By ALAINA MALONE, Four Points News
Cory Thurston and Austin Stelling — two young entrepreneurs who graduated from Vandegrift — started a pool maintenance company called Thrusty Pool Care.
The team are currently both attending Texas State University and successfully balance their business and school, working primarily out of the Four Points area and also include Westlake and Lakeway. They provide routine maintenance for customer’s pools, as well as taking care of the repairs on equipment.
“After brainstorming many ideas, we decided the pool industry was the right fit for us,” Thurston said.
The duo met their freshman year at VHS, where both had separately been running entrepreneurial services in the Four Points area.
“As freshman at Vandegrift, Austin and I met by playing on the same lacrosse team and having classes together,” Thurston said. “As soon we realized that we both had similar interests and had both started small landscaping companies within our subdivisions.”
The two collaborated businesses after realizing they could team up and expand their range of clients this way. After both graduated from Vandegrift, they sold their route of 40 clients that they were servicing on a weekly basis.
“Austin and I split up and both went to out of state schools,” Thurston said. “After a year, we both transferred to Texas State so we could start another company since that is our passion and something we love to do.”
After brainstorming many ideas, the pair decided pool care as the chosen route, citing that it was something many needed and the margins were favorable. Stelling and Thurston spent many months learning about pools and getting all the groundwork and licenses required. After investing all their time and money, they had an established company that was ready to take on clients.
Thursty Pool Care is the product of what they refer to as their families encouraging them to make their own money and paying for things themselves.
“The Four Points and surrounding area is the best fit for our business,” Thurston said. “It’s where we grew up, where our families live.”
The team feels that people might assume attending school and running a business is not possible. However, Stelling and Thurston have found a balance and find their education very beneficial because they are both studying entrepreneurship, and this is a company they plan on running after college.
The two credit their faith in God and dedication to the business for the company success so far.
Thursty Pool, which offers year-round services, currently has over 30 clients and plans to grow.
“Austin and I find most of our enjoyment through building quality relationships with our clients,” Thurston said. “Austin and I love what we do and are finding better ways to run our company.”
They try to meet with a new entrepreneur each week.
“We are very thankful for the support the community has given us to be able to pay our way through school,” Thurston said.
Austin Stelling (left) and Cory Thurston started Thursty Pool Care.