Averi Edwards
Edwards Pool Construction
Andover, Kan.
Despite growing up in the business and being a competitive swimmer, Averi Edwards did not at all expect the pool and spa industry would be her career.
"I didn't have any interest in it," she says. "Even when swimming competitively and being in the pool every day, the idea of working in the industry never occurred to me."
That changed in 2014 when Edwards' father, who had been struggling with a short-staffed service department, invited her to join the team.
"I was a rookie," she says. "I knew nothing about service, I knew nothing about chemicals, I knew nothing about repairs, so I'm really lucky I apprenticed under a couple different seasoned technicians."
Two years later, everything changed. Edwards' youngest sister was diagnosed with stage IV Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as HLH, a systemic inflammatory syndrome. Her parents went to the hospital to look after her, leaving Edwards to run the day-to-day operations of Edwards Pool Construction by herself.
"It was a sink or swim moment for me, and that's when I really immersed myself in the industry. I needed to learn as much as I could, as quickly as I could." (Thankfully, her sister fully recovered.)
In the spring, the company faced another hurdle when the lead service tech left for another opportunity. Edwards once again stepped up and proved her mettle as a skilled service professional.
"I guess I do well under pressure because that's when I really started thriving," she says with a laugh. "I felt like I had enough knowledge under my belt to run things, so I did."
Today, she runs the service department, including all billing, scheduling and customer questions; assists with the construction side of the business; and still manages to have time to work a pool route three days per week.
"I'm constantly working, whether I'm in the office, out in the field or at home on the weekends. I live, eat, sleep, breathe swimming pools. It's more than a full time job for me, it's my life," she says.
While joining the pool industry was an unexpected turn for Edwards, she's thrilled by the work and the challenges it brings.
"I love that there's always more to learn. You think you have an understanding of something and then something new comes out and it flips your whole world upside down."
She's also excited for her future and learning more about pool construction.
"I got to take a Genesis class as part of my prize package, and that was really exciting," she says. "I hope to be able to continue my dad's legacy here in Wichita with pool construction."
