Bobcat Machines Drive Pool Builder’s Success in Southern Nevada
Former Police Officer Sheds Badge to Join Father in the Pool Business
Pool-builder Jim Alexander depends on Bobcat compact excavators, loaders and attachments.
Everyone’s familiar with the phrase “Timing is everything.” For Jim Alexander, he couldn’t have timed starting a pool business any better when he moved to Las Vegas in 1991 and opened Renaissance Pools and Spas.
Alexander’s start in the pool industry began 17 years earlier. Once a California police officer, Alexander opted for a new career and joined his father, Jeff Alexander, in the swimming pool business in 1974. They bought their first Bobcat® skid-steer loader two years later from Larson Equipment.Together the father and son team did everything, including passing out door hangers, waiting for calls, selling the pools, pulling permits and installing the pools.
Jim’s move to Las Vegas in the early 1990s was a smart one. The city’s population was exploding and soon so was Jim’s business. “We were installing as many as 600 pools a year,” Alexander says. “We had several teams operating Bobcat equipment non-stop; it was the only equipment that could get into backyards.”
Renaissance Pools and Spas sells in-ground ceramic epoxy pools, carrying the popular Viking Pools product line. The pools range from 15 feet to 60 feet, and cost between $25,000 to $50,000, depending on size and features.
One advantage of the ceramic pools, according to Alexander, is how much faster they can be installed than concrete pools. “Three to five weeks is a good average to install a new Viking Pool,” he says. That short turnaround is linked to the success Alexander has had with his compact Bobcat machines and attachments.
Bobcat Equipment Used Throughout Pool Installation
“We use the Bobcat equipment through the entire process, from the rough grade, excavating for the hole, backfilling with sand, and final grading before the deck pour,” he says. “There’s almost no part of the installation process when we’re not using the equipment — it’s a constant companion.”
While Alexander admits he could have sub-contracted this type of work, he prefers the hands-on approach. “Bobcat offers so many different loader and excavator models to fit our installation and demolition needs,” he says. “Bobcat machines are easy to operate and hold up well over time. I only trade them in because I like new equipment with more horsepower or improved features.”
Alexander carries on the family business with help from his wife Tanya, daughter Heather and son Jeff. Together the Alexander family has enjoyed prosperity in Las Vegas thanks to dependable equipment from Bobcat, a strong work ethic and rapid expansion in the city and surrounding towns.
Pool-Building Bobcat Equipment
Jim Alexander depends on his Bobcat equipment day in and day out. Here’s a look at what the company purchased from Bobcat of Las Vegas for pool construction: