QUENTIN ROUX / Staff

Joe Conway co-owns Pinch A Penny Pools in the Island Plaza. The company offers pool service, but Conway is equally happy to educate people how to maintain their own pools by offering free pool water testing and then prescribing the correct chemical applications.

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Company Name: Pinch-A-Penny Pools

Owners: Joe Conway and Connie Madden

Company Location: 698 Bald Eagle Drive, in the Island Plaza two doors down from Sweet Annie’s

Years in Business: Four-and-a-half years

Hours: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Number of Employees: 5

Products and Services: Pinch-A-Penny is a complete chemical operation store. Staff will test water on site and supply chemicals as needed. It also carries games and floats. Pool service and repair is also available, making it a one-stop shop for anything pool-related, says Conway. He says if he doesn’t have an item, he’ll find it and have it in hand within 24 to 48 hours if it’s made in America.

Contact Number: 642-7846

Company Goals: Quality service at quality prices. Conway says being a local business, the company puts a priority on locals. Prices are not “jacked up” and customers are treated on a first-name basis.

Comment: “I figure the biggest problem that most pool owners have with their pools is inability to take care of them. They forget they have a body of water out at the back, which they have to attend to each week. People can maintain their pools easily by having their water tested here. It’s a no-brainer for them. They can maintain their pools algae free year-round by taking the simplest precautions and remember that the body of water is a living thing and needs constant care. Average prices on the island are anywhere between $80 and $120 a month, but a person with an average competency level could take care of his pool for an average of about $40 a month. That’s an $800 savings a year in your pocket. The thing that’s different with us, too, is that we keep a running history of people’s pools. One tip I have is to pressure wash screens at the start of the summer season. It helps prevent pollens and airborne algae from washing into pools when it rains.”— Joe Conway