Maintaining a pool can be a lot of work, which is where Mike Rubino and his new business, Aqualine Pools, comes in.

“The business is pool cleaning and servicing,” Rubino said, summing it up nicely.

That means he offers everything from weekly pool maintenance to full system services and everything in between, including power washing, pool painting, acid washes, draining/filling, tile services, new home startup and more.

Rubino and his family came from Chicago, a city where pools aren’t quite as common as, say, the desert community of Fountain Hills.

“I was a union carpenter for about 20 years and cleaned pools as a sort of side job,” Rubino explained. “Then COVID hit and changed our lives in many ways.”

Rubino said the work dried up in Chicago and, since he and his family wanted to move to Arizona in a couple of years anyway, they took the opportunity to act on those plans a little early. Rubino said he has an uncle and an aunt who live in the area, as well as a grandfather who has been in town for about 30 years.

“And if it wasn’t for the support of my family, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” Rubio added. “I’m very grateful.”

Rubino got Aqualine Pools up and running in September and said things have been going well so far.

“Business, honestly, it’s been unbelievable,” Rubino said. “This is the pool capital of the country, so it makes sense.”

Rubino’s profession has now flipped from what he did in Chicago, with the pool cleaning business taking up the lion’s share of his time and carpentry projects becoming the side job.

Even though he’s a Fountain Hills business, Rubino takes care of pools as far out as Camelback. He said his positive reviews have earned him business here in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, the Verdes and he even has a pool he services in Cave Creek. Rubino said the influx of work is a good “problem” to have and shows him that people appreciate the job he’s doing.

When he’s not taking care of pools, Rubino said a lot of his time is spent with his six-month-old infant.

“I’ve also got a stepson in high school here,” Rubino said, smiling. “Casey Osborn. He’s been in the sports section quite a bit for football…So, yeah, mostly I just spend time with family, do some hiking and things like that.”

Looking back, Rubino said he learned the business of pool maintenance from a good friend who unfortunately passed several years ago.

“He was very good and very successful at the job…He taught me everything I know about it,” Rubino said. “His pool company was called Aqualine Pools, in Chicago. It’s been some years now, but I asked his brother-in-law if he would be okay with me taking the name and continuing the business down here and he said ‘absolutely.’”

Now that the business is in full motion, Rubino said he is very happy with this latest iteration of Aqaline Pools.

“I get to be my own boss and work outside,” Rubino said. “And I’m a people person, so I get to meet new people every day and that’s a great perk. I always like getting their stories and learning about who my customers are.”

Rubino said he’s excited to grow his business and encourages pool owners to visit his website, reach out and get a free estimate. Additional information can be found at aqualinepoolsaz.com, and Rubino can be reached at aqualinepools@yahoo.com or via phone at 480-600-3674.

“Anybody who has a pool should reach out,” Rubino said. “If you want a reliable pool company, as well as a safe and healthy pool to swim in and enjoy, give me a call.”