Tampa-Based Pool Service Company Continues to Grow Across the Sunbelt Region and Adds Commercial Services

Tampa, FL – January 5th, 2021: Pool Troopers has partnered with Portofino Pool Services & Outdoor Living (“Portofino”), the premier provider of commercial and residential pool services in Northeast Florida. Portofino has been serving the greater Jacksonville area since 1956 and services some of Jacksonville’s most iconic commercial pools such as the Jacksonville Jaguars and The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. Through the partnership with Portofino, Pool Troopers will gain commercial expertise and be able to expand their current service footprint to include Northeast Florida.

Gary Crayton, Chief Executive Officer of Pool Troopers, said, “Our partnership with Portofino is the first of many partnerships as we are on a mission to bring freedom to homeowners and commercial pool owners across the Sunbelt region. We are excited to partner with a company that has set new standards in safety and training.”¹

Led by President and Founder of Portofino, Jack Manilla also founded “The BluDiamond StandardSM”, an internal system focused on improving the character of all team members, and Portofino University. Portofino University provides certification and training courses worldwide focused on health and safety, diseases and prevention, water chemistry, government regulation, and more.

Jack Manilla, President and Founder of Portofino, said “We have loved serving the Greater Jacksonville community. We are pleased to take Portofino to the next level through our partnership with Pool Troopers.”²

Paula Manilla, Co-Founder, said “They have the technology, team, and infrastructure to continue building our legacy.”³

Dave Hahmann, President of Pool Troopers, said, “One of our 8 non-negotiables is that keeping a family safe is more important than our bottom line. Portofino has truly exemplified that through the creation of Portofino University, and we couldn’t ask for a better first partner. We look forward to expanding our services to include commercial maintenance and serving Northeast Florida.”⁴

About Pool Troopers

As the premier provider of chemical, cleaning, maintenance, and repair services for residential and commercial pools, Pool Troopers serves 15,000 customers in Florida, Texas and Arizona. Pool Troopers was ranked #1 in 2019 and 2020 on the Top 50 list by Pool & Spa News & Jandy. Pool Troopers was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information about partnerships and acquisitions, please visit https://pooltroopers.com/sell-your-company/.

About Portofino Pool Services & Outdoor Living

Founded in 1956, Portofino Pool Services & Outdoor Living was built on a foundation of excellence and dedication. Portofino offers commercial and residential maintenance, renovation, and repair to the greater Jacksonville area. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, Portofino was nominated as one of the Florida Companies to Watch, an elite group of nationally recognized businesses. Gateway Business Advisors represented Portofino Pool Services & Outdoor Living in the transaction. For more information, please visit https://portofinopools.com/.

About Shoreline

Shoreline is a lower middle market private equity firm focused on actively partnering with leading management teams. Shoreline follows a total stakeholder model, meaning success should be a “win-win” proposition for shareholders, employees, customers, vendors, and the communities within which the Firm’s companies operate. Shoreline professionals believe in honesty, incentive alignment, and creating bigger, better businesses without relying on financial engineering or cost cutting to generate returns. Investing out of the Firm’s inaugural $300 million fund, Shoreline seeks to lead equity investments of up to $100 million per transaction in support of buyouts, recapitalizations, and corporate divestitures. Targeted businesses have enterprise values ranging from $25 million to $250 million and EBITDA of $3 million to $25 million. The Firm strives to partner with management teams of businesses primarily within the specialized manufacturing, value-added distribution, and business and facility services sectors, among others. For more information, please visit www.shorelineequitypartners.com.

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1-Mr. Crayton is not an investor in any of Shoreline Equity Partners’ investment funds, but serves as a board member at one of its portfolio companies.

2-Mr. Manilla is not an investor in any of Shoreline Equity Partners’ investment funds

3-Mrs. Manilla is not an investor in any of Shoreline Equity Partners’ investment funds

4-Mr. Hahmann is not an investor in any of Shoreline Equity Partners’ investment funds, but serves as a board member at one of its portfolio companies.