MUCH LIKE A PAINTING, A POOL CREATED BY THE TEAM AT YEAR-Round Pool Company, Inc., has a signature style.
It’s in the seamless tilework, the gentle hum of hydraulics working in balance as they pump and filter, circulating water to and fro. It’s in the way quality and craftsmanship meet thoughtful design. And for founder Frank Fotia and his Bluffton-based team, that invisible signature is the hallmark of a company four decades in the making.
When Fotia first started his career in pools as a young man in 1981, he was a one-man show, operating from his truck as a pool cleaning service. “I came down to Hilton Head on vacation and really loved the area,” he recalls. “As I drove back to school, I decided to drop out of college and move to the island. I had grown up cleaning pools in the summer, so I had that background knowledge to start.”
It was a modest start, but Fotia eventually grew his cleaning business to the point that he was no longer able to handle the workload on his own. He began hiring a team to help meet the demands of his overtaxed client list and then, almost on a fluke, he found himself pivoting in a new direction. “At one point, I was working from a group office and shared space with a homebuilder who needed a pool construction quote for a project,” Fotia says. “He asked if it was something I could handle and I said, ‘Yes!’”
As much as a departure from simply cleaning pools as building them was, Fotia’s first project was an incredible success. From there, the company experienced what was, in Fotia’s words, “organic growth” as it found its footing in the construction side of the pool industry, expanding its services as well as its team. More than four decades in, Year Round Pool Company offers state-of-the-art design and construction, as well as cleaning, maintenance, repair and renovation throughout Hilton Head Island and the surrounding areas, serving clients in Beaufort, Bluffton, Charleston and the greater Savannah area.
Such expansive growth eventually brought with it an interest in a strategic partnership, which came to fruition in 2021. “We were looking to partner with a group who would not only help us grow the company but also allow us to remain actively involved in all operations and decisions,” Fotia says of the company’s collaboration with Shoreline Equity. “With a group of 170 employees, it was nonnegotiable that the support remain in place with the current team—so truly, nothing has changed.”
That consistency is part of what has made Year Round Pool Company prosper—not only as an employer but also as a service provider. “Industry professionals recognize a YRP pool by the quality and craftsmanship that is put into the design and construction,” says Fotia, who staffs his team with professionals that, according to HR manager Heather Cairns, believe that “knowledge is power and are willing to learn and adapt to new trends. We’re always looking for trainable people—it’s not what they know when they come to us, but what they’re willing to learn.”
Construction is led by VP Jeff Fotia, with financial leadership from CFO Brian Sutton—both of whom have worked with the company for over 35 years, providing rare continuity and expertise. The core team averages more than 25 years of service, which serves as a testament to their commitment and the dedication to excellence that Fotia credits for Year Round Pool Company’s enduring success and solid reputation.
With a strong design and construction team, Year Round Pool Company isn’t a company that satisfies itself with formulaic or unoriginal projects. “We thrive off of creating the ultimate year-round oasis that uniquely serves each client’s vision,” says Fotia. “No two are going to be the same, so there’s no cookie-cutter mold for that. Each pool is designed and created to meet that individual client’s wish list, whatever that may look like.”
Uniqueness is one area in which Year Round Pool Company excels. Says design expert Jason Hubbard: “From our initial discussions and meetings with each client, our team encourages clients to bring their ideas and share their unique experiences to help shape the final product. The use of 3-D technology and virtual tours then helps us turn those pieces into a visual representation as we walk through the process. Combining those verbal briefs from the client with AI capabilities creates an excellent launchpad to work from.”
“The Lowcountry lifestyle is beautifully enhanced by a sleek, clean, organic style,” adds Fotia. “Aside from an extremely modern approach, designers are able to pull from endless creative avenues, resulting in a workable tableau that complements the existing feel.”
Design-wise, Year Round Pool Company often incorporates vanishing-edge pools, zero-depth beach entries, waterfalls and other features in its projects. As incredible as they look, there are certain considerations that must be addressed with each, which is where the team’s level of expertise comes greatly into play. “Land elevation and countless other factors play the biggest role in determining which features make the most sense,” says Hubbard. “For example, if you don’t have somewhat of a scenic overlook or enough of a drop, a vanishing-edge isn’t going to make the same impact as a location at a higher point. Right now, finding ways to add newer features, like plunge pools, or to design within compact spaces that present limitations is proving to be one of our most exciting challenges.”
Year Round Pool Company also operates a retail store, offering spas and pool equipment. “Our retail storefront allows us to function as a well-rounded resource for our customers,” says Ted Graziano, the company’s retail sales manager. “We are here to support them through the entire lifecycle of their investment, whether that starts in pool design or spa sales, throughout their service needs, potential repairs and into renovation.”
After more than 40 years, Year Round Pool Company’s founding vision hasn’t changed much—it’s still about workmanship, connection and creating spaces where people make memories. For Fotia and his team, the true measure of success isn’t in the number of projects completed but in the ripple effect of joy they bring to backyards throughout Hilton Head Island and beyond. *
Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on X at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
