#198 Building Multi-Million-Dollar Pools in the Sky — A Conversation with Greg Carnforth

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What does it take to design, build, and install stainless-steel rooftop pools for some of America’s biggest cities? Greg Carnforth, President of Chester Pool Systems (https://www.chesterpools.com/), joins me to share the remarkable story behind one of the most specialized construction companies in the country.

With 35+ years in the industry, Greg has helped transform Chester Pool Systems into the go-to provider for engineered stainless-steel pools across New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Denver, San Diego, and beyond. In this episode, Greg walks through the engineering, logistics, and craftsmanship required to design and fabricate entire pool systems in Indiana — then hoist them onto rooftops hundreds of feet in the air.

We also talk through Chester’s transition to a 100 percent employee-owned company, how the ESOP reshaped culture and collaboration, and the unique challenges of building inside billion-dollar high-rise projects.

📌 Topics Covered:

• How stainless-steel rooftop pools are engineered and fabricated off-site

• Why off-site construction is essential for major cities like NYC and Chicago

• The logistics, coordination, and “space shuttle launch” planning behind every install

• How Chester grew from a small team to 100+ employees over several decades

• The decision to become an ESOP and how it strengthened the company’s future

• Why developers and general contractors trust Chester for specialty builds

💡 Learn more about Greg and Chester Pool Systems:

Website: https://www.chesterpools.com/

Century Industries (co-owned): https://www.centuryindustries.com/

LinkedIn (Greg): https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-carnforth-b54bba14/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chesterpoolsystems5544

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.carnforth.1/

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