AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS in the industry, Larry Berczyk, co-owner of Minn.-based Valley Pools & Spas, says his favorite part of the job now is mentoring and interacting with his employees, “Watching them work and do the things they’ve been taught and trained to do, it’s kinda fun,” Berczyk says. He’s happy with the dedicated core of people they have at the store. Berczyk, whose parents Hilary and Bonnie started the business in 1974, now owns it with his sisters Heidi and Wendy. Several other family members work at Valley as well, making it hard to find enough employees to cover the store when a family event, like a graduation or birthday party, comes up.
“It’s a real benefit [working with family] because they’re dedicated, and you know that they’re going to show up and get the job done,” Berczyk says. “You don’t have
to worry about them not trying or working their hardest. I’m looking forward to my kids taking over the stores at some point. I hope it stays in the family.”
The company began with pool service, operating out of the Berczyk family garage. It has grown to four locations and builds in-ground pools, sells spas, saunas, above-ground pools and other backyard products.
While they had to let some people go during the recession, all four locations survived — and Berczyk found himself changing his tune on the service side of the business. “I always thought service was break-even at best,” he says. “I never thought we could make money on it.”
Berczyk streamlined the department, bringing in an employee from retail to work as a dispatcher, coordinating the service work, technician schedules and ensuring techs go out with the best route and needed parts. “It’s been a huge help in controlling overtime and getting work done efficiently,” Berczyk says. “And then [she] follows up and calls the customers to make sure everything is OK — all things that we never used to do, and it’s made a big difference. You can make darn good money in service.”
Valley Pools & Spas also started doing commercial service work, something they abandoned years ago. But as the competition for new pool installations became about who could offer the lowest bid, commercial work filled the gap. “If people are out looking for a cheap box of water, they can find it,” Berczyk says. “I sell swimming pools.”
Coming off some tough years, Berczyk offers this advice to other retailers: “Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Don’t try to do more than you can.” He holds these thoughts close when he’s trying to gauge where stress is coming from. “You just have to make choices and back off. Control the things you can control, and don’t lose sleep over the things you can’t.”