at Exit 18 with Anthony Casale of Casale Construction, left, and project manager Ralph Moore
BY LIZ WITBECK
Concord Pools and Spas is set to open its third
location this fall. The new facility is located at
Northway Exit 18 Glens Falls.
This opening follows the success of the
company’s other two branches in Latham and
Saratoga Springs.
Michael Giovanone, company president and
CEO, said he had noticed business growing in
the Glens Falls and Lake George region.
“We were installing 50 pools a year north of
Exit 16,” said Giovanone. “We had people coming
from Glens Falls and Lake George just to our
Saratoga Springs location … There was a void
for full-service, quality pool companies in the
Glens Falls area.”
Giovanone believes the third location will be
successful due to the demand for a pools and spas
in the area and the emerging new technologies
of the industry. He said the location itself will
attract his target market.
“This will allow us to cover from southern
Albany County to northern Warren County in a
very efficient manner,” he said.
The Glens Falls location will be a Concord
Pools and Spas full service retail store as well
as a Viking One Piece Fiberglass Distribution
Center. Viking is currently the largest fiberglass
pool manufacturer in the United States. The site
will feature 20 to 30 fiberglass shells at any time
for customer showings.
“Fiberglass pools are the fastest growing
segment in the industry,” said Giovanone.
Next door to the new Concord Pools location, is
the Boat N RV Center built by Munter Enterprises.
The center will be a 24-hour storage facility for
boats, RVs and classic cars. The second location
stems from Giovanone’s success with the boat
and RV center he operates in Saratoga Springs.
The Concord Pools and Spas facility is 4,000
square feet, with a total of approximately 100,000
square feet for both the new Concord Pools and
Spas location and Boat N RV Center.
Giovanone invested about $5 million into
both projects.
Tom Byrnes will manage the Glens Falls
location of Concord Pools.
“We’re so thankful to the town of Queensbury,
the Adirondack Trust Co., Munter, and to the
public that enticed open in the area,” said
Giovanone.
At the Exit 18 Glens Falls location, Concord
Pools and Spas will be sell vinyl liner pools,
fiberglass pools, spas and saunas, grills, outdoor
equipment, and sheds.
Concord Pools and Spas was founded in 1972
as a service company. Giovanone took over as
owner in 1979. The company focuses on high-end
commercial and residential pools, with average
costs between $20,000 to $400,000.
He said Concord Pools and Spas has installed
more than 11,000 pools in the Capital District.
The company has received several awards such
as being named to the Top 3 Pool Companies in
the USA by Pool and Spa News, as well as being
a six-time Master of Design recipient.
Giovanone customer service helps set his
company apart from others.
“I have a term that I use for people who come
to my stores. I call them ‘custowners.’ I want them
to feel like they have ownership of the company,”
he said.
Giovanone makes a point to speak with nearly
every client who purchases a pool or spa. “The
person should be able to rate their experience as
‘above excellent.’ Excellent is not good enough.
We want to be above excellent. If it was not above
excellent, we need to know why.”
Giovanone takes a personal approach to getting
new clients. He takes them to see other pools that
were installed by Concord. “I take them to the job
site. I get them to talk to their peers who are at a
similar point in the buying process.” He said that
peer reviews lead him to more new customers.
For more information, visit www.concordpools.com.