Leisure Pools USA Pool of the Month – May 2022 – an HGTV Dream Home Star

Owning an award-winning pool business requires a decided team effort. The attitude forged at the beginning of any endeavor will undoubtedly affect its successful outcome. Tod Bessery fully understands that concept. With every project he undertakes, he consistently takes his company to an entirely new level. That includes his work on the HGTV Dream Home Pool, a 26-foot Limitless.

As one of Leisure Pools’ outstanding network of dealers and owner of Leisure World Pools and Spas, Tod carries on the legacy of this third generation, small Vermont family-owned business, built upon a solid foundation of passion and professionalism. For decades, Tod and his team have offered high-quality and dependable products delivered with unparalleled service and commitment to superior customer satisfaction. It’s no surprise, then, that this team of outstanding professionals stands on the receiving end of Leisure Pools USA Pool of the Month Award for May 2022.

Interestingly, Tod takes this crowning achievement in relatively good stride. Not one to stand in the spotlight, he gives credit to his family and overall team.

“My family contributed the most to this project, as we all work at Leisure World together,” emphasized Tod, referring to his wife Elaine and sons Chris and Eric. “Without their support, this project wouldn’t have happened. My crews are also considered family members, so they are also the secret to our success.”

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Leisure World Pools and Spas installed the pool and landscaping for the 2022 HGTV Dream Home Sweepstakes (https://www.hgtv.com/sweepstakes/hgtv-dream-home), which was an upscale modern cabin with all the bells and whistles located in Warren, Vermont.  Being asked to take part in this giveaway, a package worth over $1.2 million, had a significant impact on Tod.

“It is an honor being recognized by Leisure Pools USA as a dealer that stands out and up to a challenge,” he reflected. “Plus, my father, Raymond Bessery, who founded Leisure World, Inc., in 1970 (and has since passed away) would have been very proud of this accomplishment.”

Initially, Tod’s only concern with this project was the timing, but he is not one to back down from a challenge.

“We were asked to do this in the middle of a busy schedule,” he explained. “It would have been very easy to say ‘no,’ but also extremely challenging, if not almost impossible, to say ‘yes.’”

Nevertheless, Tod brought everyone into his office to take a vote as to how to proceed. He knew that if everyone was not on board, then it would never come to fruition.

“We all decided to pitch in after hours, on weekends, and everything in between to get the job done,” he expressed.

Photos © 2021 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved.

HGTV was highly involved when it came to the pool’s design and style for this Dream Home’s backyard. The final choice was the Limitless 26, which offered many characteristics that made it a great fit for this project.

“The graphite grey was the natural color that blended into the beautiful, lush Vermont scenery,” noted Tod.

Recognized as one of the top pool builders in Northern Vermont, rising to the task for this endeavor was not only a priority, but it was also a part of the Leisure World Pools and Spas lifestyle.

“Leisure World Pools is an extremely well-run organization, “ expressed Rich Vanevery, Regional Sales Manager – New England, who began his role with Explore Industries after this endeavor had begun to gain notable traction. “Mike Massa started this project with Alex Gonzalez (Chief Marketing Officer, Knoxville) and Tod. However, I have known Tod for about 10 years from my distribution days and can say he is one for the top pool builders in Northern Vermont. In fact, I’d be surprised if he is not the premier pool builder.  He leads a very well-run organization in Burlington and has a strong hold on the Leisure Pools name there.”

Interestingly, after HGTV made this sweepstakes public, interest was sparked in the dealer network at Leisure Pools USA.

“This project helped us grow and get our name out there in the area,” noted Rich. “Fiberglass is a growing segment of the market share, and this helped to further increase awareness of our company.”

While there were many aspects of this project that appealed to Tod, he really appreciated working with all of the other trade professionals, from the masons to the home builder.

“This was certainly a talent-driven project,” Tod reflected. “The drone photography was really cool, as well.”

With this grand undertaking in the rearview mirror, Tod reflected on what his team had accomplished. Was anything he would have changed throughout this journey?  Short answer? He would not have changed anything.

Photos © 2021 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved.

“We all knew what we signed up for, and when there was a set-back, material shortage or something like the water truck not being able to make it through the ‘goat path’ driveway, we dealt with it and forged on,” he smiled.

In other words, the entire Leisure World Pools and Spas team understands how to turn any stumbling blocks over into solid steppingstones. Most likely, it was the result of not only the commitment to superior work and outstanding customer service, but also in large part due to the three main rules by which the entire Leisure World Pools and Spas team operates: respect, kindness, and courage.