500 pools. In 2007, the most re-cent year recorded in the Pool& Spa News Top 50, the firmreported nearly $20 million inrevenue.

Debra Smith joined the com-pany as a part-time employeein 1992. She was promoted tooffice manager, general man-ager, then vice president/gen-eral manager. For the past fewyears, she’s largely overseen day-to-day operations.

“I feel very honored and proudthat Barry would entrust this tous,” Smith said. “I’m speechlessand awed by his confidence andfaith in us.”

Smith also is president ofAPEC, the Texas pool and spaindustry’s legislative advocacy or-ganization.

Clark joined the firm in 1984 as a sales-man, and later became sales manager. Cred-ited with strong planning skills, he made it apriority to teach the sales staff to draw, providethorough plans and implement CAD systems.

Pulliam said the sale was the perfect exitstrategy in an age and industry where somepeople have a hard time with succession plan-ning.

“To me, this seems like a real win-winsituation: It’s good for my employees, it’s goodfor my customers, and it’s good for me. Every-body’s taken care of.” n

By Rebecca Robledo Pulliam Pools,one of the nation’s largestbuilders, has been purchasedby two of its employees.

Third-generation owner BarryPulliam sold the nearly century-old firm to Vice President/Gen-eral Manager Debra Smith andSales Manager Mike Clark.

“I know it would have beenideal to advance the family busi-ness to a fourth Pulliam gen-eration,” Pulliam said. “Butwhile not biologically related,both Debra and Mike are fam-ily, too. They have been a crit-ical part of the success of thisbusiness, and I am delightedthat they will continue my fam-ily’s legacy.”

Smith, now majority part-ner of the Fort Worth, Texas-based company, becomes president/gen-eral manager. Clark is vice president andsales manager.

As part of the sales agreement, BarryPulliam, who is 60, will remain as a con-sultant for 15 years.

“I [wanted to] consult for the next15 years, but couldn’t wait until I’m 75to do that,” he said. “I want my existingcustomer base to be taken care of. I wantthe business to continue and the em-ployees to have livelihoods. If I wait an-other 15 years and sell to an outsider, I

have no control over whether those em-ployees would still have jobs.”

Pulliam Pools was founded as PulliamInc. in 1916 by Theo Pulliam who began thecompany as a concrete contractor. His sonand second-generation owner, Doren, pur-chased the first gunite rig in Tarrant County,Texas, and helped develop the process ofpneumatically applying concrete that has be-come standard for the pool industry.

In 1984, Barry Pulliam purchased the com-pany from his father, growing it from 50 poolsa year to 100 in his first 12 months as owner.At the economy’s peak in 2005, Pulliam built

POOL& SPANEWS

THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 48 YEARS / June 26, 2009 / $9.00

Mike Clark and Debra Smith

Two Employees BuyTop 50 Pool Company