Name since 2012, Service since 1969
“Oh, I thought you just replastered pools.”
Over the past 43 years, Gardner Pool Plastering got that a lot. Calling Gardner Pool Plastering a pool plastering company is like calling Proctor & Gamble a shampoo company. Sure they make great shampoo but what about the other 3,000 products? Gardner broke the mold of the typical pool plastering company many years ago. They had long since branched out into a full-service outdoor remodeling company by hiring the right people with the right experience and never stopping learning of new products and outdoor design.
In fact, they did all the right things to expand their service to better offer a one-stop-shop to their clients except one; change their name to match their new corporate model.
Until now. They are now called Gardner Outdoor and Pool Remodeling.
They finally took the plunge, so to speak. “A lot goes into a name change for a company,” said Mark Feldstein, CFO and Director of Marketing, “Basically, you are rebranding yourself from scratch. New website, new marketing programs, change the business cards, change the uniforms, the signage on the trucks, etc., etc., etc.. Only when you have to change your name and logo do you realize how many places they live in your company. Even Just getting used to answering the phones caused a verbal stumble for the first week or so.”
In Gardner’s case, the name change went a little deeper. The President of Gardner, Scott McKenna, explains, “We haven’t changed our company name because we were swallowed up by a big conglomerate or even merged with a new company. Or even because we simply wanted a newer, more modern “look”. We changed our name because we wanted it to finally match what we have been doing for years – decking, pavers, fireplaces, firepits, BBQ Islands; pretty much any hardscape work in the front or backyard. So, along with the name change came a realization that we needed to be sure that our clients knew all that we have to offer them; this starts from our receptionists all the way to our salespeople.”
“Even though ‘Gardner Outdoor and Pool Remodeling’ better reflects what we do,” continues Scott McKenna, “it was a difficult decision to change the company name after being in business for 43 years. Aside from the sizeable investment to make a change, it feels like losing your favorite sweater. It may be a little worn around the edges, but it just felt comfortable.”
When asked what the future holds, Mr. Feldstein responded, “Who knows? But maybe someday we’ll hear from a client, “Oh, I thought you just remodeled outdoors?”