The pools of war: one of Israel's leading pool companies reveals the challenges behind building...

Building swimming pools as war and violence rage on around them is an existence that is Al too familiar for contractors in Israel. Yet life stumbles sanguinely on in this beleaguered region--and that even includes taking the occasional cool, relaxing swim on a scorching summer day.

For one thing, it's pretty hot in Israel. The country's temperatures hover above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for much of the year. Humidity can also soar to a muggy 70 percent.

"Public swimming pools give Israelis real relief from the persistent heat and humidity," Shinaar says. Currently, there are approximately 100,000 pools serving Israel's 6.5 million population. Some are private pools, but the majority are community based.

A family struggle

Candy Shinaar and her Israeli husband, Moshka, established Alpha Pools in 1984. Today, the company custom-builds pools for private homes, sports and fitness centers, hotels and community centers. Alpha Pools' customers span Israel's diverse ethno-religious population and the nation itself.

"We build pools all over Israel, from Nahariya in the north to Eilat in the south, as well as the West Bank," Shinaar says. "And we build them for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike."

Alpha Pools has become a family affair. Shinaar's sons, Danny and Gideon, and her daughter-in-law's two brothers all waded into the family business, which grew steadily until September 2000. At that time, the fragile peace, which had been ushered in by the Oslo Accords, was shattered.

The struggle between the Israelis and Palestinians has impacted the lives of so many, including those in the pool business. Something as simple as giving an employee a lift home has become dangerous if not potentially fatal.

"Often, after working late, we'd drive our Palestinian employees back to their villages in the West Bank," Shinaar recalls. "But we had to stop that because on more than one occasion my husband's car was hit by concrete blocks of rocks thrown from nearby hills as he was driving to of from employee villages.

"Unfortunately, it has become far too dangerous for us to drive them home," she adds. "Several of our experienced seasonal employees are jobless now."

Built to last

Approximately 70 percent of the projects Alpha Pools builds are steel-wall, vinyl-liner pools. Shinaar says that is the most practical type of pool construction for Israel's earthquake-prone conditions.

"The concrete-based or polymer-based pools that are popular in England are not suitable in Israel, due to the increased risk of cracking and shifting in the event of an earth tremor," Shinaar says.

The company's pools, which are constructed from local and imported materials, feature steel panels specially made for the firm in Israel. Shinaar used to have them imported, but the shipping costs were prohibitive.

Her company also provides maintenance services for locals and overseas clients with holiday homes in Israel. The staff installs hot tubs, as well as selling pool domes and bubble-plastic, floating covers. Though most Israelis consider pool safety covers unappealing, they are slowly increasing in popularity.

Israel's pool industry is comprised of approximately 20 companies. Shinaar characterizes the relations between them as convivial. "We all know each another and pass work on to one another," she says. "The cutthroat competitive atmosphere that one finds in the industry overseas does not exist here."

Coping daily

In an area with limited water resources, one might think of a pool as a luxury. But Shinaar is quick to point out that this is a common misconception. "One needs to fill a pool with water just once," she says. "With proper maintenance and filtration, the same water can be used year after year."

And, like so many other companies in Israel, business for Alpha Pools has been impacted by the widespread violence that plagues the region. "New-pool construction is way down," Shinaar notes. "People are hesitant to install new pools due to the uncertain security situation."

Shinaar believes that building trust between the Israelis and Palestinians will take time. "In the end, everyone suffers--the people who are now unemployed and employers who have lost their experienced workforce," she says. "A few people have ruined it for so many."

Despite the realities of running a business in a country at war, Shinaar remains upbeat about the future of Alpha Pools. "I truly believe that one day the conflict will finally end," she says. "When it does, Alpha Pools will be right there, poolside, ready to dive in."