Leisure Pools Pool of the Month for October 2022

When Jason Mayo, owner of Paramount Pools in Richmond, Kentucky, begins work on an inground backyard fiberglass swimming pool installation, his focus is solely on that project. He has an understanding that the shorter way to accomplish several things at once is to only do one thing at a time. He knows how to make good use of his time. Then, he gives each project his full and complete attention. The end result is nothing less than spectacular. In a sense, Mayo is like a postage stamp. He sticks to one thing until he gets there. That’s one of the big reasons why one of his prized installations is the Leisure Pools Pool of the Month for October 2022.

With this particular backyard setting in Lexington, Kentucky, Mayo, a highly regarded Leisure Pools® dealer, applied his philosophy of building one pool at a time, focusing on quality, not quantity. This approach is standard modus operandi. In other words, he has a particular way of accomplishing things, so the end result is well-established.

Because of that consistent and proven approach, Mayo and his team successfully complete inground backyard pool installations with apparent ease, despite the hurdles they may encounter along the way.  This particular project was no exception. However, Mayo has a way of turning those potential stumbling blocks over into steppingstones.

“This project did have its challenges,” reflected Mayo, whose sincere confidence partnered with genuine humility and years of experience breed a sense of calm assuredness within his clients.  Despite the challenges – or even the lack thereof, should that apply – Mayo initiates his projects with a discerning state of mind.

“I want an educated consumer,” he emphasized. “I educate my customers initially, so they understand the flow of the build; I want them to understand the process and what to expect.”

Located in an older part of Lexington that has been revitalized in recent years, this backyard project forced Mayo to pivot his thinking for a more strategic approach.

“There is literally very little room between the houses here. Therefore, we had to do extra things such as move phone poles from the backyard,” he noted. “Plus, it was quite tricky in that the gas meter is located in the basement.”

But that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

First of all, the street level is a full story below the first story of the home. Secondly, the home is located on a very narrow street where residents park on both sides of the street. As a result, navigating large

equipment vehicles can prove to be rather daunting. As such, when Mayo brought in his crews and equipment to install the fiberglass swimming pool, it became somewhat of a show-stopping and head-turning experience.

“We told the crane operator to be at the home at 5:30 in the morning the day of the installation,” said Mayo, whose crews had the whole street blocked with their trucks and trailers. To say it was quite the production is an understatement.

“We used a 214-stick crane that has to be built on site,” explained Mayo. “A semi-truck delivered all of the parts of the crane.”

It took about 45 minutes to assemble the crane and put the forces in motion to lift the pool over the house and into the backyard. Because the inground fiberglass swimming pool weighs about 2,700 pounds, it worked the crane to full capacity due to the manner it in which it leaned over.

“We went over three houses,” recalled Mayo, who jokingly admitted they were all holding their breath the whole time.

Fortunately, but not surprisingly, the process was successfully completed.  (And it also gave the neighbors something to see!)

“I physically build the pools myself,” expressed Mayo, who used to also build gazebos, install landscaping, and provide more outdoor features. As he indicated, though, in order to do things well, he simply concentrates on the deck and the pool now.

“When you get a pool from Paramount Pools, you get the very best product,” said Mayo. “I partner with great people, and even though we don’t build a lot of pools each year – about 18-24 – the customer gets my full and complete attention.”

The backyard of this particular residence was pretty much what you’d expect of a half-century old home.  While the front was nicely manicured with terrace walls, the backyard needed some enhancements to keep pace with the front yard.

“It was sort of lacking in a lot of ways and actually had an abandoned garage/storage shed out there,” said Mayo.

Fortunately, Mayo is well-versed in taking a relatively blank slate and turning it into something magical.  By the time he had completed this project, every inch of the yard had a purpose.

“We simply had a good plan,” smiled Mayo.

All thermal stone decking frames this stunning fiberglass pool. The gazebo to the side complements the glamorous engineered flooring directly across from it. The layers of material used to highlight the pool work in total concert to provide an aesthetically pleasing presentation.

Called The Reflection, this inground fiberglass pool truly lives up to its name in this installation, as it reflects all of the beauty within and around it.

One of the unique aspects of this backyard fiberglass swimming pool installation was the pool cover.  While normally one might opt for an aluminum cover, according to Mayo, this homeowner chose a different style.

“I used the same stone we used on the deck to make the swimming pool cover,” stated Mayo. “I do this on about 40% of my pool installations. These are custom covers that I personally make.”

Mayo understands it’s a challenge to do every element in an outdoor living area perfectly, so he prefers to focus on the things he can do exceedingly well. As such, he limits the number of things he does in a project.

“I want total control of the pool build,” he explained. “With Paramount Pools, you get the owner. I am not going to walk away with a problem. Will I be the biggest pool builder in Kentucky? No. Will you get the best pool you can get? Absolutely.”

Paramount Pool’s focus on providing a great experience for the customer is intentional. This five-star rated Kentucky swimming pool builder attracts consumers who understand quality over quantity.

“When the homeowner understands quality, he gets a quality product with the associated price,” said Mayo. “It is achievable, but it comes with a cost. However, this is what makes it enjoyable to give to my client. When you get a hug from the homeowner’s wife, you know you’ve done something right.”

That down-to-earth, hard-working, and authentic presence in Mayo also extends to all of Mayo’s team members.

“There are no professional titles in my company,” he emphasized. “Instead, we focus on giving a real friendly experience to the customer. That just makes people feel comfortable with us.  When I get new customers, I want them to come to me because they heard about someone else’s great experience with us.”