Celebrating Our Pentair Pool Partners – Water Works Pool & Spa

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Celebrating Our Pentair Pool Partners

Water Works Pool & Spa

LYNN WHITE’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS

Pentair Pool Partner

Pentair appreciates the people who make the pool industry special: dealers, builders and service technicians. Through pool pros, pool owners learn about their pools and how to maintain them to allow for splash-filled memories properly.

The Pentair Partners network currently provides more than 15,000 dealer partners with resources through the Pentair Partner Center to help them grow their businesses. We are excited to share the stories of some key partners like Lynn White. Read how she helps her customers have the best possible pool ownership experience and how she leans on her strong relationships and decades of experience to help her business thrive.

Family Affair

Lynn White

In an industry dominated by men, Lynn White, owner of Water Works Pool & Spa in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, stands out. Even through adversity, she forged her success partly due to her tenacious work ethic and dedication to building strong relationships.

Lynn is a second-generation family business owner. Her parents started the Water Works business from their home on a whim in the 1970s. They started by running ads in the local newspaper for subcontracting swimming pools. At the time, pre-teen Lynn was the company’s designated bookkeeper, and her older brothers assisted with the business’s plumbing needs.

In 1984, the company grew, and Water Works Pool & Spa opened a storefront in Tuscaloosa. Lynn worked side by side with her dad until he had a stroke, leaving her to take over the family business at the young age of 24. Water Works Pool & Spa has been open for over 38 years. Lynn attributes the business’s longevity to her team’s dedication to providing its customers with lifelong memories shared by the pools in their backyards.

“I wasn’t planning on ever working in the pool industry, but once I started, I loved it enough that I stayed,” Lynn said.

Trailblazing Her Path

Water Works Building

From the beginning, as a young woman, Lynn had to prove herself to customers to illustrate she knew the ins and outs of the pool industry. She experienced customers addressing questions to male coworkers rather than allowing her to respond or address problems. Although she’s faced challenging customers in the past, one thing Lynn can guarantee is how she responds to negativity. Lynn makes a point to treat every customer, pleasant or unpleasant, with respect and builds her business on that value.

“It was hard not to internalize the little comments throughout the years, but I knew I couldn’t dwell on them,” said Lynn. “To other women in the pool industry, keep your head held high and always focus on growing your business despite challenges, you may face personally and professionally.”

One thing Lynn has learned in all her years in the pool industry is that women should not doubt themselves – they belong in this space. Confident decision-making is critical for success.

“As a business owner, I love to work; it is a reward for me, and I really enjoy what I do. When I look in the mirror, I want to be proud of the person looking back at me,” said Lynn.

Longstanding Pentair support

Water Works Team Members

Water Works Pool & Spa has been a Pentair Partner for the past 20 years. Lynn appreciates the individualized support she receives from Pentair’s sales staff and technical reps.

“One thing that sets Pentair apart is they truly want you to understand how their products work,” Lynn said. “They’re going to walk you through proper installation and how to prove to your customers that Pentair has the highest quality products.”

Lynn also enjoys the perks of being a Pentair dealer, including the industry conferences she has attended. She found a close-knit group of friends in the pool industry through these opportunities.

“Above all, the pool industry is just a fun place to be,” Lynn said. “The places I’ve traveled with Pentair are places I never would’ve gone to on my own. And having the opportunity to meet people who really understand you and your passion for what you do… I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Reflecting on the past and looking forward

Lynn’s strong work ethic, longstanding relationships, and vast knowledge of the pool industry have allowed Water Works Pool & Spa to become a well-established and well-respected business in the Tuscaloosa community.

“80% of businesses fail in the first five years. And we’ve made it three decades, almost four,” Lynn said. “I know my dad would be really proud of how far we’ve come.”

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