By nicole •
We can’t tell you how excited we are to celebrate this year – our 20th anniversary – or how proud we are of the team that works here at Ashton Pools by Design. Plus, we’ve made some fantastic friends along the way so far – most of them starting as clients first – so long may it continue. If you’ve been a part of this journey: thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
A quick recap of the last 20 years
For those who don’t already know, Joe started the business with just a pickup truck, some shovels, and a lawnmower back in 2003. Through hard work and determination, he slowly grew his lawn care business, turning his hand to hardscaping and then, finally, swimming pools.
In 2015 we moved to Rehoboth Beach, inspiring us to open an extraordinary design studio. From here we launched our 3D rendering technology, giving our clients a clearer picture of the reality of their chosen design, complete with color and animation to bring it to life.
Since day one, we’ve been growing all the time, becoming the leading outdoor living specialist for our area within Delaware. We believe vacation homes and outdoor living go hand in hand, which is why we’ve come so far in such a short space of time since landing at the beach!
‘We are so proud of the team we have built and continue to build. Our team is constantly learning, always striving to be the best they can and to be on top of new trends and construction techniques.’
– Vice President, Nicole Bailey Ashton
Our proudest achievements
When we look back over the last 20 years, it really has felt like a whirlwind. We’ve gone from strength to strength and achieved so much in this time, but here are the five things we’re the most proud of:
- Our invitation to join the Master Pools Guild – This is an invite-only, elite network of pool builders that we’re honored to be a part of. We’ve even won numerous MPG awards since joining, including:
- Master Pools Guild 2019 – Bronze – Geometric Pool
- Master Pools Guild 2021 – Gold – Special Purpose
- Master Pools Guild 2022 – Gold – Designed for Entertaining
- Master Pools Guild 2022 – Gold – Geometric Pool
- Growing into a family-run business when Nicole, Joe’s wife, joined the team – Everything’s better with family and that’s certainly been the case for Ashton Pools by Design, with Joe’s wife Nicole joining as Vice President.
- Putting in our first pool – This was something that we achieved many years ago, but our clients are still in love with their outdoor space, so it’s a real sense of achievement for us to build something so lasting and impactful.
- Growing the team overall – We said everything is better with family, and that goes for our team, too. Supporting our team members and their families is something that means so much to us.
- Supporting local charities – The ability to support local charities in Rehoboth Beach and surrounding parts of Delaware allows us to give something back to the community. It’s incredibly rewarding and something we’ll continue to do.
To the next 20 years!
That covers our award-winning first 20 years, but what about the next 20? We’re still aiming to deliver the very best for all our clients, but here are three things we’re committing ourselves to moving forwards:
- Being an innovative leader in outdoor living and pool design – On all our projects, we’ll continue to bring personalized designs and new techniques to deliver wow-factor results for our clients
- Making one of our top managers into our Maintenance Manager – This one has already happened, but we’re working with one of our best and brightest, Brianne Cunningham, as our new Maintenance Manager to really expand our maintenance and service division.
- Custom renovations – No detail too small and no dream too big; we’re adding custom pool renovations to our portfolio. This includes everything from fresh new tiles and beautiful pebble finishes to tanning ledges and water features, all helping to enhance our clients’ outdoor spaces.
Finally, we hope that the next 20 years bring just as much success and joy to our clients as the first 20.
Whether you need an expert pool builder in Delaware or you’d like to revitalize your existing pool with custom renovations, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help you transform your outdoor living area.
