John Watts:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another edition of the Aloha Pools and Spas Deep Dive Podcast. I’m John Watts alongside Brad Cook. Today, we have a very special guest—the founder and owner of Thursday Pools, Bill Khamis.

Bill, thanks for joining us. We’ve been looking forward to hearing your story.

Bill Khamis:
Thanks, John. You guys are making me sound better than I deserve. But we’ve known each other for a long time, and I know what Aloha stands for, so I was happy to do it.

John:
Well, let’s start at the beginning. Tell us about your journey and how you ended up building one of the most respected fiberglass pool manufacturers in the industry.

Discovering Fiberglass as a Teenager

Bill:
My interest in fiberglass actually started when I was a teenager. Before I could even drive, I was heavily involved in radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters.

Back then, there was a helicopter body everyone wanted, but nobody was making it. So I decided to build one myself using fiberglass resin and materials I bought from a local automotive supply store.

What started as a hobby turned into something bigger. I built a few bodies, sold them to other hobbyists, and completely fell in love with fiberglass.

There was something fascinating about taking a liquid material with no shape and turning it into a finished product.

Brad Cook:
So you were doing all of this before you even had a driver’s license?

Bill:
Exactly. I was about 15 years old.

Eventually I found a supplier that sold resin in five-gallon containers. At the time, that felt enormous compared to the little pint-sized containers I had been buying.

Years later, we were buying drums of resin from that same supplier. Then totes. Eventually, we became their largest customer and were receiving tanker loads every day.

That’s a relationship that lasted more than 30 years.

From Race Cars to Manufacturing

Bill:
As we got older, we started painting fiberglass components for NHRA drag racing teams.

At first, we were just painting parts. Then we realized the fiberglass parts themselves were worth more than the paint work.

So we started manufacturing the parts.

We built cage covers, wings, canopies, and eventually complete race car bodies. That’s where we really learned fiberglass manufacturing.

The more we worked with it, the more obvious it became that fiberglass was the future for us.

The Dream of Building Boats

John:
At one point you were planning to build boats, right?

Bill:
Absolutely.

In the 1980s, our goal was to become a boat manufacturer. We even built a 22-foot runabout and earned approval from Volvo Penta for one of their early Duo Prop systems.

We were all-in on boats.

Then the government introduced the luxury tax on boats.

The market collapsed almost overnight.

It was a painful lesson, but it taught me early on that markets can change quickly.

A Detour Into Home Building

Bill:
After the boat market crashed, I shifted into home building.

I built my own home, sold a few others, and eventually rode the housing boom through the 1990s and early 2000s.

The difference was that instead of spending profits on bigger houses, I invested in land and facilities because I always intended to return to manufacturing.

Even while building homes, I never lost sight of that goal.

The Backyard Pool That Changed Everything

John:
So how did pools enter the picture?

Bill:
Honestly, because my wife wanted one.

At the time, we built high-end homes and occasionally installed our own concrete pools. My wife assumed we’d build a concrete pool at our house too.

I didn’t want the mess.

A friend of mine was installing fiberglass pools, so I had him put one in.

My thinking was simple: if I didn’t like it, I’d tear it out the following year and install a concrete pool.

But once I saw the fiberglass pool up close, I realized something.

I thought, “We can build a better version of this.”

So I called the guys at the shop and told them:

“We’re not building boats anymore. We’re building swimming pools.”

That decision changed everything.

Building the First Thursday Pools

Bill:
The original plan was to design a dozen pool models, build all the molds, and then take them to market.

But before we even finished our second mold, dealers started showing up asking for pools.

They had heard about what we were building and wanted one.

That was exciting, but it was also challenging because we were trying to build the foundation of the business correctly.

We wanted the systems, procedures, facilities, and manufacturing processes in place before scaling.

The Story Behind the Little Bob

Brad:
Do you remember your first pool design?

Bill:
Absolutely. It was the Little Bob.

The pool was named after Bob Kevoian from the Bob & Tom radio show.

We originally designed it with small benches and a traditional layout. Bob looked at the design and said:

“No. This is a party pool. Put benches all the way down both sides.”

We thought he was crazy.

We modified the design anyway.

The funny part is that we assumed we’d never sell another one after his.

Instead, it became our best-selling pool for years.

That taught us an important lesson:

Listen to the market.

Homeowners will tell you what they want if you’re willing to listen.

Why Thursday Pools Doesn’t Have Salespeople

John:
One of the most interesting things you’ve told me is that Thursday Pools doesn’t really have salespeople.

Bill:
That’s correct.

When we built our business model, every dollar had to go into engineering and manufacturing.

There wasn’t room in the budget for a traditional sales force.

So we made a decision.

Instead of hiring people to push products, we would focus on building a product that created demand on its own.

The pool had to pull customers toward us.

To this day, we don’t have a traditional sales team. We focus on supporting dealers and homeowners while continually improving the product.

The New Generation of Pool Designs

The conversation shifted to some of Thursday Pools’ newest designs, including the popular Mac Daddy model.

Bill:
The Mac Daddy combines a tanning ledge, spa area, entry steps, and a long swim lane all in one design.

We spent years listening to dealers and homeowners about what they wanted.

The result was a pool that gives families a little bit of everything.

So far, demand has been extremely strong.

The Story Behind the Name “Thursday Pools”

John:
How did you come up with the name Thursday Pools?

Bill:
My wife deserves all the credit.

My last name, Thomas, comes from an Aramaic family background. The word actually translates to “Thursday.”

We were brainstorming company names and she suggested Thursday Pools.

I immediately told her it was a terrible idea.

Like many husbands, I was wrong.

My sister-in-law, who worked in marketing, explained why it was actually brilliant. It was memorable and different.

People might forget another generic pool company name, but they remember Thursday Pools.

Turns out she was right.

And yes, my wife still reminds me of that.

Building for the Long Term

Brad:
What does the future look like for Thursday Pools?

Bill:
The most important thing is making sure Thursday Pools is here long after I’m gone.

Everything we’ve built—from the facility to the culture to the manufacturing processes—has been designed for long-term stability.

We’ve invested heavily in quality systems, environmental responsibility, and engineering.

I want Thursday Pools to be one of the companies still standing decades from now.

Lessons from COVID

Bill:
One of the moments that reinforced our philosophy was COVID.

Many manufacturers struggled to get resin, fiberglass, and raw materials.

Because we had spent decades building strong supplier relationships, we never missed a beat.

Our suppliers knew us. We knew them.

When materials were scarce, those relationships mattered.

That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in business: loyalty and long-term partnerships still matter.

Closing Thoughts

John:
Bill, this has been a fantastic conversation. We appreciate you sharing your story and giving us a behind-the-scenes look at Thursday Pools.

Bill:
I appreciate the opportunity. Thanks for having me.

Brad:
We’ll definitely have to do this again sometime.

John:
Absolutely. Thanks everyone for listening to another episode of the Aloha Pools and Spas Deep Dive Podcast.

And as we always say—dive safely.