For more than six decades, Mission Pools has stood as a hallmark of excellence and integrity in Southern California’s pool industry. Founded in 1960, the company has evolved from a small regional builder into one of the most respected names in custom pool construction — a second-generation family business that continues to thrive through leadership, hard work, and careful planning.

Bruce Dunn, the company’s president, has been guiding Mission Pools through nearly every major shift in the pool industry since its inception. Speaking with Pool Magazine from Whistler, British Columbia, during the Master Pools Guild Fall Meeting (hosted by Alka Pool Construction), Dunn reflected on the company’s roots, its evolution, and how he’s preparing the next generation to carry the torch.

From Modest Beginnings to Market Leadership

Mission Pools began humbly. Dunn entered the business almost by accident when he was hired to conduct a business analysis for the company’s original owner.

“I went in purely to study how come they weren’t making any money,” recalled Dunn. “It became very apparent that there was more going out the back door than there was coming in the front. When that changed, there was nobody left. We let everybody go — and that put me in the pool business.”

Soon after, he and his brother purchased the company. The partnership worked perfectly. “It was probably the greatest part of my career,” Dunn said. “My brother Jeff is four years younger than I am. He’s retired now, but we had forty-plus years of working together every single day, including Saturdays. It was a real joy.”

Together, the Dunn brothers charted a different course from other pool companies of their era. “When we got involved, you had a few franchise companies and a fractionalized industry that predominantly used subcontractors,” said Dunn. “We took the other road and decided we were going to hire employees in all the different trades and have an in-house construction company. We were also going to do not just residential work, but commercial work, which led us into government projects and even water parks.”

That model helped set Mission Pools apart in one of the most competitive markets in the country. Today, the company operates throughout Riverside, San Diego, and Orange counties — with a reputation built on quality craftsmanship and enduring client relationships.

Building a Culture of Craftsmanship

Ask Dunn what differentiates Mission Pools, and he doesn’t point to marketing or technology first — he points to their people.

“If you want to know the real difference, you’d have to look at the quality of the people we have,” he explained. “That’s not just from a management standpoint — it’s construction. The swimming pool business is construction. So many people focus just on sales, but if you don’t know how to build it and build it correctly, all the sales in the world certainly aren’t going to do you any favors.”

That philosophy has guided Mission Pools’ internal culture for decades. While many companies outsource labor, Dunn’s decision to keep skilled trades in-house created a consistent standard of excellence.

Learning, Leading, and Staying Ahead

Part of what’s kept Mission Pools relevant for over 65 years is a relentless commitment to education and professional collaboration. Dunn credits the Master Pools Guild with much of that success.

“Being part of the Guild allows you to share information and learn different techniques,” he said. “Back in the day when vanishing edges weren’t even a thing yet, the Guild was building them and teaching people about flow rates and friction — the kinds of things you needed to know to design an artistic pool correctly.”

For Dunn, continuing education is not optional. It’s essential. The regular Guild meetings — both spring and fall — serve as an opportunity to learn what’s coming next, network with innovators, and stay on the cutting edge of design and engineering.

He recalled with fondness the way knowledge is passed around at Guild gatherings. “I remember meetings with plans rolled out on a piano to teach somebody how to build a pool with a surge tank,” he said. “The way the piping would go, the way the equipment would run.”

Moments like that capture what Dunn loves most about the business: builders sharing their craft, not just their business cards. “That’s where the magic happens,” he said with a smile.

Succession Planning For The Next Generation

For Bruce Dunn, longevity has always been about preparation and adaptability. As Mission Pools continued to expand, he wanted to ensure the company’s strength would extend well into the future — not just through projects, but through people.

“I had the opportunity to take a course at Harvard,” he said. “During that three-year program, part of it was succession planning. That could mean you’re setting yourself up to be sold or setting yourself up for a legacy and continuation.”

Dunn and his brother chose the latter. “We made the decision that for those family members who wanted to be involved in the business, we’d make it available if they were qualified,” he said. “The succession plan we put in place in the late nineties was crafted off a number of case studies we had at Harvard.”

That plan proved both visionary and adaptable. “We found that a succession plan has to be flexible because the world changes, people change, and desires change,” Dunn explained. When his brother retired three years ago, the plan was ready to be executed — and the transition was seamless.

“My son, who had been working as our CFO, and Mike Roudebush, who was in charge of our large commercial projects, both stepped into leadership roles,” said Dunn. “They’re a mirror image of my brother and me — Jeff handled operations, I handled business. Brett handles the numbers, Mike runs operations. It’s a wonderful continuation.”

A Legacy of Quality and Reputation

After more than six decades, Dunn still arrives at the office by 6:30 a.m. and often works Saturdays. That level of dedication is woven into the company’s DNA — and it’s one of the reasons Mission Pools enjoys a reputation for craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.

“We sell an expensive product,” Dunn said. “The focus has to be on building correctly. Speed is not always necessary — quality is everything. You have to be driven to make the end product everything, if not more, than what the client expects. All the advertising in the world won’t get you through the front door as quickly as word of mouth will.”

That dedication continues to earn recognition. Mission Pools has been named a Top 50 Builder and Aqua 100 member multiple times — and at the very event we attended, Dunn added a few more Master Pools Guild awards to the company’s collection. But for Dunn, the real reward comes from seeing his team share in those achievements. “We’ll hang the awards in the back first, where the construction people gather every morning,” he said. “They’ll look at the photo and say, ‘I did the plumbing on that job,’ or ‘Look at the tile I installed.’ It’s important they get to share in the win.”

Building for the Future

Dunn’s philosophy on longevity and leadership can be summed up in one word: consistency. His team continues to deliver excellence year after year because they remain grounded in the fundamentals of construction, collaboration, and ethics.

“I think that’s what separates good builders from great ones,” said Dunn. “Good pool builders are in fact builders. You have to have sales to keep the door open, but if you can’t build and build correctly, it’s all for naught.”

His advice for younger professionals entering the industry is simple yet profound. “Dedicate yourself to becoming a builder,” he said. “It’s one thing to buy the equipment — it’s another to put it together correctly. Learn, and don’t worry about the money. It will come.”

That philosophy — grounded in craftsmanship, humility, and lifelong learning — has carried Mission Pools through generations. And as Bruce Dunn gradually transitions leadership to the next wave of talent, the company’s foundation remains unshakable.

“I’ve been blessed,” he said. “We’ve had a wide variety of projects, an incredible team, and a business built on integrity. Passing that legacy on to people who value it the same way — that’s the most rewarding part of it all.”

Photo & Video Credits: Mission Pools, Dan Kirksey – KDKC Productions

For decades, Marco Perrella has been the guy other elite builders call when they’re staring down a hillside, a seismic zone, or a technical design challenge that no one else wants to touch. He carved out that reputation early, having jumped from carpentry into high-end landscape and pool design in the late ’80s and then never looking back.

But the one constant in Perrella’s career has always been curiosity — curiosity about materials, engineering, technology, and better ways to build. That instinct is what pushed him deeper into plumbing, hydraulics, and structural problem-solving offered through Genesis. It’s aslo what drew him into the Tributary Revelation, the tight-knit circle of designers and builders who continually raise each other’s game. And it’s exactly the same instinct that eventually pulled him into ozone.

Perrella laughs, describing the Tributary group now, but it’s clear his involvement in the organization means a lot to him. “It is the most life-changing, business-changing, personal-life-changing group,” he said. “Everybody just wants to keep raising the bar. Somewhere along the line, if you’re gonna try something, somebody in this group has been there and done that.”

That collaborative energy is the same force that pushed him—slowly at first—toward a completely new way of thinking about water and how people use their swimming pools.

Going All-In on Ozone

During a Tributary event in Colorado in early 2020, water became the central theme. That’s where Perrella was first introduced in depth to ozone by consultant and educator Beth Hamil, whom he jokingly calls “the Queen of Ozone.” She agreed to speak at the event, and by the end of her presentation, Perrella made a decision: “I said, okay, I want to get one of your systems and try it out in my pool and spa.” Two weeks later, as the country locked down, the units arrived at his doorstep.

With normal business on pause, he took the opportunity to replumb his equipment pad and run ozone at home.

“I had a traditional setup and a small UV system,” he explained. “I put that ozone on and it was a complete game changer.”

“There was absolutely no chlorine smell at all. I said, ‘Oh my gosh, look at this water,’” recounted Perrella. He suddenly found himself using his spa nightly. He joked with friends that he was going out for his “COVID cleanse” in the spa, but behind the humor was a serious realization. “I would just get in and the feel of the water, the clarity… it was another level.”

He had seen enough. “That’s when I decided I was all in,” he said. He began specifying ozone on new projects and offering it as a key differentiator in his builds. It quickly became integral to what he considered a truly finished, high-end pool.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Perrella’s early ozone journey almost derailed when Microplasma — the company behind his initial system — struggled during COVID. “There were a lot of hiccups,” he said. “They ended up shutting down… and that was a huge disappointment because I was so in love with ozone and committed to it.”

That’s when Beth made a timely introduction to Joe Cannavino, a commercial ozone veteran whose systems were designed for surf parks and water parks, not backyard pools. He had zero interest in the residential market, but Perrella saw something bigger.

Making The Next Big Leap, Bringing O3 Tech to Market

“ I knew I still had friends in Tributary who loved ozone, and I said to Joe, ‘What if we brought your tried-and-true machines to the residential market?’” recalled Perrella. That conversation would become the foundation of O3 Tech, a new company Perrella formed in 2023 with technical input from Beth Hamil and the engineering expertise and design skills of  Joe Cannavino.  

“After I put it in my pool and tried it for a while. I wanted to make sure this thing was as bulletproof as you could get,” said Perrella. So he had his friends and fellow Tributary members test units out in their own pools, and the feedback was phenomenal.

Today, O3 Tech units are on projects with firms like Red Rock and Premiere Paradise in Arizona, Design Ecology in Texas, Basin Pool Designs in Tennessee, Ozzie Kraft in Las Vegas, and Live Chlorine Free in Florida, just to name a few. “It’s catching on very fast,” he said, even as he acknowledges that some builders have “a little PTSD” from underperforming ozone experiences in the past.

“To be clear, these aren’t new machines,” he said. “They’ve been around forever.” What makes them unique is their size, output, and reliability — industrial-grade ozone re-engineered for elite residential builds.

Making the Case for Ozone to High-End Clients

Ask Perrella why ozone is worth the conversation, and he comes back to one word: reduction.

“The chemical reduction,” he said. “When you can have something that can take chlorine use down to a minimum, we’re living in a healthier world. People are more conscious about what they’re getting into, what’s on their skin.”

In his market of the North Bay area, that message resonates immediately. “I bet you nine out of ten of my pools that we design and build have our system on it,” he said. “It’s the easiest sell ever. The minute you start saying, I can reduce your chemicals to virtually nothing, that’s the end of the conversation.”

He also spends time demystifying salt systems. “The first thing you typically have to tell people is, do you realize that a salt pool is actually converting to chlorine?” he said. “That opens their eyes right out of the gate.”

Behind the sales conversation is a strong technical stance on what effective ozone actually requires. Perrella is candid about the limitations of many smaller systems on the market. “There are other systems out there that are really like toys,” he said. “You’ll see these AOP units dosing at, say, 500 milligrams. That’s barely enough for a spa, but you’ll see marketing that says that system is good for up to a 25,000-gallon pool.”

By contrast, he notes, “our smallest machines are fifteen and twenty-five grams at five percent weight. That’s a big difference.” For truly effective performance, he said, “the optimum is one gram per 10,000 gallons.”

Equally important is simplicity. As a designer-builder who does not run his own service company, Perrella knows his systems must work in the real world. “Our system is at the mercy of service outfits, so it has to be something that doesn’t overwhelm them,” he said. That criterion is a core fundamental of O3 Tech’s residential ozone units. “I didn’t want to end up being a tech and service center with the phone ringing all day,” he said. “I wanted something easy to plumb in, easy to program, and then easy to step away from and just watch it do its thing.”

For a designer who has spent decades perfecting structures, details, and environments, ozone represents something more elemental: better water, achieved through better engineering. Perrella sees it as an extension of the craft itself — a way to bring the quality of the water in line with the quality of the spaces surrounding it. And in his view, that alignment is long overdue.

Ready to take a deeper dive?

Listen to our entire conversation with Marco Perrella on the Pool Magazine Podcast.

Featured Photo Credit: Basin Pool Designs | Jimi Smith Photography

As the last pools are covered and the phone calls settle down, winter gifts the pool industry something rare: time to think.

For builders, service pros, and retailers alike, winter isn’t downtime — it’s the strategic season. It’s when smart operators look beyond the next call or contract and start shaping the business they want two years from now.

“Winter is when we build the business, not the pools,” says Jake Henderson of Blue Horizon Pools, who uses December to review margins, reset systems, and plan hiring before spring rushes back in. “If we wait until March to think strategically, it’s already too late.”

Across the industry, that mindset shift is catching on. Instead of winding down completely, more companies are using winter to strengthen their foundations by refining systems, training teams, and designing growth plans for 2026 and beyond.

Because in today’s market, the companies that treat winter as an opportunity, not an off-season, are the ones leading the pack when the weather warms up.

From Reaction to Intention

After the intensity of summer, the quiet of winter brings clarity. The rush fades, phones calm, and for the first time in months, owners can actually think.

It’s the perfect time to step back and ask big-picture questions: What worked? What didn’t? What do we want to do differently next year?

That space for reflection is what separates reactionary businesses from intentional ones.

“We used to treat January as catch-up season,” says Angela Ruiz of ClearBlue Pool Services. “Now it’s strategy season. We review our wins, fix the bottlenecks, and set our training plan for the year ahead. It changes everything.”

For many companies, this kind of winter planning isn’t about filling out spreadsheets — it’s about creating space to think. It’s also about designing a business that works on purpose rather than by momentum.

Winter gives owners emotional, operational, and financial distance. The stress of the season melts away and you can finally look at your business without the noise of chlorine deliveries, weather delays, and customer calls.

That distance is what allows growth-minded companies to identify patterns, anticipate challenges, and align their next moves with long-term goals.

What the Pros Are Doing This Winter

Across the country, pool professionals are putting their quiet months to work. Instead of to-do lists, strategic initiatives are forged and designed to strengthen their business before the next rush hits.

1. Modernizing Systems

Technology is taking center stage this winter. Companies are upgrading scheduling software, linking accounting tools, and adopting CRMs that help teams communicate more efficiently.

“We finally integrated our job tracking and invoicing software,” says Tony Miller of AquaEdge Pools. “It’s saving us hours every week and eliminating those little mistakes that used to cost us credibility.”

For many owners, it’s not about chasing the latest app. It’s more about using the off-season to simplify and systemize. When spring hits, there’s no time to experiment. Winter is when operational upgrades happen quietly in the background so the busy months can run smoothly.

2. Investing in People

Ask any pool company what their biggest challenge is, and you’ll hear the same answer: labor. Skilled, motivated, reliable labor.

That’s why many firms are treating winter as their training season. Cross-training service techs, offering leadership workshops, and paying for certifications are becoming common winter investments.

“We started a mentorship program for our younger crew,” says Henderson. “It keeps them engaged, and by spring, they’re already ahead of schedule on skills.”

Companies are also rethinking retention — offering flexible scheduling, performance bonuses, or simply creating space for team members to be heard. As Ruiz puts it: “If you don’t invest in people during the slow months, you’ll spend twice the amount replacing them during the busy ones.”

3. Refreshing the Brand

With fewer site visits and customer calls, winter is prime time to update your public face. Many businesses are using the off-season to revamp their websites, refresh photography, or launch new marketing campaigns.

“We do our brand audit in January,” says Miller. “New photos, updated testimonials, maybe a fresh logo tweak. By the time homeowners start dreaming about their next pool, we’re already in front of them.”

Others are leaning into storytelling by publishing project spotlights, filming behind-the-scenes videos, or writing articles that show their expertise. The off-season is the ideal moment to build authority and trust before the buying season begins.

Looking Ahead: Planning for 2026, Not Just 2025

Many business owners are no longer planning for the next season. They’re planning for the next two. With technology, materials, and customer expectations evolving so rapidly, forward-looking strategies are becoming the new norm.

Sustainability, automation, and efficiency top the list of 2026 priorities. Builders are exploring energy-efficient equipment and low-impact materials; service companies are focusing on automation and predictive maintenance; retailers are diversifying their offerings with smart pool technology.

“We’re budgeting for next year’s upgrades, but also setting aside for 2026 equipment transitions,” says Ruiz. “We know automation and energy savings are where the market’s heading. Planning ahead gives us a competitive edge.”

That kind of foresight also protects companies from economic swings. As discretionary spending fluctuates, diversified and well-structured businesses are more likely to stay stable.

In other words: when competitors are coasting, the strategic ones are charting.

The New Shape of Winter Strategy

The modern pool professional’s off-season isn’t about hibernation — it’s all about transformation.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: More owners are tracking metrics year-round — from profit margins to lead conversion rates — and using winter to analyze that data in depth.
• Collaborative Planning: Instead of keeping plans top-down, many companies now involve their teams in goal setting. “It builds ownership,” says Miller. “People buy into what they help build.”
• Sustainable Growth: Fast growth isn’t the goal anymore. Smart growth is. Companies are choosing intentional scaling by adding services or expanding geography only when systems can support it.

There’s a growing awareness that the pool industry, once driven by instinct and tradition, is now defined by planning, professionalism, and adaptability.

Community Over Competition

Another emerging theme this winter: collaboration.

Across regions, owners who used to view each other as competitors are now comparing notes, sharing resources, and supporting each other’s success. Whether through online groups, trade associations, or informal meet-ups, there’s a sense that the industry wins when everyone levels up.

“We share our vendor contacts, talk about pricing pressure, even swap advice on hiring,” says Ruiz. “Five years ago, that would’ve been unheard of. Now, we all realize we’re fighting the same challenges.”

That openness has made planning seasons like this one richer and more productive. When people talk honestly about what’s working, the entire industry grows stronger.

A Season for Builders to Build

Every strong season begins with choices made in the quiet months — in the calm before the rush.

Winter gives pool professionals something rare: time to think. And for those who use it wisely, that time becomes the foundation of growth, stability, and innovation.

“The work we do now pays off all year,” says Henderson. “We treat the winter like we treat excavation — it’s the groundwork. If you skip it, nothing else stands right.”

When the phones start ringing again, the companies that used winter for strategy won’t be scrambling. They’ll be ready with systems dialed in, teams aligned, and goals set in motion.

Because success in the pool industry might be built in the summer, but it’s planned for in the winter.

So grab a notebook, pour a cup of coffee, and ask yourself: What kind of business do you want to open in the spring?

Winter is the time to build it.