Norbert Marks 60 Years Of Staying Cool With Pools

Written by Pam DeFiglio

Back in 1953, Norbert Schaefges started a tree nursery on Milwaukee Avenue in Niles, and just a few years later, became the first store in the Midwest to sell a Doughboy above-the-ground swimming pool, said his son, Jim Schaefges. 

It was an inspired idea because, while the business hasn't sold any saplings for decades, it has become a Niles fixture for its swimming pools.

As Norbert Pools celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, its outdoor display area, still on Milwaukee Avenue, shows a variety of pools, ranging from 8 feet round to 12 by 18 feet oval to 30 feet round. 

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"The most popular seller is the 18-foot round pool," said Robert Hack, the store manager. It costs about $4,500 with a pool liner, filter and skimmer system. The pools can be partially sunk into the ground, he said, giving the look of an in-ground pool, which would normally cost upwards of $40,000.

However, each city or town requires a permit to install a pool. Hack said they look at factors such as how close it would come to property lines, the locations of power lines overhead, and structures on your property, such as a garage or fence. Some municipalities also require things such as a shutoff valve, so water doesn't backfill into the house.

Schaefges, who has run the business with his sister Jane Gilbert since their dad Norbert passed away in 1996, recalls that his dad sold a lot of sod after opening the original nursery business in 1953.

"My dad sodded Morton Grove, Skokie and Niles," he recalls with a smile. "Merion Blue sod." 

"In 1961, he put the first pool in the Midwest here, and by 1965, we were 50-50 selling pools and the nursery business. By 1975, the nursery was gone."

Since pools are seasonal, the store also sells Christmas trees in the fall and winter, and family room furniture, such as bars and barstools, year round. 

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