The Cinderella Story
During a trip to California in 1955, our founder, Bob Jaffe, came across a fiberglass shell swimming pool manufactured by the Cinderella Glass Swimming Pool Company. Bob purchased one of these pools, had it shipped to his home in Bay City, Michigan, and installed it in his backyard.
Soon thereafter, a number of Bob’s friends approached him about installing similar pools in their backyards, eventually prompting him to purchase a sales franchise from the Cinderella Glass Swimming Pool Company.
Over the next several years, Bob’s swimming pool business prospered as it diversified into vinyl liner pools, chemicals and maintenance equipment.
While the Cinderella Glass Swimming Pool Company went bankrupt and ceased doing business in 1958, Bob and his brother Mark – who had joined the business – kept the Cinderella name and continued building their own company.
Soon thereafter, a number of Bob’s friends approached him about installing similar pools in their backyards, eventually prompting him to purchase a sales franchise from the Cinderella Glass Swimming Pool Company.
Over the next several years, Bob’s swimming pool business prospered as it diversified into vinyl liner pools, chemicals and maintenance equipment.
While the Cinderella Glass Swimming Pool Company went bankrupt and ceased doing business in 1958, Bob and his brother Mark – who had joined the business – kept the Cinderella name and continued building their own company.
1969: A large building in downtown Bay City, Michigan was acquired by the brothers and Cinderella Pool & Patio Center opened there a year later.
1974: A retail location was opened in Saginaw, Michigan on the site of several historic local businesses; including the Sommers Brothers Match Co.
That same year, Bob began designing coping for use with vinyl liner pools and offering it to dealers.
1978: The Cinderella, Inc. name was adopted.
1985: The Saginaw retail location became wholesale only.
1993: A warehouse location in Grand Rapids, Michigan was acquired and wholesale operations in West Michigan commenced.
1997: Cinderella closed its original retail operation in Bay City to focus exclusively on wholesale sales.
2013: Another wholesale operation was opened in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Today, over 65 years later, Cinderella has grown into one of the largest independent pool and spa distributors in the nation.