In today’s competitive pool industry, diversifying service offerings is essential for growth and meeting client expectations. Cover Care and Automatic Pool Covers, led by CEO Michael Shebek, have been at the forefront of supporting pool builders and service companies by providing innovative automatic pool cover solutions and maintenance services. These companies work collaboratively with industry professionals to integrate covers into their service portfolios, enabling them to deliver top-tier service without the steep learning curve.
From the Pitcher’s Mound to the Pool
Before becoming a leader in the pool cover industry, Michael Shebek had a career that began on the baseball field. A former pitcher at Ball State University, Shebek was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. While he ultimately decided to pivot away from professional sports, his experiences as an athlete instilled in him a strategic mindset and a deep appreciation for teamwork.
This background in sports seems to have shaped how Shebek approaches the business of pool covers. Just as a successful baseball team relies on a strong and versatile bench, Cover Care and Automatic Pool Covers provide pool builders with the additional resources and expertise needed to expand their offerings without overextending themselves. By partnering with these companies, pool builders can add a valuable “player” to their roster—one that specializes in cover installation and maintenance—allowing them to focus on their core strengths.
Supporting Pool Builders with Turnkey Solutions
Cover Care specializes in providing pool builders with a seamless way to incorporate pool covers into their projects. “For pool builders new to automatic pool covers, we offer a partnership akin to their relationship with a concrete company,” explained Shebek. “We handle the installation, ensuring everything is prepared perfectly. Our goal is to let builders focus on what they do best: designing and constructing pools.”
Automatic Pool Covers, a manufacturing arm of Shebek’s organization, also plays a pivotal role in the industry. Founded in 2003, the company designs and produces high-quality pool cover systems that are sold across the United States and internationally. “We’ve always focused on reliability and ease of use,” Shebek said. “Our systems are built with the installer and the homeowner in mind.”
Comprehensive Service Offerings
Today, Cover Care operates in 30 states across the U.S. and offers customized solutions tailored to the needs of different markets. Whether it’s new construction installations or retrofitting existing pools with covers, Cover Care provides everything from specialized trucks to hundreds of parts needed for each project.
Since its founding in 2014, Cover Care has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from just two locations to 50 across the United States in only a decade. “I feel like we are still in that scaling process,” Shebek noted. “Our growth is only in the second or third inning of the game.”
“Our service trucks are custom-designed to handle 99% of installation and maintenance needs,” Shebek noted. “This allows builders to confidently offer high-quality cover solutions without the logistical headaches.”
As the pool renovation market continues to grow, Cover Care has positioned itself as a key player in this space. Many older pools are being upgraded to include automatic covers for safety and energy efficiency. “Safety and savings are key drivers,” Shebek noted. “Covers help reduce heating and cooling costs and offer peace of mind by preventing unauthorized access to the pool.”
By partnering with Cover Care, pool builders can offer automatic cover retrofits as part of their renovation services, adding a valuable upsell opportunity. “Renovations are a significant part of the industry, and we’ve captured that with Cover Care,” Shebek explained. “Our partners benefit from our expertise while offering their clients best-in-class solutions.”
Capitalizing on New Revenue Opportunities Post-Pandemic
Cover Care’s scalable model has also helped pool builders capitalize on new revenue opportunities, particularly in the years following the pandemic boom. “We were really fortunate to have seen this scalable opportunity prior to the increase from COVID,” Shebek explained. “After years of servicing just our local market in Indiana, there was an incredible opportunity to take the great things we were doing here and create this nationwide installation service business.”
The timing proved to be ideal. “Our timing couldn’t have been better,” Shebek said. “Once the boom from 2022 slowed down in 2023 and 2024, we grew rapidly because of all these new markets that we’ve opened.” The company’s expansion strategy has been largely focused on introducing builders to the world of pool covers. “We are bringing new pool builders into the pool cover world, and they are finding that it’s a world they enjoy being in. It’s helping their business grow,” Shebek added.
Staying Power in the Marketplace
Both the Cover Care and Automatic Pool Covers brands continue to absorb market share by prioritizing safety and reliability. “Our staying power in the marketplace has been really customer-focused,” Shebek explained. “We’ve tried to make a safe product because safety is what stands the test of time.”
Shebek recounted a conversation that shaped his philosophy: “A friend once asked me what the best product on the market was. As I began explaining what we did and how we did it, he interrupted me and said, ‘It seems to me that the safest product on the market is the best product on the market.’ That’s something I’ve taken to heart.” This mindset drives every decision this company makes when it comes to refining its products.
Building Long-Term Partnerships for Success
The key to the success of Cover Care and Automatic Pool Covers lies in their collaborative approach. “We’ve built lasting relationships by delivering reliable products and exceptional service,” Shebek said. “Our collaborative approach ensures mutual success.”
Cover Care is empowering builders to expand their offerings without the need for specialized training or inventory. By effectively “deepening the bench,” these partnerships enable pool companies to provide a wider range of services while maintaining focus on their core competencies.
Ready to take a deeper dive? Listen to our entire conversation with Michael Shebek on the Pool Magazine podcast.
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