquired St. Cyr Pool & Spa from Jones’ uncle, John St. Cyr, making them the third generation to own the business since its founding in 1972. In 2021, they purchased Budget Pools, a large retailer nearby. Fast forward to this year, and they completed yet another acquisition, this time taking over the Swimming Pool Center of Hampstead in Hampstead, New Hampshire.
“I think those first two [Budget Pools and Swimming Pool Center] are just the start of the roadmap,” Jones says. “It’s where we want to keep going, whether it is opening new stores or acquiring them.”
Broyer, known for his thoughtful and meticulous planning, equalizes Jones’ desire to jump into action. “It’s a good balance,” Jones acknowledges. “I’ve got these huge dreams, and sometimes they’re out of the realm of possibility.”
St. Cyr Pool & Spa had two employees when Broyer and Jones took ownership, and across their three locations today, the business boasts nearly 50 team members and carries a variety of brands, including D1, Nordic, Artesian, Bullfrog and Marquis.
While their ambitious spirits are always ready for new opportunities, Broyer emphasizes the current focus is streamlining operations.
“We have to really bring our ‘A-game’ and get things where they need to be before we can grow much further,” he says. “But we’re doing some cool stuff on that end to bring those things together, so we can operate in multiple regions efficiently and effectively.”
A focus on operations does not deter the duo from keeping an eye out for expansion options. “I think Brandon [Jones] jokes about buying every company in the region,” Broyer quips.
One particular group of businesses they have their sights set on are those owned by people nearing retirement.
“The opportunity is going to be insane for those who have the appetite for risk to take advantage of it,” Broyer says. “The baby boomer generation owns a lot of small businesses right now, and they need somebody to run these businesses. They can’t just all close.”
Amid their pursuit of rapid growth, Broyer underscores that it’s not merely about the numbers.
“It’s not about how many stores we’re going to have or what our revenue is going to look like,” he says. “I want to be the highest-reviewed, best company in New England. If we can make the [St. Cyr] name the most recognized and most trusted name in New England when it comes to pools and spas, that would be my goal.”
