New Braunfels soon will be home to the largest pool manufacturing plant in the world.
Leisure Pools, an Australian pool manufacturer, broke ground Thursday for their new facility at 3567 South Interstate 35, along the northbound interstate access road.
According to Ashley Gill, CEO of Leisure Pools, the 40,000-square foot facility will sit on 18 acres of land, making it three times the size of its current San Antonio location, which will be closing. The new facility will increase production from 750 pools annually to 5,000.
Gill said that construction for the $6.5 million project is expected to last nine months.
Due to the low cost, absence of chemicals and easy maintenance, fiberglass pools are the fastest growing segment of the in-ground pool market, said Gill.
Thirty-five new employees from New Braunfels have been hired, and that number is expected to double within the next year.
Michael Meek, President of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, said he is excited the company chose New Braunfels and that it’s unique for a corporation to have a headquarters, manufacturing plant and showroom all in one.
“It’s the world’s largest, and I just feel that’s a great company to have in our city,” said Meek.
The New Braunfels 4B Board provided a $50,000 grant and a $450,000, five-year loan to help Leisure Pools complete its move to New Braunfels.
The company has a location in Australia, and it chose San Antonio to be the home of its first facility in the United States due to Texas’ relative proximity to the East and West coasts, the Midwest and the Gulf, said Gill. When the time came to expand, Gill said the company selected New Braunfels because of the support received from the community.
Gill also noted that Texas and Australia share some common bonds which made the state an attractive option for Leisure Pools.
“We like Texas,” said Gill. “It’s like Australia — a big, hot, wide-open space and people like barbecues and beer.”
