By: Rebecca Robledo

The past few years have been tough for the pool industry, but three notable companies have managed to expand not only in spite of the Great Recession but, in some cases, partly because of it.

Northern California-based builder Premier Pools began a licensing program to spread its brand around the country. Georgia service firm America’s Swimming Pool Co. (ASP) debuted a franchise operation. And national retail chain Leslie’s Poolmart accelerated its growth significantly.

These companies have managed to thrive in a terrible economy, and they did it using business models that usually don’t succeed in the pool and spa industry. Though it’s true that other firms have recently grown, few have done so on a national or even multi-regional level.

Here, the company principals and industry observers discuss the reasons behind Premier, ASP and Leslie’s success.