The following was featured in Voices News

Drakeley Pool Company Aims to Build Pools, Relationships

WOODBURY - As a member of Woodbury's Historic District Commission, Bill Drakeley, Jr., helps make sure his hometown retains its quaint, rural charm. That's a volunteer position, but his way of doing business could be described in much the same way. As president of the William T. Drakeley Swimming Pool Company LLC, Mr. Drakeley is making Woodbury a lovelier place, one backyard at a time. A third-generation pool builder, the Woodbury native specializes in the design, installation, maintenance and renovation of in-ground concrete pools. "I've been in the business 20 years now," he said. "My grandfather started Scott Swimming Pool Company back in 1937, my mother was in the pool business and I worked for the company for quite awhile. Now I've started my own company."

Mr. Drakeley told Voices that he founded his business on the premise of relationship-building. "We do one project at a time, " he explained. "That way, we can get to know the client and form a relationship. We don't rush and we don't put pressure on the client. We work with them to design the pool they want, not the pool we want to build." Open since April 15, the company has 10 residential pools under contract now and two commercial renovations scheduled to start in the fall. "So far, it's been terrific," he said. "People have told us they love the work we do and they love how we do it."

Bill Drakeley, Jr., president of William T. Drakeley Swimming Pool Company, LLC, on site at a pool his company is installing for a Southbury homeowner. (Dunn photos)

A hands-on owner, Bill is assisted by Vice President Jeffrey Boucher and two full-time employees. It is his policy to use local suppliers when he can to subcontract as little work as possible. "We do the shotcrete, the fencing, the decking, the topsoil," he said. "We're pretty self-sufficient. We like to stay in control of the job and take the scheduling problems away from the client when we can."

Two installations completed recently reflect a trend toward pools designed to be in harmony with their surroundings. Gray plaster pool surfaces surrounded by natural bluestone decking make for a more natural, almost pond-like appearance. "I'm finding that in the last five years or so, people are getting back to classic linear pools," he said. "And they don't want it to look out of place. People are getting away from the old 20-by-40 white concrete pool with turquoise tile that looks like it was dropped from the sky."

The pools Bill showed Voices were oases of calm, with no diving boards, no shiny metal ladders or handrails. "As far as access and safety," he explained, "everything is underwater. It's all there, but it's not in view. It's a classic look that will never go out of style." No matter what style of pool is chosen, when it comes to maintenance, clients of William T. Drakeley Swimming Pool Company have access to the latest technology in the industry.

One option available is the Ozone Bromine Sanitation System, a chlorine-free water sanitation process that can be incorporated into a pool's filtration system. "That's an option to clients," Bill said. "Water chemistry is crucial to the health of the pool and if you keep the proper chemical balance, chlorine is fine. But the wrong chemistry can ruin the pool surface, ruin the equipment and it's unhealthy. If the chemistry is off, it can be hazardous."

Surrounded by natural bluestone decking, this pool recently installed by William T. Drakeley Swimming Pool Company reflects a trend toward classic, linear pools. Bill Drakeley, Jr. (left), is president of the company; Jeffrey Boucher is vice president.

Bill and his wife Christine have four children under 10. Though he has been asked to bid on jobs as far away as Fairfield, he isn't interested in spreading himself too thin. "We have a great crew of young, dedicated guys," he said, "and we all have families, so we're trying to stay local. I coach Little League baseball, I coach Parks and Rec basketball and we have a family night two times a week. That's better for me and better for the whole company."

There is great satisfaction, he told Voices, in knowing the pools he builds will provide enjoyment for many years to come. "If a pool's built right," he said, "it should last a long time. There are pools around here that my grandfather built 40 years ago and they're still running." "I learned a lot from my grandfather, " he said, "and I learned a lot from my mother and father. Now it's time to take a step in the direction I want to go."

Article reprinted with permission, ©2001 all rights reserved.