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Consumers ready to spend, enjoy summer
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Blue skies. High temperatures. Green grass.
Ah, the joys of summer have arrived.
Time to open the pool, invite the family over and fire up the grill.
“We hit the mid-80s for five-consecutive days from May 7 through May 11,” said Eric Wilhelm, chief meteorologist for 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner. “There will be more hot days than last summer.”
Those high temperatures brought the summer fun earlier this year and business for the pool people, landscapers and outdoor entertainment.
Just ask Bob Ballone, a 28-year above-ground pool installer and owner of Austintown Pools & Spas, 60 N. Canfield Niles Road, Suite 100, who says his business has been nonstop.
“It now seems we could see an increase of 25 to 50 percent,” Ballone said. “This is the big week – before Memorial Day – to open pools.”
Ballone, a physical education teacher at Lowellville, started his business in 2013, but he installed pools for more than 20 years before that.
“I always wanted to open my own store,” he said. “Over time we have increased our business.”
Ballone has continued to pick up new customers. His first year he installed 43 pools, his second year he installed 55, and this year he already is halfway to 55 pool installations.
“May is pretty busy,” he said. “They want them in for the Fourth of July.”
Business this year already is better from last year simply because the weather has been better, and it seems people are more willing to spend on the items they want – not just the items they need.
“I think [pool business] is definitely on the up,” Ballone said.
Why the surge?
Mekael Teshome, PNC Bank economist, gave a list of factors leading to the increase in consumer spending: More people are working; improvement in economic growth; and the dramatic decrease in gas prices over the past year.
“Consumers have made a lot of progress in decreasing their debt, so their financial situation is better,” Teshome said.
Some may not realize the impact of the gas decrease, but PNC says for every penny drop per gallon in the national average that is sustained over a year, $1.1 billion goes back in consumers’ pockets, which could be saved or spent.
AAA reported the national average on Friday at $2.735 for regular, unleaded gas compared with the year-ago average of $3.649.
“It is not new money,” Teshome said. “It is shifting money from [the oil companies] to us.”
Canfield Pools, of 8217 Columbiana-Canfield Road in Canfield, an in-ground pool design, installation and service company, has had steady business since its 2009 start.
“People are starting to spend more money,” said Lori Timko, co-owner of the company. “A lot of business the last couple of years has been higher-end projects. We are starting to get more middle-class business.”
Business has been on the up and up for landscape company Western Reserve Enterprise Inc., of 6431 Mahoning Ave. Austintown.
Mark Dixon along with his wife, Kerri, started the company in 2007 with just two employees. The two has gone to 10 employees because of an increase in business.
Just two years after the start of their company, the Dixons hit a rough patch. That’s when they saw the impact of the recession.
“It was really scary,” Kerri said. “We held on because of maintenance contracts. We were afraid for 21/2 years. Now, my sales in 2014 were five times what they were in 2009.”
The company prides itself on its hardscape, or the built environment such as patios and paved areas, but also does landscaping. The workers have been busy this year and are at a job site every day, except weekends.
The clientele grows mostly through word of mouth, and today customers are comfortable with the investment in their properties.
“Our clientele grows every year,” Kerri said. “We book two months ahead.”
Do-it-yourselfers have been out to Altiere’s CBS Topsoil & Mulch at 8415 South Ave. in Boardman to prep their yards for summertime.
“Our numbers are up through Mother’s Day weekend,” said Christopher Altiere, owner of the business. “This weekend is a very big weekend.”
Altiere’s business kept going up and then it leveled off in 2009.
“I think it might be approaching those days again,” he said. “I am wishful and hopeful that we will see business get back to like it was before 2009.”
Mulch is the on the move right now at the garden center, but customers are also picking up hanging baskets and other decorative items.
“A gift shop at the center has a fairy garden section that seemed to explode with interest,” Altiere said. “That has done very well over the last couple of years.”
With the business he has had, Altiere said it appears people had cabin fever following the record-cold winter we had.
“They want to get out there,” he said.
PLAY TIME
Canfield resident Catherine Ambrose, a customer of both Western Reserve and Canfield Pools, cannot wait to use her pool this summer. The in-ground pool and hardscaping project started about a year ago.
“We are very excited to get out there and swim and just enjoy the sun,” Ambrose said. “My kids cannot stop talking about it.”
Others are ready to hit the golf course.
Play has picked up this year over last, for example, at Pine Lakes Golf Course, 6233 W. Liberty St. in Hubbard.
The golf course operates on a daily fee operation, so golfers can just call and reserve a tee time.
“It is more recreational than anything, but we have a lot of golf outings and leagues,” said Scott Karabin, head golf professional at the 18-hole golf course.
While it is hard to tell how business will play out this summer, Karabin said the focus at the course is to get more programs going to get more players out there.
Ohio is ranked No. 4 in the nation for the number of golf courses, Karabin said, which translates to a high number of players locally.
“Certainly weather is a big factor in our business, but we are trying to improve the driving range and have more programs that will bring people out to the golf course,” Karabin said.