Jason Werner – EverClear Pools & Spas

Jason Werner’s path to entrepreneurship did not follow a straight line. It bent sharply, repeatedly, shaped by trauma, responsibility, risk, and a relentless belief that he could build something better if he stayed disciplined and honest. Today, as the owner of EverClear Pools & Spas, Werner leads one of New Jersey’s top pool builders, a company that has grown nearly tenfold in revenue over the past several years and now employs over 30 people. That success rests not on shortcuts or hype, but on a rare combination of financial rigor, an educator’s patience, and a deeply personal commitment to people, whether they are clients, employees, or families in his community.

EverClear Pools & Spas was founded in 2010 and specializes in custom vinyl and Gunite pool construction, renovations, seasonal openings and closings, weekly valet services and much more. Based in New Jersey, the company completes 60 to 70 pool builds and renovations annually, manages hundreds of seasonal service projects, and is known for its transparency, responsiveness, and a customer-first approach. Its mission is simple and consistently reinforced. EverClear helps families make memories that last a lifetime.

A defining moment that changed everything

Werner’s professional life began far from construction sites and backyards. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Clemson University, he obtained a job with Morgan Stanley to begin a career in finance. He was training to become a financial advisor based in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The final three weeks of training were in 2 World Trade Center—just two days into that final phase was September 11, 2001, a day that changed his life. Werner survived the attacks, but the aftermath lingered for years. Like many survivors, he carried trauma that was rarely discussed publicly at the time.

The experience prompted a reevaluation of priorities. The pace and pressure of finance no longer felt sustainable, and Werner eventually left the industry altogether. He turned to teaching, becoming a middle school math teacher, drawn to the clarity of helping students understand complex ideas and to the fulfillment of working directly with people. He loved the classroom, but the economics were unforgiving. Teaching fed his sense of purpose, but it could not support a long-term future.

An unexpected opportunity came through family. Werner’s brother owned a pool company and offered him a project manager role. Werner had no construction background, no experience selling pools, and no practical knowledge of elevations, soil conditions, or jobsite logistics. What he did have was discipline, curiosity, and the ability to teach himself quickly.

He was handed the keys and told to figure it out. Over five years, Werner helped scale his brother’s company into one of the largest gunite pool builders at that time. He learned every part of the business the hard way, by making mistakes, asking questions, and applying systems thinking from his corporate background. At 33, driven by necessity more than confidence, he started EverClear Pools & Spas with limited resources.

Nine years of survival mode

The first nine years of EverClear were defined by endurance rather than momentum. Jason worked 80 to 100 hours a week, built a company with annual revenue around $1 million, and struggled to break free from constant financial pressure. The business supported four employees, but it consumed nearly everything Werner had, emotionally and financially. He was still grappling with PTSD from 9/11 and dealing with personal challenges that compounded the stress of entrepreneurship.

By 2019, he was close to the edge. With roughly $35,000 left to his name, Werner faced a choice that most advisors would have warned against. He enrolled in a two-day, $30,000 business scaling course through Cardone Ventures, effectively wagering the future of his company on one last bet. Friends and colleagues told him it was reckless. Werner trusted his instincts.

The timing was transformative. Applying structured financial planning, forecasting, and scalable systems, EverClear’s growth accelerated almost immediately. Sales jumped from approximately $1 million in 2019 to $2.75 million the next. Within a few years, the company grew revenue by roughly 750 percent, expanded from four employees to over 30, and laid the foundation for a second office scheduled to open in 2026.

Jason does not credit training alone. He is quick to point to the people he hired, particularly leaders who were stronger than him in operational execution. He also cites personal change, including handling his PTSD in 2019, as a turning point that enabled him to lead with clarity and consistency.

“My team is the secret to my success, as well as my ability to sell, and the fact that I genuinely care about my clients,” Werner says.

Transparency as a competitive advantage

What sets EverClear apart is not volume alone. It is the way the company approaches every client conversation. Werner is often the face of the business, spending 45 minutes to an hour with families walking through what a pool really costs, not just the number attached to a contract. His financial background enables him to analyze balance sheets, long-term maintenance, financing options, and the reality that a $60,000 pool can easily become a $130,000 to $150,000 backyard project when engineering, hardscaping, fencing, electrical work, and additional items are considered.

Werner treats these conversations like lessons, drawing directly from his years as a teacher. Many of his clients have never owned a pool before. He believes it is irresponsible to oversell the dream without explaining the obligations that come with it.

“I don’t want to blow someone up financially to put a pool in their backyard,” he says.

That philosophy has led Werner to advise clients against pursuing projects when the timing or motivation is wrong. In an industry where overpromising is common, EverClear’s honesty has become its strongest referral engine. Clients trust that recommendations are based on what is best for their family, not what maximizes short-term revenue.

Attention to detail, rapid communication, and a refusal to cut corners reinforce that trust. Staff members handle client communications with a 24-hour turnaround as the standard. Projects are customized rather than templated. Gunite is not pushed when vinyl makes more sense. Every decision is explained, not glossed over.

Building a business that gives back

As EverClear stabilized and grew, Jason focused on building a culture that mirrored his personal values. He wanted his employees to have jobs that led somewhere, not dead ends. Employees are trained in with skills that allow them to take on greater responsibility over time. Career paths are clear. Benefits include a 401(k), life insurance, commissionable roles, performance bonuses, and schedules designed to respect family life in a highly seasonal industry.

Once a month, the team gathers for family-style dinners that mix business discussion with laughter and connection. Werner believes that treating employees well directly translates to better client outcomes. He enforces high standards while fostering generosity and opportunity for those who want to grow.

There is no EverClear without the people behind it, a belief that was reinforced during some of Werner’s most personal moments. As his parents’ health declined, the business could operate without his daily presence. That stability allowed him to help care for them, a responsibility he took on with the same commitment he brings to his work.

The company’s community focus is most visible through its annual food drive, now in its seventh year, created in honor of Werner’s parents, Harold and Frances Werner. What began as a small effort a few days before what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary has grown into a sustained initiative that provides food to families during the summer months, when pantries often struggle the most.

“My parents, Harold and Frances Werner, were the most generous people I’ve ever known,” Werner says.

Through partnerships with ShopRite and The Father English Community Center, EverClear has donated more than $100,000 in food over seven years, with Werner matching donations dollar-for-dollar. The drive reflects the same ethos that defines the company’s work. Direct impact matters more than optics.

Prepared by life, grounded by purpose

Werner often describes September 11 as both the worst and best thing that ever happened to him. The trauma reshaped his priorities, but it also pushed him toward a life built on meaning, service, and accountability. His path from finance to teaching to construction is unconventional, yet each chapter contributed skills that now define his leadership. Financial literacy keeps the business healthy. Teaching skills fosters trust. Hard-earned empathy shapes how he treats clients and employees alike.

Today, EverClear is preparing for its next phase of growth with a second office, expanded leadership, and a waitlist of clients ready to follow the company into new markets. Werner remains focused on one core principle. Growth will only continue as long as it does not compromise quality, integrity, or the people who made it possible.

“We help families make memories that last a lifetime,” Jason says.

For him, that mission applies just as much inside the company as it does in the backyards that EverClear helps transform.