America’s Swimming Pool Company announced the winner of the company’s award for Franchise of the Year and Employee of the Year during the 11th annual ASP Owners Meeting reception held in Savannah. John and Peter Baldschun, owners of the Chattanooga franchise, were honored to be the recipients of Franchise of the Year. A second award for Employee of the Year was also given to the Chattanooga franchise location. Maintenance and service department manager, Jim Hacka, was the honored recipient of this award.
The 2018 ASP Owners Meeting was a two-day convention that brought together ASP franchise owners from across the nation, ASP key employees, top vendors in the pool industry, and keynote speakers.
During ASP’s annual event, franchise owners were acknowledged and awarded for their significant achievements, and top performing locations were selected as finalists for Franchise of the Year. The key factors used to determine the ASP location recognized for this award was based on the number of years as a franchise owner, the location’s total yearly sales, the ability to shine through the competition, and the location’s involvement in the community and the franchise organization.
“I was thrilled to announce Chattanooga as Franchise of the Year," said Stewart Vernon, founder and CEO of America’s Swimming Pool Company. "John and Peter have proven their success as franchise owners by their commitment to excellence in everything they do. Their passion for the company and employees is evident, and they have done a great job building a strong foundation that reflects and reiterates our core values.”
ASP’s Employee of the Year award is designed to recognize the best of the best. Each year franchise owners send in their applications for Employee of the Year, along with a brief description of that employee and why they deserve to be awarded. Mr. Hacka was chosen because of his ability to share his passion for the pool industry, his drive to be the best, and his dedication to the business year over year.
The Chattanooga franchise first opened in 2009 and had set the standards for success early on, said officials. In the first year, the Chattanooga location set a record for first-year franchise sales and was awarded Franchise of the Year by 2012. Their business has continued to accelerate, and in 2017 they reached a company milestone of exceeding over $2 million in sales. In addition to the Baldschun’s company success, John enjoys being involved with the overall success of the franchise organization. He is chairman of ASP’s Franchise Advisory Council and involved with ASP’s Panel of Pros, which provides the opportunity for him to share success stories, resources, and ideas to help other ASP franchise owners continue to grow their businesses.
The Baldschun’s attribute the success of ASP Chattanooga to consistent hard work and commitment to long-term strategic planning. Overall, their company’s success can be identified by their team of pool maintenance and pool renovation professionals who have proven a relentless pursuit of excellence, said officials. The Baldschun’s are most proud of the positive force they can be in the lives of the ASP Chattanooga team.
For more information visit ASPchattanooga.com, email chattanooga@asppoolco.com, or call 702-4425. Find them on Facebook @ASPchattanooga. Local homeowners looking to build an inground pool, remodel their backyard swimming pool, or need pool cleaning services can visit the ASP pool experts at the Tri-State Home Show on Friday-Sunday at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center.