Spotlight On: Teddy Bear Pools & Spas

Our Member Relations Committee was pleased to surprise Teddy Bear Pools & Spas as our April 2025 Member Spotlight Presented by Sunshine Village!

When Theodore “Teddy” Hebert was just 14 years, he found his calling while working for a local pool store. By 19 years old, during his college years, he spent his summers subcontracting: building and installing above-ground pools, in-ground pools. By 1973, proficient in the trade, Ted started his own pool business, Custom Pools by Ted, out of his mother’s carport. With his mother’s encouragement, he changed the name to “Teddy Bear Pools” - inspired by the French pronunciation of his name (phonetically: “Ted-A-Bear”). Teddy Bear Pools outgrew the carport, and Ted purchased a small car dealership on East Street - which used to be the Studebaker dealership in the 1940s. The East Street location in the heart of Chicopee has become well-known as the home of Teddy Bear Pools & Spas.

Teddy Bear Pools has been dedicated to serving as Western Massachusetts’ destination for expert service and water testing, advice, as well as pool and spa chemicals, parts, and accessories. Beyond that, Teddy Bear Pools gives back. Founder and President of Teddy Bear Pools, Ted Hebert is a pillar in the community, devoting philanthropic efforts to local charities and community events across Western Mass, like the Children’s Miracle Network, the Jimmy Fund, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and animal welfare groups, including the MSPCA, Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, and the Zoo in Forest Park.

This year, Teddy Bear Pools & Spas celebrates 50 years of business; 50 years of helping families create lasting memories in their own backyards. Thank you to everyone at Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, for your quality and commitment to the trade, and how much you give back to the community!