Company History-Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary—1964-2024
A FAMILY LEGACY BUILT ON LOYALTY, TRUST AND RESPECT WITH A
“CRYSTAL” CLEAR COMMITMENT TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND
EMPLOYEES FOR 60 YEARS
HOW IT ALL STARTED
In 1964, Henry “Hank” Rozanski, and his wife, Mary Ann, contracted for a swimming pool to be built for their family. The contractor came out, dug a hole, delivered product and materials and proceeded to go out of business.
“So, there are my mom and dad with a hole in the backyard for a pool that they knew nothing about,” explains John Rozanski. “My dad got
together some local tradesmen and they built the pool themselves, put it together and jokingly, one of them said ‘Wow, Hank, you should go into business for yourself.’ So he did…”
AND SO, IT BEGINS…
“Mom and Dad purchased 10 inground swimming pools, on credit, that they had to sell and install. They were stacked in the backyard, and they ended up building those 10 pools…and another 10… and the business was underway,” John smiles.
“We started in the basement of our ranch house right next door to the current location of our Hershey store, Cheryl Eshenour (Rozanski) recalls. “Customers would literally come knocking on the front door.”
“My mother was the driving sales force of the business and my father was the construction force, managing the backyard consultations and pool building. I remember, as a kid, inviting customers in and presenting the products that were available.” Harry Rozanski recalls, “we were answering the home phone ‘Hello, Crystal Pools’ and I remember, even at 6 years old when we were playing, the phone was set up so it would ring outside…and you’d have to run up to the house as fast as you could to answer it. The phone number that you call today, 717-534-1837, is the same number that our house phone was when we were kids growing up.”
A STRICT UPBRINGING
“He was so strict, he cracked the whip,” Harry said, with a serious look. “There was no sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday mornings. From the time I was able to drive a garden tractor, I was always involved in something related to the business. I’d come home from high school on a Friday and want to go to the football game that night, and dad would say ‘No, you are driving to Jersey to pick up pool liners and then you are working Saturday.’
Deb Rozanski agreed. “I don’t remember ever not going to school. If you weren’t feeling good, you still went. And we all did work as kids related to the business. There was a strict upbringing and work ethic instilled in all of us from a very young age.”
John, the youngest of the four Rozanski children, recalls his younger years. “I remember being 8, playing with the neighborhood kids, and Dad would grab my hand and say…‘Come along. We’re going to Mechanicsburg to talk to someone about putting in a pool.’”
“My dad would say “Do it right, or don’t do it all.” John recalls. “I still literally have that instilled in me. I’m very competitive. For me, second place wasn’t an option. You want your business to be first place, and top notch. How do you do that???…you go out and work your butt off. There was no 9-5 or 8-4 for the four of us, you worked until the job was done.”
And that is how Crystal Pools has operated since the second generation of ownership took over in 1978, Deb stated. “We quickly learned when you’re married to the family business, there is no time clock. For us, Company and Family were tied together as first priority.”
HANK ROZANSKI’S DEATH
Henry “Hank” Rozanski died unexpectedly in 1978 at the age of 43 and left the business to his four children. At the time, Deb, 19, was working in accounting and finance at a local company. Harry, 21, was employed in the maintenance division of Allegheny Airlines at the Harrisburg Airport, and Cheryl, 23, was already working full-time at Crystal Pools, handling secretarial work and dealing with customers. John was only 13, and in the eighth grade.
“When Dad died, we were faced with a tremendous challenge, I know what the four of us went through to come together and build the business as second generation family members,” Cheryl explained. “It was not an easy decision, especially for Deb and me. I was already out to prove to myself that I could do something not tied to Dad’s business,” Harry explained, as he was considering pilot’s school at the time.
Deb agreed. “I worked in a local accounting office, and just like Harry, I needed to prove that I could do something on my own. It was difficult for me to come back, because I had a future where I was at.”
“We were fortunate though, that by the time Dad finished those first 20 pools back at the start and had been in business for 14 years, he had
surrounded himself with knowledgeable employees, a construction superintendent and a general manager, all who stayed with us for many years after Dad’s death, and they helped the four of us grow into our ownership roles,” Cheryl explained.
“While the four of us had strong work ethics and came together, dedicating ourselves to running this business, we were still pretty young and could never have been as successful without the faithful, loyal employees who surrounded us,” Deb explained.
There was also an internal drive and determination to prove that we could run this company, and run it even better than Dad did,” Cheryl said.
TAKING PRIDE AND TAKING OWNERSHIPSETTLING INTO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In the early months of 1978, each of the four Rozanski siblings had different interests and talents that guided their roles in the company. Deb took on the company’s accounting and finance role because of her background. Already full-time, Cheryl was familiar with Crystal’s operations, vendors and purchasing, so she settled into that role. Harry worked in Crystal’s construction department prior to working at the airport, so he funneled into working and managing pool building and installation, with stints in sales and as the service manager. And for the years until John graduated high school, he worked summers in the construction division as well.
“Over time, we each grew our skill sets and developed other areas of responsibility,” John explained, as his years of inground and above ground pool construction and management eventually shifted into office roles in hot tub sales and management. “It was unique, as I don’t believe any of us siblings ever told each other how to do our jobs or manage our departments. Sure, we had times when we disagreed, but we always trusted and respected each other’s knowledge and decision making. Yes, we had different opinions but the goal was always the same. We always came to a conclusion together and did what was best for the company. In a way, each one of us focusing on our own separate responsibilities has been asuccessful model over the years. Ultimately, our goal was to continue to provide a quality product to our customers.”
One thing was for certain, the four Rozanski children were not “Absentee Owners”.
“We’ve each always worked at least six days a week, even all through the summer. Our personal families, business, employees and customers
were, and still are, our priorities. If someone walked in the door and said ‘I want to speak to an owner’, there was ALWAYS one of us here and our dedication over time has earned us respect,” Cheryl explains.
“Back then, for a while, we were open seven days a week,” Harry explained. “Every one of us was here all seven days. People would ask why were we here on weekends, when we’re the business owners. Where else would we be? We worked weekends when it was busy. We sacrificed time with our families. If someone called off sick, we filled in,” Harry stated. “Our employees and customers respected that.”
“People have come up to us and said that it must be nice to work in the swimming pool industry because you have off all winter… and it’s just not true. There’s so much that goes into preparing for the pool season. It’s truly a year-round commitment.”
Cheryl agreed. “We won’t ask anyone to do something that we’re not willing to do ourselves. You’ll never hear any of us say, ‘that’s not my job.’ If someone says that, it communicates a degree of arrogance and that’s not how we operate. We lead by example.”
THE CRYSTAL POOLS TEAM BECOMES A FAMILY
The success of Crystal Pools is deeply rooted in the team we have around us, Cheryl shares. “Our construction crews, retail and sales team, our pool service techs, installers, spa techs and all the administrative staff are all so incredibly talented and have been dedicated and loyal over the years. We’ve accomplished so much more because of them.”
“We’re a strong team in every department, especially when the majority of our staff has been here an average of 15-18 years. That’s great for our customers. It provides peace of mind that we’re experienced and highly trained. We’ve been through thick and thin with our
employees…personally, professionally and they are truly a dedicated, loyal and trusted part of our family, Deb emphasizes.
“We take to heart each employee and their family,” Cheryl says. “We treat the staff with respect, and they treat us with respect. They feel I’m fair, they can come to me with anything, and my door is always open. I treat them with understanding and compassion. Everyone in our Crystal Pools family has a story, and you can’t discount that. You celebrate their milestones, but also respect them as someone that has to balance many responsibilities and struggles at times and I have experienced those and have compassion for that.”
“We’re responsible for our employees, and part of that is being here for them, making sure that there’s work available for them and making sure we have the equipment and product that’s needed for them to complete their jobs,” Harry adds.
TRANSITION AND THE GROWING LEADERSHIP OF THE THIRD GENERATION
With each of the four second generation owners transitioning towards more limited work schedules, responsibilities and future retirement, a
transition towards third generation ownership is well underway and well established at Crystal Pools.
“There’s no doubt that they have stepped into their ownership roles with more experience and knowledge than Deb, Harry, John and I had when we started,” Cheryl explains. “And they will lead us to be better than ever! Our customers and employees are in good hands.”
“None of us have forced our kids into this business,” Deb adds. “It’s never mattered for any of us what they do, as long as they’re happy and enjoy their work!”
“People talk about 2nd and 3rd generation businesses failing, because the kids have been given a silver spoon and don’t work hard. That’s
upsetting to us and just not true!” John strongly states. “Yes, our dad started the foundation. He ran it for 14 years, with less than 20 staff, maybe 100 projects a year. The 2nd generation, it’s been 46 years since we took over, we have 65-75 employees on payroll, 400 projects annually and we’ve tripled the number of locations and the number of staff and quadrupled the number of projects…we’re doing something right.”
“Nate, Dana, Jess and Beth have all worked for Crystal Pools since they were teenagers. They each have experience in different departments and they have embraced our work ethic and have the knowledge it takes to run the business. We’ve been side by side with them, working on this transition for nearly 15 years. We see their progress and they’re ready to take over the reins, and we’re confident in them!”
BIG SHOES TO FILL-BUT DECADES OF EXPERIENCE ALREADY UNDER THEIR BELTS
The third generation ownership team of Nate Eshenour, Dana Benson (Rozanski), Jessica Conway and Beth Musser already share a combined 65 years of employment with Crystal Pools. “That puts us right on that company average, with a 16-year average employment for the four of us, Nate laughs. “We’re not necessarily the new kids on the block.”
“As a kid, I remember our bus stop on the way home was Crystal Pools on Roundtop Road. We’d sit at the conference room table, do our
homework, have a snack and order pizza for dinner, while our parents worked. We’d open the cash register and pretend to ring up the customers at the front counter,” Beth recalls.
Nate remembers his “first exposure to the pool business was 1988, when Mom and Dad put a pool in. I loved the equipment and watching it being built. From backfilling and regrading the yard, and taking a rough, torn up area and smoothing it out and creating a new space with it. My first job was pulling chemicals from inventory in the warehouse, hauling them into the store and stocking shelves. When I was old enough, I loved to go out on the excavations for pool builds.
“I remember sitting on the little white stool in my dad’s office and making up the inground pool brochure kits when I was 10, Dana remembers. We would take each piece of literature and put them together in a folder. We learned to test water, fluff the bags for people to carry out their pool chemicals and occasionally cleaned the bathrooms.”
“We would work wherever, do whatever,” Jess recalls. “We were always here.”
After high school, Jessica earned a degree in Elementary Education from Penn State, Beth secured her Cosmetology License, Nate graduated from HACC with a degree in Construction Management and Dana majored in Biology, graduating from Susquehanna University. However, they soon all returned “home” and moved into full-time roles at Crystal Pools.
“I truly missed being here.” Jess explained, recalling her days as a pre-school teacher after graduation. “I’d literally call my Mom every day asking her what was going on at the store and how everyone was doing.”
“It was never forced on us, but was more of a function of what was ‘already in our blood!’” Dana added, “We’ve become good listeners, and we each interact with staff and customers on a daily basis and find solutions to problems. If we commit to helping with a specific task or finding an answer or solution, we follow through and make it happen, and we’re working with a great team that operates on trust and straightforward communication!”
“When your children decide on their own that they want to come back to Crystal Pools and be a part of the business, it makes you proud and
makes you feel you’ve made a positive impact in their lives and helped them in their path. None of us wanted to sell this business as we moved closer to retirement, we wanted to make a successful transition with our children.” Deb explains.
REALLY??? ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY??? BELIEVE IT.
Nothing is perfect. No one ever said it was. Blood, Sweat and Tears are real…in our work lives, in our family lives, in managing our households or running a business. Success means different things to different people, but mainly it comes from our ability to persevere and create something special that is lasting and touches many lives in a positive way.
When Josh Culp, Crystal Pools’ General Manager, was asked his thoughts on celebrating 60 years in business, he shared this. “I’ve been with Crystal Pools for nearly 30 years. After several years in sales and managing our Lancaster location, I moved into the General Manager role with guidance and direction from Don Bell, who served as our trusted and loyal GM for over 40 years. I met my wife, Loren, here. Our children, Bryce, Addyson and Zoe have all worked here…they see that Loren and I are happy, and they wanted their first summer jobs to be at Crystal Pools.”
Josh adds…
“When your closest family members want to be part of your work family, that says it all. Crystal Pools’ longevity comes from how we care for our employees… when you grow up and work in a family business, as a dedicated and loyal employee, you become ‘family’. And when you’re at that point as an employee and share that bond of trust and commitment with ownership and everyone you work with, you always work harder and do things to try to please yourfamily, to make them proud, to help everyone benefit. I believe that’s what we are all blessed with here at Crystal Pools.”
Crystal Pools has touched thousands of lives over 60 years…selling, building and creating products that offer family fun, relaxation and
togetherness, in a meaningful way, and bring families and friends together to create memories that last a lifetime…and we look ahead to fulfilling that same mission for years to come!
Serving Central PA for 60 Years
About Us
Founded in 1964, Crystal Pools is one of the region’s oldest and most trusted providers of in-ground and above-ground swimming pools, hot tubs and swim spas. Over the last five decades, Crystal Pools has won numerous awards for the quality construction and design of our pools. We’re honored to be an 8-time winner of the prestigious Aqua 100 Award, ranking us among the top 100 pool & spa companies in North America.
Throughout our rich history, we’ve continued to grow our business to meet the changing needs of our customers. But our key mission has remained the same: helping Central PA homeowners turn their backyards in their own vacation paradise.
Where It All Started
In 2024, Crystal Pools is celebrating its 60-year anniversary in the swimming pool and hot tub business. Today, the company is still based where it all started in 1964 in Elizabethtown, but it has also added retail stores in Mechanicsburg and Lancaster. Each location showcases the area’s largest full-size pool parks, multiple lines of hot tubs, swim spas, maintenance chemicals, games, toys, parts and accessories.
Family Owned
Initially specializing in pools, Crystal Pools has adapted to customer’s needs over the years, expanding its offering and expertise to include the newest hot tubs and one-piece fiberglass pools. As a family-owned business, Crystal Pools understands the importance of unwinding from the chaos of daily life and enjoying time with family and friends in the comfort of your own backyard. That’s why we strive to bring homeowners the very best in relaxation, whether it is with a beautiful in-ground pool, a high-quality above-ground pool, or the relaxing feel of soothing jets from a hot tub.
Accolades
Through the years, Crystal Pools has received more than 50 awards on regional, national and international levels. We have been featured in numerous trade magazines and have been inducted into the prestigious Aqua 100 Hall of Fame, which honors the best pool & spa companies in North America.
Our goal is to provide superior products, coupled with superior service at competitive prices. In Central Pennsylvania, the choice is clear – there’s only one name in pools: Crystal Pools.
