CCP Composites releases a case study done in conjunction with Thursday Pools® on the POLYCOR® Shimmer® gel coat. Case study reveals it is the ideal swimming pool surface.
Daydreaming of that quick dip in the pool? Making that dream into a reality has now been made even easier by the folks at Thursday Pools®! Combining 26 years of experience in fiberglass pools and spa design with manufacturing across multiple industries, Thursday Pools® edge innovations to the pool world. Thursday Pools® builds some of the highest quality fiberglass pools in the industry, all starting with the finest grade of gel coat available for pool producers: CCP’s Shimmer® gel coats. With a coatings history that dates back to 1913 (then known as Cook Paint and Varnish) and later as the first gel coat producer in the late 1950’s, CCP Composites has produced market inspired gel coats for some of the most demanding applications and industries, including:
- Marine boat hulls and decks where constant impact, toughness, UV, blister and water protection are demanded
- Gel coats for tub shower units, where moisture resistance, impact, and cleaning chemicals are used
- Fatigue and moisture resistance for wind energy blades
- Truck hoods, air deflectors and sidewall panels where moisture, impact, fatigue, UV and heat all come into play
CCP Composites aggressively researches market needs and expectations, offering only the finest materials that will stand up to demanding industry needs. With pools in particular, only certain colors like white and light blue gel coats were suggested to s, mainly due to the nature of the chemicals needed to keep pool water healthy. These included adding acids or caustic materials to adjust pool pH, certain metallic salts chlorinated chemicals to control bacterial of the gel coat surface, either through mineral deposits or bleaching of the surface through chlorine attack.
Fabrication of a Thursday Pool starts with Shimmer®
Surprisingly, ambient temperature,chemically‐treated pool water is more aggressive chemically than salt water from the ocean. The lack of color options is often cited as one of the main reasons for choosing cement/tiled finished in‐ground pools over the superior performance of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) pools.
Vinyl lined pools were also more popular because beyond the increased color range, vinyl pools offer a smooth floor (unlike the bottom of cement pools, which have a tendency to cut up customer‘s feet as they walked or played in the pool). All that changed in 2002, when one of the first pools was fabricated with a break‐through, deep colored gel coat specifically formulated by CCP’s sister company, CCP Composites Australia (FKA Cray Valley) for the rapidly growing pool industry in Australia. This product was heavily researched for blister, water uptake, color fade (bleaching) and for UV resistance. This new, ISO/NPG high performance gel coat proved to be far superior in all respects when compared to conventional pool gel coat products available at the time. Within 3‐4 years of product launch, the CCP Composites gel coat, known as POLYCOR® Shimmer®, became the dominant pool gel coat used in Australia. CCP Composites US brought this gel coat technology to the North American market, where it is now rapidly becoming the pool industry’s “go to” gel coat. Several years ago, Thursday Pools® found the benefits of Shimmer® for their pools, just as the Australian pool manufacturers did in 2002.
Bill Khamis, CFO of Thursday Pools, has seen immediate benefits of the Shimmer® products, such as “reduced air pressure for reduced styrene emissions,” along with “better transfer efficiencies that have resulted in a 30% savings in gel coat materials consumed.” “25% labor savings” have also been utilized in that it “takes less time to spray a mold, cleans up faster and spray gun set up is significantly faster.” Improved lay down of the gel coat has also been noted in a “better and more uniform surface quality that customers have noticed.” Bill is a very strong advocate for the Shimmer® product, sharing that customers not only love the color range, but also the depth of color, made even greater by the glittering particles included in the Shimmer® products.
The beauty of a Thursday Pool starts with Shimmer®
In addition to color range and the advantages of fiberglass pools over concrete, Thursday Pools require 70% less chemicals usage, have cleaner surfaces and reduced maintenance that are significantly less abrasive to the skin and feet, and are far less prone to cracking. The only advantage to vinyl linings is the lower initial installed cost; however, ongoing maintenance costs increase every time the liner tears as it must be repaired or replaced. As you can see, FRP pools are clearly the way to go. With over 5 million in ground pools installed in the US (and over 53,000 installed in 2012 alone) and 5 of the top 10 pool states (Source: APSP 2013) within driving distance of their central Indiana location, Thursday Pools is well located, well suited and well-organized to capitalize on the growth potential of the Midwest FRP pool market.
Ed Vondell, COO of Thursday Pools®, noted the valued technical and product support that CCP Composites has provided with Bill Bannow, Technical Services Engineer and Jason Baranowski, Account Manager. Both have spent long hours in specialized support staff training in the use of the Shimmer® products, and more recently, introducing the CCP Composites rapid mold manufacturing technology that utilizes the OptiPLUS® mold making materials for a brand new Thursday Pools® design launching in 2014. The outlook for Thursday Pools® and Shimmer® gel coat looks quite promising in 2014 and beyond.
It seems like we are always getting asked, how did we get the name Thursday Pools? Well, before the company was incorporated, a marketing team was formed to brainstorm names for the new fiberglass swimming pool company. Marketing experts searched the web and Secretary of State for fiberglass pool company names and posted them on a wall. We needed to find a name that still had a domain available and as you would expect, almost everything pool, swimming or water related had the .com domain taken. We didn’t want to use a .net domain so Marketing 101 lessons kicked in.
As marketing experts learned in school, a company name needs a few key criteria to really stick. As the brainstorming session went on, a marketing expert who did work for Simon Malls, thought of a name out of the box, but one that created some spirited debate. She said select something very different that everyone will remember and question. She said everyone can remember a day of the week and I think I have a good tag line for the name. Without hesitation she stood up and said, “we all know everyone says TGIF when the weekend is here, what about starting early?” “I think we can use the word Thursday and have our weekend start early for everyone.” “A swimming pool is a luxury item that people can envision in their backyard with friends and family gathered around.” Now how about them envisioning themselves around the pool after work on a Thursday?”
The Team Leader quickly shot down the name and asked them for more ideas. The first brainstorming session ended without a name but something big came out of the meeting. Everyone on the team had the name Thursday stuck in their minds. When they came back together every team member mentioned when Thursday came and went the week before, they thought about the brainstorming session and the thought of sitting around a swimming pool. At that very moment when the team said that, the light bulb turned on for everyone. The originator of the name said the Thursday Pools name met the criteria of a great name.
1. Easy to remember – day of the week
2. Unusual and will make people ask how did you come up with the name
3. Trademark and web domain not taken
4. Tag line makes people feel good and creates an image in their mind of the product
If you just read this article it is proof that we chose the right name. Thanks for your time and like us on Facebook!
Thursday Pools, your weekend starts early with us…
Thursday Pools designs and manufactures one-piece fiberglass pools and is located in Fortville, Indiana. You can contact us at http://www.thursdaypools.com.
The first question we get asked is “How much does a fiberglass swimming pool cost?” Unfortunately, it is also the most difficult to answer. Exact costs for your swimming pool project is absolutely impossible to give without seeing the installation site and speaking with your Authorized Thursday Pool® Dealer about specific equipment packages and accessories. With that in mind, we will do our best to give you a general idea of a reasonable swimming pool budget.
Below is an easy guideline that you can use to acquire a ball park estimate for a standard pool installation of our fiberglass pool models:
$1,000 – $1,500 per linear foot (length) of pool
For example,
- Lil Bob 1327 fiberglass pool model is 27’ in length, multiply that by the $1,000-$1,500 per linear foot and you have a ball park range of $27,000 to $40,500 for a basic installation.
- Goliath 1641 fiberglass pool model is 41′ in length,
multiply that by the formula and you will have a ball park range from $41,000 to $61,500 for a basic installation.
This formula should help you determine which Thursday Pool® model fits in your budget. Automatic safety covers, pool heaters, water features, automation, and salt systems are all items that will increase your pool estimate.
Thursday Pools®, LLC is the manufacturer of the fiberglass swimming pool shell and has a network of independent dealers who will work directly with you to determine the best pool model and package for your budget. ALL our independent dealers determine their own pricing based on their local market, pool model selection, equipment and accessories, excavation required, miscellaneous site variables, pool deck surface and size and other services they provide. The previous mentioned variables only point out the main price contributors and therefore additional items or situations will impact the overall price. We always recommend that your first step should be to speak with an Authorized Thursday Pool® Dealer.
Remember, there may be many financing options available to you and we can help connect you to those that can help make your backyard pool dream a reality. To get connected with an Authorized Thursday Pool® Dealer in your area, please contact us here or call 877-929-7665.
Our friends at River Pools also have a very helpful blog that goes into more detail about pool pricing and how fiberglass pools compare to other pool types. Click the following link to see there post on pool pricing: http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/cost/
Fiberglass – From Auto and Marine Fiberglass Parts to Awesome Fiberglass Swimming Pools
The creation of Facebook, Apple and Windows are well-known business success stories which garnered unprecedented media coverage, captivating the general public worldwide. Some of the Internet companies seem to have been created overnight, attracting job seekers and Wall Street investors to the glamor and fame of high-tech companies. Thursday Pools on the other hand started over thirty years ago in the garage of Bill Khamis, founder of the company. The company wasn’t incorporated thirty years ago but the foundation, technical knowhow and expertise was born in Khamis’ garage in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Bill Khamis, Founder of Thursday Pools, LLC
Khamis started learning and making race car parts out of fiberglass for a local race car company while he was still in high school. To make the specialized parts he teamed up with resin and fiberglass suppliers to learn tool making and production techniques. The tooling he developed was much smaller than Thursday Pools pool molds but met the high standards of the auto and race car industry.
After graduating from high school and during college Khamis was asked to make bigger parts and diversify from auto parts. He founded a new company called Fabri-Tech with a high school friend, Dave Camp, and started building huge fiberglass outdoor scenes for the family entertainment centers, zoos and parks. This was his stepping stone for building large molds and parts.
After selling Fabri-Tech he moved into the marine industry and built molds for his new company, KamKraft Boats. The precision molds he built using steel substructure and part tolerances, unknown in the pool industry, were a precursor for things to come. If boat building wasn’t enough, Khamis teamed up and started making carbon fiber parts for auto and the precision measuring machine industry. The parts Khamis made out of carbon fiber had even more exact tolerances which again honed Khamis’ tool making skills. Not only did it improve his tool making skills; it also gave him hands on experience with laminate schedules and materials needed for different applications.
In parallel, Khamis began high-end custom home building along with gunite pool building. He remembers the early days when gunite was 90% of the market for the high-end, million dollar plus homes. Over the years the homeowners started requesting fiberglass swimming pools so he started hiring contractors to do the installs. During this time he compared the installation time and effort of gunite versus fiberglass. He was amazed when a fiberglass pool was installed and complete in only a few short days versus the weeks his gunite crews worked on the pools.
Fast forward to 2009 and the birth of Thursday Pools. Khamis purchased an inground fiberglass pool and when it showed up at his house he almost went into cardiac arrest. Being a fiberglass expert, he was appalled at the quality of the pool. He didn’t send the pool back to the manufacture and ask for his money back, but he did decide right then and there what company he was going to start next.
Thursday Pools understands fiberglass, Thursday Pools understands how to build the best tooling to make the highest quality pools and Thursday Pools knows how to set the standard in quality and customer services. Why? Because the founder has lived and learned with fiberglass all his life and understands how to make homeowners smile with joy instead of frown with anger when the pool shows up.
I think we all know the slogan Papa John’s® uses to promote their pizza, “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John’s.” Well, Thursday Pools® has the same mindset as John Schnatter, founder of Papa John’s®. Thursday Pools® uses better ingredients to make all of their one-piece fiberglass swimming pools and spas. Our down home cooking uses only North American made ingredients, from only the best suppliers in the world.
The ingredients of our pools are 100% fiberglass, resin (non-filled), gel coat, barrier coat, structural core, and American workmanship. 
Thursday Pools® doesn’t try to market a pool made with new space age materials, the equivalent of a pizza recipe which stuffs the crust with cheese. We use only the ingredients and workmanship that are required to make the strongest, straightest, eye catching pool in the industry. So what should Thursday Pools® do to get the word out on their industry leading pool quality? Well, they may need to talk to Papa John and see if he will let them say “Better Materials and Workmanship. Better Pools. Thursday Pools.” I think they will only need to deliver a Thursday Pool to his home before he’ll be convinced. Don’t just take our word for it, read this third party blog by Marcus Sheridian to get the rest of the story on fiberglass fillers http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/blog/bid/31353/Ceramic-Core-Fiberglass-Pools-The-Truth-Behind-the-Material.
1. Think outside the box. Think outside the pool. The pool is just the beginning. Don’t just slap a pool in the backyard and add a 3′ to 6′ border of concrete around the pool. One client I visited with was so disappointed when the pool was finished because they realized their large 2-story home kept the pool in the shade until late afternoon everyday. When and where is the sun going to shine on your backyard? Ensure that you have thought about that and planned out patio areas for sunning and cooling off in the shade.
2. Add a water feature. We all have a fascination with moving water and the sound can sooth our soul. Adding a water feature to your swimming can create a whole new outdoor environment that allows you to enjoy your backyard swimming pool without even being in your swimsuit. If a water feature isn’t in the swimming pool budget, for minimal cost your dealer can pre-plumb your pool to accommodate for a future water feature.
3. Where the pool ends -the patio begins. Most people think picking out the pool design is the hard part, but designing the perfect patio can be tedious and time-consuming. It is the space that will be used the most, so don’t take it lightly. Think about the different sitting areas you want to have and ensure you have the proper amount of patio space to accommodate them. Most pool loungers are 6 feet so you want at least a 9′ patio area. Patio furniture, outdoor dining tables, and conversation sets come in a lot of different sizes, the minimum area for a standard patio table and chairs is 8 to 10 feet. Just make sure that you and your guests have a nice wide walkway between the any patio furniture and waters edge. Check out some of our pool patio ideas and pins on Pinterest.
4. Add a fire pit. The latest trend in outdoor living is the classic fire pit and it is a great addition to any poolside patio. Most fire pits are designed 3 to 4′ in diameter. Keep in mind any wood burning fire pits should be kept at least 10 feet from waters edge especially if the pool has an automatic safety cover. You don’t want sparks to fly and land on the cover fabric. Click to see some cool fire pits.
5. Create a private pool environment. Privacy is sometimes hard to come by in these growing neighborhoods. A good landscape designer can come up with some creative ways to provide your pool paradise with some privacy. Strategically placed evergreens, arbors, and landscape mounds are just some examples. Just be sure that your new in ground swimming pool paradise cannot be ruined by a neighbor who suddenly becomes a peeping tom. We want you and your family to get the most out of your new backyard vacation spot and privacy is definitely a must.
Fortville, IN. October 31, 2013– Thursday Pools® announced today that Annie Brock has been named Director of Business Development. As Director of Business Development, Brock will be responsible for gaining and strengthening key dealer relationships throughout the US and Canada.
“We are excited to have Annie on board and are looking forward to the wealth of knowledge that she brings to us and more importantly to our Authorized Dealers.’” –says Ed Vondell, Owner of Thursday Pools®.
Annie Brock comes to us from Pools of Fun, Inc., one of Indiana’s largest pool companies. Brock spent 20 years at Pools of Fun experiencing many different facets of the Pool & Spa Industry.
“Thursday is phenomenal to work with. They are consistently striving for excellence in everything they do. I met with her (Annie Brock) briefly and she was already bouncing ideas off me. She will be a great addition to the Thursday Pools team.” -says Larry Hemmelgarn, LCH Services, Chicago, IL.
Thursday Pools® manufactures one-piece fiberglass pools and is proud of its 30 year history in the fiberglass composite industry. Located on 56 acres in Fortville, Indiana, Thursday Pools® distributes its fiberglass pools throughout the US and Canada. Brock will first focus on building fiberglass pool dealer relationships in Kentucky and Illinois and then proceed outward. For more information visit http://www.thursdaypools.com.
Fortville, IN. October 23, 2013– On Tuesday, October 15th, Thursday Pools® played host to the Indiana Chapter of APSP’s first members only educational seminar. In an effort to deliver added value to their members, the APSP (Association of Pool and Spa Professionals) decided to hold this free event and Thursday Pools® jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.
“Because the Fiberglass Pool Industry is still in its infancy in comparison to traditional types of in-ground swimming pools, there is a lot of miss information out there and so any time we get an opportunity to educate and provide people with a positive experience – it’s a win win for us.’” –says Bill Khamis, Owner of Thursday Pools®.
The APSP and Thursday Pools® considered the event a success. It was attended by over a dozen members throughout Central Indiana. Both companies hope that this leads the way for a more involved membership base.
The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals is a community of professionals dedicated to promoting the enjoyment and safe use of pools, spas, and hot tubs. They leverage the collective talent, energy, and expertise of APSP membership to deliver the resources and education that enable APSP members to be stronger, smarter, safer, and therefore more successful. For more information visit www.APSP.org.
Thursday Pools Trucking delivers high quality pools safely and professionally. We deliver so our customers can get the job done quickly but safely. Thursday Pools are delivered top side up with unloading straps attached. A pool can be unloaded and in the hole within fifteen minutes of arrival. Can you ask for a more efficient way of unloading?
Contact us at 877-929-7665 or at http://www.thursdaypools.com.
Thursday Pools LLC designs and manufactures one-piece fiberglass swimming pools and spas. We are located in Fortville, Indiana, part of the greater Indianapolis area.
Come swim laps in Thursday Pools 41 foot Goliath fiberglass pool. Our Goliath 1641 has an open swim lane perfect for doing laps and staying in shape. Stairs and sitting ledges are symmetrically located on both sides of the pool, allowing for an open swim lane the entire length of the pool. Our selection of five ultra-durable and visually striking gel coat colors makes swimming laps in a Thursday Pool an optical paradise.
Thursday Pools LLC designs and manufactures fiberglass pools and spas. We are located in Fortville, Indiana. You can contact us at 877-929-POOL or www.thursdaypools.com.
Thursday Pools® 