AquaScapes Pools & Spas
Designs With Customers In Mind

   Turn your backyard into paradise - with the help of AquaScapes Pools & Spas. The Sarasota-based company will design the ultimate pool and spa for you, complete with beautiful rock and water features, stone coping aqua accents lighting, fiber optic lighting, tile and tile murals, accent tiles or mosaics.
   Customer satisfaction - with plenty of input and cooperation from the customers themselves - is AquaScapes’ number one priority, according to Michael Kiebler, the majority owner of the company who works closely with his partner, Ray Flood.
   “When it comes to our customers, their satisfaction is obviously our number one goal, but to get there it takes a lot of participation and vision from the customers themselves,” said Kiebler. “There are so many choices when it comes to designing a backyard environment, and the more educated the customer is, the smoother the project goes.” He added that AquaScapes prides itself on knowledge and experience.“From the products we use to the techniques we use to apply them, we always keep ourselves on the cutting edge,” Kiebler pointed out. “Everything that goes into our pools is always the best the industry has to offer - and this comes at a cost.“We never claim that we are the least expensive or the fastest company in town, but the finished product is always the best.”

AquaScapes’ Beginnings

Kiebler started AquaScapes Pools & Spas about three years ago, after owning a swimming pool company in Orlando for six years. “I eventually sold the company and went to work for a large national swimming pool builder,” he explained. “I worked in Orlando for six months and was transferred over to the Tampa Bay area, where I continued to work for another year and a half.
   “The experience of working for such a large, successful company taught me a lot about the industry, including different marketing strategies and building techniques.”
   After two years, Kiebler decided it was time to go back out on his own. “We started with a large home builder that offered us a higher-end neighborhood in Sarasota. When the neighborhood was finished, we decided to focus our efforts on the custom retail market, rather than working with home builders.”
   He expressed that this decision was “one of the smartest moves the company has made.” “The company’s goal was never to build a tremendous amount of swimming pools,” Kiebler revealed.“We only wanted to build a handful of quality and creative projects with the participation of the customer and not just a work order from a builder.” And, not surprisingly, what brings Kiebler the most happiness is seeing his customers’ excitement when he finishes each project. “All the work is complete, and now it’s time to enjoy,” he explained.

A Team Effort

   In addition to owners Michael Kiebler and Ray Flood, there are 20 full-time employees comprising AquaScapes Pools & Spas, as well as “a handful of talented and dedicated subcontractors,” Kiebler said. Flood runs the company’s Orlando office, while Kiebler brings his experience and expertise to AquaScapes’ Sarasota office.
   “The Sarasota office works on 80-85 projects yearly, with about 25% being renovations,” Kiebler pointed out. “The Orlando office works on between 40-45 projects yearly, but also offers pool service, and warranty representation for the large equipment manufacturers (such as Hayward and Pentair).”

Projects That Stand Out

   Kiebler’s most challenging projects are his company’s renovation projects, he said.
   “We are dealing with a vessel we have not built, and
most of the time cannot see what the previous builder
has done before us,” Kiebler explained. “Most of the pools we renovate are not up to the current building codes, and the construction techniques and products are so outdated it is very hard to find something to match or replace.”
   He added that his company does things differently when it comes to renovations.
   “Where other companies shy away because of the intensity of the work, we dive right into the challenge. Many renovations call for altering or removing the existing shape of the pool to either add or remove a feature that the customer is not happy with—and this can be challenging work.”
   AquaScapes’ most expensive project was a job contracted out at $160,000, not including the deck surface.
   “Everything on the project was special ordered and shipped in from around the world,” Kiebler expressed.
“There were materials that have never been used on swimming pools that we incorporated into the project. Again, the customers’ input was key to the completion.”
   Other renovation jobs also stand out in Kiebler’s mind as expensive projects.
   “Some can go well over $100,000 and beyond.”

Looking Toward The Future

   Future goals for AquaScapes Pool & Spas include building in the Tampa area, and working on more challenging projects.
   “We have recently entered the commercial building market and look forward to the challenges we face ahead,” Kiebler explained. “As our reputation grows, we see more unusual and unique projects being offered to us. We will always continue to educate ourselves and stay at the top of the construction spectrum.”

AQUASCAPES POOLS & SPAS
6222 Tower Lane B-8, Sarasota, FL
941 371-9656
www.aquascapespools.com

Written by Andrea G. Rollin