A pair of Bridgeport High School graduates, lifelong city residents, successful businessmen and long-time friends have opened a new business entity in Bridgeport and already have a customer base in place.

Chad Hefner and Jimmy Miller recently opened up their new business venture utilizing both of their unique skill sets – Country Roads Pool Company. For many, the names sound familiar for their affiliation with Bridgeport. Others may know them for the work they have done with their other businesses.

Hefner, a 1990 Bridgeport High graduate, has ran Hefscapes for the past 18 years. What started as moving mulch in the back of a pickup truck, has turned into a profession that has a waiting list.

Miller is a 1986 BHS graduate who operates a number of entities that fall under the umbrella of Miller Home Repair. He began his city-based business in 2008 and his work, which includes building homes, is stamped across the city and the region.

According to Hefner, the idea that spawned into a business officially on Sept. 24 of 2024 from comments from customers while doing landscape work. Many times, he would be doing the work as the customer was preparing to do a pool.

“I’ve had a lot of customers in the past ask me about pool installations, but that was not my expertise. It got to the point where I decided to talk with Jimmy, who does custom homes and just about anything of a construction nature,” said Hefner. “We talked about it and said it would be a good idea to combine what we do.”

Now, Country Roads Pool will provide customers with a “turnkey pool company.” Instead of having someone do the landscaping, the pool, and possible additions. The company will do it all.

“You don’t have to worry about what’s going to get done or getting someone over to put in pavers or a pergola, the landscaping, the excavation for the pool, the fire pit, or maybe a gazebo,” said Hefner. “We have the combined skillset to do it all.”

Miller said he was fairly certain he would not go into business with anyone else. However, doing work on job sites together and knowing Hefner personally and the reputation of his business, changed that. Plus, the idea made sense on many levels with what Hefner had to offer to what Miller has to offer.

“I have equipment and workers such as an excavator, skid steer, dump truck dump truck, master plumbers, and things of that nature,” said Miller. “We don’t have to sub stuff out, and that is the concept of this.

“I don’t have the vision for landscaping, but I do have the vision for building things,” Miller continued. “That’s why this is working early and will continue to work for the business and our customers.”

Miller will be utilizing one of his own staff for 3D representations of what a finished product will look like, done by another BHS graduate Mark Coleman. Hefner said that it is important when people are putting out a substantial sum of money for any product.

“When someone is putting out that type of money, they want to see what the finished product is going to look like,” Hefner said. “We will provide that.”

Despite the start of the business as the weather turned and with winter still in full force, the company is currently doing their second pool. Miller and Hefner said more are already in the queue for the weeks and months ahead.

To ask questions directly, individuals can call 304-677-5505. You can also visit their Web site by clicking HERE.