Husband and wife team, Andrew and Alex, own and operate Urban Pools and Spas based in Batemans Bay on the South Coast. They’re excited to announce their expansion into the Canberra market, as well as their partnership with Plungie Australia, who have an award-winning product that’s pioneering the future of swimming pools, bringing the fastest, easiest and highest quality pre-cast concrete pool to the market. Along with Plungie, we believe pools are the heartbeat of the Australian backyard. They’re the sound of summer – the sound of families enjoying where they live. Plungie is not just a pool – it’s a hot Christmas spent in the backyard, playing classic catches in the pool. It’s fun, it’s family time, it’s memory making!

What made you want to start or join a family business?

We started our family business 20 years ago to allow us flexibility and control of our company direction. Being family members enables us to have a greater say in shaping our business strategies, culture and long-term vision.

Tell us about the history and evolution of your family business.

We started Urban Plumbing Solutions in Batemans Bay 20 years ago. We have worked across all aspects of plumbing including maintenance, commercial and new home construction. For the past five years we have been involved in providing swimming pool plumbing services and the natural progression for our business was to start our own swimming pool construction business. Having grown up in Canberra and recently spending more time with family in the Capital, our Plungie partnership has provided an opportunity to expand our business into the ACT.

What values guide your family business?

Five key values guide us: honesty, reliability, commitment to excellent customer service, respect for employees, and giving back to our local communities.

What unique advantages do you feel a family business brings?

There are three key advantages:

• Accountability.
• Real and visible owners – our customers deal directly with us.
• Quality workmanship and products.

How do you balance family relationships with business decisions?

Andrew looks after the technical side of the business, and Alex is across administration, marketing and accounts. However, we both have equal input into the strategic direction of the business. We have worked really hard to separate the day-to-day business interactions from our home life.

How do you handle disagreements within the family while running the business?

To be honest, we haven’t really had any conflicts or disagreements with respect to the business. We respect and value each other’s contribution. With over 20 years of marriage, our communication is open and honest. When it comes to the business, we tend to bounce ideas off each other – this enables different perspectives on business decisions and inputs.

What strategies have you used to maintain a healthy work-life balance within the family?

Our kids are very sporty – and that has meant commitment to a lot of travel as we both believe in being active in supporting them and the clubs, teams and associations that they are a part of. This commitment has enforced a great and very important work-life balance for us.

How has your family business adapted to changes in the industry or market trends?

We feel as though we have adapted easily, particularly on the technical side. Andrew enjoys researching different and innovative products and implementing them into the business. An example of this is the trend towards smaller pools, with a faster installation time – which has led to our partnership with Plungie Pools.

How does your family business contribute to the local community?

Urban Pools is a proud sponsor of some local sporting teams – and is always open to supporting community events when approached.

Do you feel it’s important to support other local family businesses?

Absolutely – like us – family businesses are the life blood of our communities. Just like we appreciate support from local family businesses we always endeavor to support theirs.

What roles do different family members play in the business?

Andrew is the Director of Urban Pools and Alex is the General Manager, our son Lachlan helps out in Uni holidays as a labourer, and daughter Maddy is always on hand for design advice. Our foreman Brad has been with us for over 10 years – starting as a mature age apprentice – his family is now a larger extension of ours.

What advice would you give other families looking to start a business?

If you have a great business idea and other family members can contribute in a positive way to its success, then don’t hesitate – we believe the positives of running a successful family business make the tougher times worth it.

What’s the best way for clients to contact your business?

We are happy to be contacted by email [email protected], through our website www.urbanpoolsandspas.com.au or by phone on 0412 475 361.