At Utah Pool Guy, we’ve installed more than 300 fiberglass pools across Utah — but we didn’t start out planning to be a fiberglass pool company at all. The reason we are one is a story worth telling.
When Clark decided to get into the pool business, his original plan wasn’t to build fiberglass pools. He wanted to build Gunite/concrete pools. So, Clark and his wife attended a three-day pool construction conference to learn the business from the ground up. For three days, he listened to professionals who build and work with Gunite, vinyl liner, and fiberglass pools. He learned how each type of pool is constructed. He learned what goes into maintaining them. He learned what can go wrong. He learned what repairs homeowners can face years after the pool is installed. And most importantly, he started looking at the pool business from a different perspective.
Not just: "How do we build this pool?"
But: "What is this going to be like for the homeowner 5, 10, or 20 years from now?"
That’s when his thinking changed.
Clark originally liked the idea of Gunite/concrete. There was something appealing about being able to build a completely custom pool and create almost anything a homeowner could imagine. But during those three days, he learned more about what goes into building and maintaining Gunite pools — especially in a Utah environment. He learned about the construction process. The interior finishes. The ongoing maintenance. The eventual resurfacing. The potential long-term repair costs. And the fact that many of the things that create future work for the pool company can also create future expenses for the homeowner.
That bothered him.
Because from a business perspective, there was an uncomfortable realization: The things that could make the installer more money weren't necessarily the things that made the homeowner’s experience better. And Clark didn’t want to build a business around that. He wanted to build pools that people would actually enjoy owning.
Vinyl liner pools made more sense in some ways. They weren’t as maintenance intensive as some concrete pools, and they could offer a lower initial investment and plenty of design flexibility. But Clark still saw a long-term tradeoff.
The liner is a replaceable component. Eventually, it needs to be replaced. And over the life of the pool, there are still maintenance and repair costs that homeowners need to understand before they buy. So, vinyl wasn't the answer he was looking for either.
The more Clark learned about fiberglass, the more he noticed something. The conversation around fiberglass wasn’t centered on: "Here’s everything that can go wrong." It was centered much more around: "How do we make the homeowner’s experience better?"
The pool is manufactured in a controlled environment. The shell arrives already built. The installation can happen dramatically faster than a traditional Gunite/concrete construction process. The surface is smooth and non-porous. There is no vinyl liner to replace. There isn’t a plaster surface that needs routine replastering. And the fiberglass shell has flexibility that a rigid concrete structure doesn't.
Suddenly, the decision became much simpler.
And that’s how Utah Pool Guy became a fiberglass pool company.
A lot of pool companies ask: “What pool can we sell you?”
We'd rather ask: “What pool are you going to be happiest owning?”
Those are two very different questions. Because the sale is only the beginning. You’re the one who will maintain the pool. You’re the one who will pay for repairs. You’re the one who will live with the surface. You’re the one who will deal with future replacements. And you’re the one who will hopefully be sitting beside that pool with your family for decades.
That’s why we chose fiberglass. Not because it’s the only good pool. Not because it never has problems. But because after learning what goes into all three, we believe fiberglass gives most of our customers the best overall ownership experience. And that’s the kind of pool company we want to be.
Clark’s roots in Utah business run deep. For decades before Utah Pool Guy, he owned and operated Heringer Marine Sales and Service in Orem, where he built a reputation for straightforward dealing and taking care of customers long after the sale — work that earned him the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce’s Businessman of the Year award in 2004. That same philosophy — take care of the customer for the long haul, not just through the sale — is exactly what carried over when Clark walked out of that three-day conference and decided to build fiberglass pools instead.
That commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. Utah Pool Guy was recently named to Latham Pool Products’ President’s Club — a lifetime-achievement honor Latham has awarded since 2017 to a select group of its top-performing builders nationwide for excellence, consistency, and long-term partnership. Latham is one of the largest fiberglass pool manufacturers in North America, and the recognition reflects what our customers already know: we build it right, every time.
We're proud to specialize in Latham fiberglass pools and to help Utah homeowners find a pool that fits not only their backyard, but the way they actually want to live.
If fiberglass isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you. If it is, we’ll show you why.
