Seasonal World in Millstone is where Christmas trees and swimming pools go together

MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP - Growing up in Jackson, Anthony Schiavone learned all about the swimming pool industry through the family business that his father started, Seasonal World in Millstone.

And since joining the company full-time two decades ago, he and his father have taken pride in helping customers enjoy the benefits of high-quality in-ground pools and backyard living and celebrate the holiday season through Seasonal World’s extensive Christmas shop, which is open from November through mid-January.

“My father Tony founded Seasonal World in 1980,” said Schiavone, 40, a Jackson resident, of the business that was originally located in Staten Island. “He started out selling seasonal and holiday items like Christmas trees and grave blankets, Halloween costumes, Easter baskets, etc., but since the sale of pools represented the longest season (April through September), he decided to focus the business on swimming pool-related items.”

Seasonal World ultimately ventured into the construction of in-ground swimming pools in New York and eventually secured their home improvement license in New Jersey. “We started branching out and moved to our current location in Millstone in the mid-1990s,” Schiavone said.

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For his part, “I started helping out at the company when I was 12 doing jobs like organizing merchandise and stocking shelves,” recalled Schiavone, who worked at Seasonal World full-time while he secured a degree in business management from Monmouth University in West Long Branch.

After college, “our company continued to grow, we hired more team members, and I helped shape our strategic direction, giving departments and their managers platforms to run on and establishing new procedures.”

Pools and Christmas

Today, within the 25,000-square-foot facility that houses their in-ground pool design studio, retail showroom, outdoor pool park and corporate offices (as well as a nearby facility in Jackson where bulk materials are stored), “the core of our business year-round is the design, build and installation of luxury in-ground pools and resort-style backyard living, including everything from decking and hardscaping to fencing, landscaping, lighting, cabanas and more,” Schiavone said.

“We also perform water testing and sell pool equipment, chemicals, floats, patio furniture and anything else related to pools and backyard living," he continued. "We’re a total solutions provider, from the initial consultation, design and installation through to maintenance, renovations and repair.

“We service all ends of the market and have some unique clients throughout the state, including some customers of ours in North Jersey who ask us to build second pools for them at their summer homes at the Shore,” Schiavone said.

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Among major transformations they’ve undertaken for clients, “we recently completed the design and installation of a vanishing-edge pool on the Navesink River in Red Bank, which created some unique engineering challenges for us based on the steep elevation between the river and the house but turned out beautifully,” he said.

Seasonal World also offers a specialty Christmas shop.

“By mid-October, as people close up their pools and pool season winds down, we transition our showroom to Christmas merchandise, including a wide variety of artificial Christmas trees and wreaths, ornaments, lights and indoor and outdoor décor,” Schiavone said. “At this time of year, our Christmas shop consumes 80% of our overall footprint and we source a lot of the common products but also many unique figurines and holiday items.”

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While Seasonal World evolved from seasonal merchandise to the pool business full-time in its early years, Schiavone said that Christmas was the one holiday that the company opted to retain, both for personal and professional reasons.

“Christmas in general is celebrated for weeks and is a whole season in and of itself,” he explained. “It passes from generation to generation and is filled with traditions, and we love that. We’ve always enjoyed operating our Christmas shop and it has great traction because it’s a traditional holiday that people are excited to celebrate.”

Among trends in pools, “stylish classic designs with modern straight lines, sleek decking materials, clean, neat tiles, and upscale finishes are popular,” Schiavone said.

“It’s not necessarily about the pool size, but more about the whole effect — fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, coverings and how these structures work with the yard," he continued. "Over the past decade, and especially since the pandemic, backyards are increasingly being seen as outdoor living space that’s an extension of the house and people often want to replicate things they’ve seen at resorts.”

As for trends in Christmas products, “inflatables are staples and LED designs and light shows that are projected on houses are also popular,” he said. “Christmas never goes out of style.”

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In terms of challenges, “New Jersey is a tough state to do business in based on the extensive rules, regulations and municipal approvals required for pools and backyard construction,” Schiavone said. “And even though we offer a competitive wage and benefits package and like to promote from within, it can also be hard to attract good people who are skilled in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, pipe-fitting and other trades.”

On the plus side, he said, “we have competition, but we also have distinct competitive advantages in that we offer true end-to-end support.”

'Exciting to have a good brand'

With up to 80 employees at the height of their season — including CAD design operators, salespeople, construction experts, project coordinators, service and warranty specialists and more — the Schiavones are excited for their future in pools, the Christmas industry and more.

“We additionally own and operate a low-speed electric vehicle company called AMC Electric Cars that shares our space,” Schiavone said. “These unique, low-speed electric utility vehicles and custom golf carts have applications in the municipal, athletic and hospitality arenas and we build them in our warehouse and have them on display in our showroom.”

Schiavone oversees all strategic planning, financials, operations and department managers in his role as principal and chief operating officer, while his father is actively involved in all projects at a high level as founder and chief executive officer. But while they may focus on different things throughout the day, both father and son are united in their vision for the company.

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“We take great pride in building pools for families and ultimate end users and ensuring that they’re happy,” Schiavone said. “Creating something from nothing and seeing a family use and enjoy their new outdoor living setting is incredibly rewarding, as is providing opportunities for our employees to develop and grow.”

As a company that’s been in business for over 40 years, “I love that we built pools for people 25 years ago and are currently building pools for their children, who are now homeowners,” Schiavone said of the joys of being a family business serving generations of families. “It’s exciting to have a good brand and to see everything come full circle.”

Seasonal World

Location: 532 Monmouth Road, Millstone Township

Phone: 732 259-8330

Owners: Tony and Anthony Schiavone

Founded: 1980

Website: www.seasonalworld.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seasonal World in Millstone sells pools in summer, Christmas in winter