From left to right: Evan Baard, Connor Gibbs, John Kenyon, Caley Gibbs, Jason Dedels, Ed Gibbs (CEO) and Peter Friis (COO). The five at left have all earned their Master CBP.
Honesty. Integrity. Family Trust. Community building.
These are the core values of Gib-San Pool & Landscape Creations, a third-generation pool construction, design, service, and retail company based in Toronto, Ontario, that has been in operation for 50 years.
Owner and President Ed Gibbs is a firm believer in the importance of cultivating a positive culture at his organization.
"It's not just about getting someone a raise or giving someone an extra holiday," Gibbs says. "It's about a holistic approach to managing your team's expectations and continually raising the bar of excellence."
Secret Sauce
Gib-San is known for its happy employees. Gibbs attributes that partially to the fact that, at its core, the swimming pool industry brings happiness to people. "The best times in the filmstrip of life are around a pool," he says, "and we can bring that to people. That is something really special."
He also attributes it to the company's "secret sauce," as he calls it. Gib-San employees treat each other like brothers and sisters who really look out for each other, he explains. "I mean this with all sincerity — I love my staff, and I will do anything for my staff. On the same side, they will do anything for me and for our clients."
When you create a positive work atmosphere, you create a company that becomes attractive to like-minded people who want to excel, Gibbs explains. Many of his new employees are referrals from current staff members. As a business owner, he understands what strong employees are looking for and what will keep them loyal to the company.
"We have a saying in our office: better at getting better," he says. Everyone at every level of the company is constantly looking for ways to improve. "Wecertainly aren't anywhere near perfection, but we all work towards being as excellent at what we do as we can."
The goal, Gibbs says, is to have an organization that elevates to the point where you don't have to tell people what to do — they know what to do, and they do it well.
Elevation Through Education
One of the biggest ways Gibbs shows commitment to and investment in his staff is through providing them with educational opportunities, both within the swimming pool industry and beyond it. Gib-San has paid for multiple staff members to earn professional certifications through the PHTA Certified Pool Builder & Design Professional Pathway, powered by GENESIS. Five employees have reached the fourth and highest level of Certified Master Pool Builder & Design Professional (Master CBP), while three are currently at the first level of Certified Builder Professional (CBP).
Gibbs understands a common concern among business owners: Why invest thousands of dollars in continuing education for your staff when they can just leave your company afterwards? But Gibbs also understands that this is a shortsighted way of looking at it. "The issue is, if you don't spend the money, what really is the problem by not educating your people?" he asked. Simply, you're holding your own company back from being the best it can be. "You have to get your team educated."
That education makes a crucial difference at all levels, but especially in design. "Not all pool designers get it right," Gibbs says. "You need a designer who can step into a backyard and look at wires, look at sunlight, look at wind, look at colors, look at texture, look at the ergonomics, look at all of these things. They can provide purposeful, thought-out examples of what the pool could and should look like. This gives reassurance to the clients."
Great design encompasses a world far beyond the borders of a swimming pool project, so the GENESIS curriculum includes coursework on topics like Color Theory and the history of design. "Some people ask, 'What the hell do I need to know about colors? Why do I need to know about art history? I'm building swimming pools.'" Gibbs explains. "But the reality is that it has everything to do with it. And when you get all of these components together, beauty happens."
Beauty describes more than just the pools and spas Gib-San builds for its clients — it also describes the company culture. "If you set your team up for success, and actually own that, I believe that is when you get the best results," Gibbs says.
"Being an attractive place to work means providing educational opportunities so staff can see vertical lift," he says. "Show them that they have a future within your organization. When you can see a future, the future's yours."
This article first appeared in the November 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
