Page 19 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE_April2025

full time, while Becky, who had initially During the summer season their
eyed a career in law enforcement, began staff numbers increase from four to
working for her parents instead for a approximately 20 people. Even their
summer and stayed on. Her goal was to parents, who are happily retired, still
take over the business when they retired pitch in occasionally.
but wound up leaving in 2012 to pursue a “Our service department has definitely
career in life insurance and finance. grown,” says Becky. “There’s a lot of new
“They weren’t ready to retire, and I homeowners that either don’t have the
needed to do my own thing,” she says, experience with pools or they just don’t
adding in 2018 it was time for a career have the time or may not want to do it.”
change and returned to the business to
join Melissa, who had come onboard four When it comes to owning a pool or
years earlier after 15 years working at hot tub, the sisters insist having a
TMMC. professional service the equipment
“I had to come the point where my kids is imperative, especially when it
were getting a bit older and my husband, comes to closing or opening their
who also works at Toyota, was going on pools to ensure things are done
a opposite shift which I didn’t want,” correctly.
says Melissa, explaining her reason for “We have so much training and the
making a job switch. “I needed to learn
Bringing the service department back the business because I had never done knowledge,” says Melissa, adding just
inhouse and moving maintenance it.” buying chemicals at a store can be risky
supplies, its water testing lab and hot without proper guidance. “We know what
tub displays to the back area of the store Soon after Becky’s return, their parents the water quality is like in Cambridge
were some of the changes the sisters decided the time was right to hand over and understand things may have to be
made when they spearheaded a major the reins and the sisters jumped at the tweaked a bit because it’s not just black
rebranding in 2020 – two years after opportunity following some frank and and white as it may say on the label. We
taking ownership - to become Cambridge honest discussion. also don’t sell you what you don’t need,
Pools Leisurescapes. “We’re very different people and had and if we can save our customers a little
“The biggest thing for us was making sure never done anything like this, so we money, we know they’re going to come
back, and they always do.”
we kept the status quo before starting wondered if we could do this together
to make any big changes because we without killing each other,” laughs She says conducting business with
didn’t want customers to be shocked,” Melissa, adding many customers honesty and integrity is the best way
says Becky, noting the store’s long- often don’t realize the pair are sisters. to build those lasting relationships,
time reputation now spans 52 years. “But it was the best thing that could something her family has been doing for
“We wanted to make sure people were have happened to us because of our many years.
comfortable and understood they were diverseness; we have our own ways of “Yes, we are a business, and yes we
still coming to the place they had been doing things and it works so well in the want to make money, but we feel
dealing with a long time.” business.” customer retention is what truly drives
Founded by brothers Wayne and Ross While the transition of ownership was our business and keeps people coming
Campbell in a smaller location on virtually seamless, she admits there back,” says Melissa. “We treat them like
Hopeton Street, practically a pool were a few challenges in the beginning, we would want to be treated. It’s what
skimmer’s length away from the store’s especially for Becky who, while out we’re all about.”
current Dundas Street North home, the in the field conducting service calls Visit www.cambridgepoolsupplies.com to
sisters’ parents, Bill and Anne Grayston, and installations, occasionally faced learn more.
and partner Doug Couch, purchased the outdated attitudes towards women. That
business in 2000. Bill, already a long- has since changed.
time customer, had left the corporate “Most of our lead hands are women
world following a health emergency and and while it’s not something we often
decided to jump into the pool world. focus on, this is a very male dominated
Their mother, Anne, left her previous industry, and I think we have long since
career a short time later to join the proved that we can do this,” says Melissa,
business full time and eventually the who credits her sister’s innate attention
couple bought out their partner to go it to detail and product knowledge as
on their own after the business moved to an important asset for the family-run
its larger location. business.
At the time their parents purchased the In terms of family, the sisters each have
business, the sisters were university a son who works for the business when
graduates with their sights set on other things become busier the first warm day
careers. Following a summer stint at of spring as customers start reaching out
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, eagerly anticipating the arrival of pool
Melissa wound up being hired at the plant season.

www.cambridgechamber.com Spring 2025 19