Transcending the Ordinary

Kline Brothers
Written by Pauline Müller

For those living in Las Vegas, the famous city of bright lights and tons of fun, Kline Brothers recently arrived on the scene with some cool swimming pool ideas to refresh and soften its urban landscapes alongside its partner company, JTB Landscapers.

Known for its extreme summer temperatures that can chase the mercury as high as 110°F, Las Vegas is a city where swimming pools are genuinely appreciated. Sadly, some shady operators have caused swimming pools to become an option that homeowners eye warily. Jon T. Banning, founder and Chief Executive Officer of JTB Landscapers and longstanding childhood friend of the Kline brothers, noticed this while installing outdoor living areas and other garden amenities. That is how the idea for the two companies to partner came about several years ago.

From concept to completion, there is nothing in the landscaping field that this team of industry experts cannot achieve together. “It’s a perfect pairing. We share the same facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. People can go and look at what their pool selections are and get some ideas. They can also finish the hardscaping, which goes hand-in-hand with our pool work. We have a symbiotic relationship that is good for both our clients and our businesses,” says John Kline, co-founder and partner of Kline Brothers Pools Las Vegas.

Though Kline Brothers is a newcomer to Las Vegas, it brings years of experience in the pool industry. The company has been in business for 24 years, specializing in landscaping and fiberglass swimming pools throughout New Jersey. Alongside a loyal and trustworthy staff, the brothers have built a reputation for quality and value that is second-to-none.

Jon Banning worked with Kline Brothers in New Jersey nearly from the business’s inception before going to Las Vegas in 2008 and establishing JTB Landscapers, a landscaping and hardscaping business of his own.

After several years of toying with the idea, the Klines and Banning eventually decided to establish a pool installation company branch in Las Vegas in 2020 and set about getting their documents and certifications in order. Then COVID-19 arrived on the scene, slowing matters down.

“It was March of 2021 when I could get back out there [with the certification agencies open]. Nevada has a pretty rigorous testing and requirements license,” says Kline. By June 2021, all certifications were in place, and the team had a Nevada pool license.

Today, JTB Landscapers has around sixty staff members and Kline Brothers has around nine people who work permanently in Las Vegas. The owners could not be prouder of the outstanding work their team does. “We have a fantastic staff. Two people have done a [particularly] tremendous job. One is Kendra Weaver, our pool installation office manager. Then there is Dave Stitzinger, who has been in the pool business for thirty years. He has brought a lot of experience, particularly [in terms] of Nevada code enforcement, which is slightly different,” Kline says. “These are just two of the people who have done a fantastic job so far. We’re building a really good staff out there. Jon [Banning] does a great job [at finding and keeping] the right people,” he adds.

Kline underlines that Banning’s skill at recruiting the best people is a deciding factor in keeping clients as satisfied as they can be. “We were unknown in that area, and we’ve already established an outstanding reputation through referrals in a very short time.”

He has high praise for the partnership with JTB Landscapers, and things are going great for the brothers and their new partner out in Las Vegas. While Kline Brothers installs top-quality pools, JTB Landscapers creates hardscaping and stunning outdoor spaces that include awnings, patios, outdoor kitchens, and much more.

“We’re well ahead of schedule, where we expected to be. My goal was to sell and install essentially one pool a week. We now have four or five months to go, and we have 36 under contract,” he says. Some recent projects include a spa installed for a family with young children and a pool with magnificent cityscape views visible from inside the swimming pool.

Integrity is everything, so the question its staff members ask themselves always remains the same. ‘How would I design this outdoor living space if this were my own home?’ Working to accomplish this end has earned the company more word-of-mouth business than is usual in its industry.

There is more to Kline than just a love of business, however. Until he started the business, he had never even been to Las Vegas. “Through the process, I’ve been there many times, and I have grown attached to the national parks that are close to the area. I always make it a point when I go to visit one of them within an hour’s drive or so of Las Vegas. I’ve grown quite fond of it.” Other internationally famous natural attractions are close by with the Grand Canyon being just one of them.

Kline believes that fiberglass adds to the versatility of its product. The material can hold heat. It can also accommodate salt generators for cleaning as opposed to traditional chlorine. “The salt system we use is more of a natural system than a chlorinator, greatly reducing the amount of chemicals in the pool,” Kline says. Fiberglass is also extremely durable and easy to maintain, with significantly lower upkeep costs than shotcrete or vinyl liner pools.

In addition to employing a single contractor to complete the entire project, clients also benefit from some of the latest technology. The team uses software to give clients a three-dimensional preview of their beautiful, new, outdoor spaces.

“The 3D rendering makes it look like the pool is [already] on their property. That allows us to check the various colors and shades, so people have a really good feel for what they’re looking at because they don’t believe it until they can see it,” Kline says.

The other great advantage of working with the company is its talent for translating clients’ dreams into reality. Many people will no doubt recognize the frustration of working with a designer who simply does not appear to hear what clients want. However, Kline Brothers’ designers are trained to understand clients’ needs and bring them to life exactly like the pictures they show.

Designers first ensure that they are completely clear on what role the pool will play in clients’ lives, and several questions will lead them to the answer. Why do they want it? What should it do? Do they swim often? Do they have children or grandchildren who will be using it? Most homeowners in Las Vegas, Kline tells me, are interested in swimming pools to cool down in and to entertain around.

Kline is open about the high water use involved in owning a swimming pool and emphasizes the importance of making clients aware of the costs of water and pool care before installation. To help mitigate costs and environmental pressure, the company uses, as per Nevada law, pumps that minimize energy use. Custom plumbing also means that the process is significantly faster, improving the energy and time efficiency even further.

The Las Vegas branch of Kline Brothers is growing sustainably. The team is especially aware of not growing faster than its legs can carry it. “We stick with the old rule of under-promising and over-delivering. Our reputation is really on the line out there. Fortunately, we have JTB Landscapers that’s been [in Las Vegas] now for a good amount of time. They’ve established a great reputation,” says Kline.

It is also clear that Kline Brothers and JTB Landscapers make a solid partnership, especially when creating shimmering blue pools that last and feature quality hardscaping. There is much value in this team that knows how to put a sparkle in its clients’ eyes.

Sidebar:

A Look at JTB Landscapers
JTB Landscapers in Las Vegas, Nevada has won its fair share of awards, earning it a reputation for being the best in landscaping for private homes and businesses in its local region. “It turns out the very thing I learned at Kline Brothers Landscaping was the very thing that propelled me to start this company in Las Vegas, Nevada,” says Jon T. Banning, Chief Executive Officer.

Available all week every week, including on weekends, the firm moves fast and effectively. It also offers free design consultation and quotes via its website. After nearly a decade in the industry, JTB Landscapers has become a household name across the Las Vegas and Henderson regions. Most jobs, Banning says, range between thirty to forty thousand dollars, but it has also completed contracts for as much as $250,000.

The company makes a point of using its website as a tool to add value. Its blog is packed with the practical, necessary information to consider when hiring a landscaper and deciding what would work best for one’s own unique needs. It also offers the latest trends and some tips on what to avoid. Furthermore, there is advice on appropriate plants, do-it-yourself-hacks, and reminders on what to keep in mind with the local climate. From ideas on custom pavers to outdoor lighting, whatever the question, there is either a blog post or a designer to help.

One of JTB Landscaping’s most exciting contributions to the heritage of the area is Banning’s passion to help conserve local flora by using as many threatened species in the company’s landscaping work as possible to help sustain and protect these plants. Not only are these endangered plants important to save for ecological diversity and stability, but also because native plants cope well in this hot, dry region. This means more water-wise gardens and sustainability.

The outdoors is not just a nice option for those who love nature, and neither is a swimming pool for many people. “It isn’t just a pool. It is, essentially, an outdoor living space in your backyard. That’s been the driving theme over the last decade,” JTB Landscapers can couple pools with everything from artificial lawns to fire pits and anything else a client could desire. That is why this fortuitous partnership is fast becoming one of the hottest acts in all of Las Vegas.

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