©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jennifer Farnsworth
Concord Pools of Latham and Saratoga Springs has a new owner.
Mike Giovanone, the former president and chief executive, recently sold the business to his vice president of pool sales, Jon Foshee.
Foshee worked 12 years working as a sales director and executive for Latham Pool Products. In February of 2019, he was asked if he would be interested in buying and running Concord Pools, with the intention of also managing the business.
“It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a tremendous offer. Everything seemed to line up and we worked together to make it as seamless as possible,” said Foshee.
The process, Foshee said, took about 12 months to complete. He said it was unlike any other deal he had witnessed because all sides sat down and worked together to find the best way to meet everyone’s needs.
“This is really a special group of people who made something special happen. You don’t always see buyers and sellers on the same side, but that is what you had here, everyone supporting every single person involved. I am proud of everyone who was involved in this unique deal,” said Foshee.
Giovanone will act as a sort of mentor to Foshee for the next three years as he develops a plan to take the company into the next phase of the industry. Foshee said Concord and Latham Pool Products have worked closely for years and are always willing to help each other with changes that happen with things like installations and maintenance. Concord and Latham pools opened a fiberglass pool distribution center in Queensbury.
Foshee said during the winter the company employs around 25-30 people but have about 75 on staff during the summer.
With the current COVID-19 crises, Foshee said that they have had an influx of calls for people wanting their hot tubs serviced because so many people are home. He said he anticipates the possibility of more consumers looking to install pools, since most people will not be planning a vacation given the uncertainty of the duration of the virus.
Concord Pools & Spas is the 20th largest pool builder in North America, according to Pool and Spa News. Only three builders in the Northeast outrank them, including one in Connecticut, one in New Jersey and one in Ontario, Canada.
They are located on South Broadway in Saratoga. COVID-19 special store hours are listed on their website at concordpools.com, along with a Notice Regarding COVID-19 Store Operations.