Timeline
April 17, 1987
Life Saver Founded
Robert and Ruth Lupton founded Life Saver Systems, Inc., childproofing homes professionally, manufacturing pool fence in their garage, and selling and installing the fence locally — all while raising two young children. Ruth would sew mesh at night while the kids slept. Robert’s earnings from his newspaper route was their advertising budget.
April 17, 1987 – 1992
Hollow Pole
The original pool fence pole was a hollow aluminum tube with a 0.062” wall thickness.
April 17, 1987 – 1990
One Stitch Border
The mesh has a border material on all four sides that is important to connecting the mesh to the pole. Originally, the border was attached with a single line of stitching sewing the border to the mesh.
1988
Safety Tips for Consideration Book Published
Robert Lupton authors and publishes his critically acclaimed child proofing book, Safety Tips for Consideration.
1988 – 1992
First Warehouse
Life Saver moved from the Lupton’s garage to a small shop in Boynton Beach, FL.
1989
First Life Saver Self-Closing Gate
Mesh pool fencing can be opened with either a manual gate or a self-closing, self-latching gate. This was the introduction of our first self-closing gate.
1990
1st Distributor
Life Saver recruited and setup their first wholesale pool fence distributor.
1990 – 1996
Two Stitch Border
The mesh has a border material on all four sides that is important to connecting the mesh to the pole. Upgrading to two lines of stitching while sewing the border to the mesh made it twice as strong. This design from 1990 is still the standard for most other pool fences.
1991 – 1994
Fiberglass Pole
Life Saver began using fiberglass poles. They were discontinued because of inherent problems in using fiberglass for pool fence — namely fading, cracking, and splintering.
1992 – 1999
Second Warehouse
Life Saver moved to a larger facility.
1992 – 1998
Reinforced Pole Hollow pole reinforced with PVC
1996 – 2002
Three Stitch Border
The mesh has a border material on all four sides that is important to connecting the mesh to the pole. Upgrading to three lines of stitching while sewing the border to the mesh made it even stronger.
1996 – 2010
Quad-X Pole
Life Saver premieres the Quad-X aluminum pole, featuring an X shaped extrusion down the center. At the time, this was the strongest pole available.
1998
Poolfence.com Launched
Life Saver launched its now famous web site, www.poolfence.com.
1999 – 2001
6,000 sq ft Corporate HQ
Life Saver moved to its current facility in Delray Beach, FL
— upgrading to 6,000 sq ft.
1999
In-House Powder Coating
Life Saver purchased a complete powder-coating line to powder-coat the poles in-house to monitor quality control and decrease lead times.
2001 – 2005
Upgraded to 9,000 Square Feet
2001 – Present
Nickel-Plated Snap Latches
The snap latch has become a distinguishing characteristic of Life Saver Pool Fence and offers several advantages, including no sharp hooks and accessibility by right and left handed parents.
2002 – Present
Quad Stitch Border
The mesh has a border material on all four sides that is important to connecting the mesh to the pole. Upgrading to four lines of stitching while sewing the border to the mesh made it even stronger still.
2003
New President
Eric Lupton, Robert’s son, with over a decade of experience with the company, takes over as Life Saver’s President and begins managing day-to-day operations. At 21, he is by far the industry’s youngest chief executive.
2004 – Present
Perma-Locks
The Life Saver Perma-Lock offers additional security and makes the pool fence permanent to satisfy local codes.
2005 – 2021
Expanded to 13,000 Square Feet
2008
Extreme Home Makeovers
Life Saver Pool Fence is featured on TV.
2009
Good Morning America
Life Saver Pool Fence is featured on TV.
June 2009
YouTube
Life Saver is one of the first pool safety organizations to launch a YouTube channel with educational drowning prevention content. The videos there have since received millions of views.
January 25, 2010
Facebook Page
Life Saver launches the Pool Safety For Children Facebook Page, which eventually becomes the page for the company. One of the first social media pages dedicated to drowning prevention, the page continues to be one of the largest water safety Facebook pages.
2010
2010 Parents’ Choice Award – Best Pool Safety
2010 – 2018
Solid Pole
Life Saver revolutionizes the industry with the Solid Pole — an aluminum pole critically reinforced with PVC and a solid aluminum rod at the center.
November 1, 2010
100 Distributors in 14 Countries Spanning 5 Continents
2011
The Doctors
Life Saver Pool Fence is featured on TV
February 1, 2011
Save a Life Program
Life Saver launched the Save a Life Program, donating free pool fences to non-fatal drowning victims and their families.
October 8, 2011
RIP Ruth Lupton
Founding officer Ruth Lupton passes away after a struggle with cancer.
December 14, 2011
Acquisition of Pool Barrier Brand and Dealers
In the first ever consolidation of a major pool fence brand, Life Saver acquired the Pool Barrier product line and distributors, making Life Saver, without question, the world’s largest pool fence company.
2011 – 2013
Extreme Conditions Pole
A truly extreme pole, the Extreme Conditions Pole boasted an unheard of 1/8″ wall thickness — strength usually reserved for gate uprights and termination posts, not regular pool fence poles.
2012
Premiered the Life Saver Arched Gate
May 24, 2012
Opened West Coast Distribution Center
June 2015
Pool Fence DIY
Life Saver launches Pool Fence DIY, the first direct-to-consumer pool fence specifically designed for installation by a homeowner offered by a major pool fence manufacturer.
February 2016
Smooth Pole
Creating a sleeker, more finished look, Life Saver begins counter-sinking every screw to be flush with the pole, reducing abrasions and clothing snags.
March 3, 2017
RIP Robert Lupton
Life Saver Founder and Chief Financial Officer Robert Lupton passes away.
2018 – Present
Solid 105 Pole
Life Saver revolutionizes the industry again with the Solid 105 Pole — combining the three layer technology of the Solid Pole with the incredible 1/8″ wall thickness of the Extreme Conditions pole, while also introducing new and unique innovations, creating without question the strongest support post ever seen on a pool fence.
2018
Pool Fence DIY Ad
Pool Fence DIY launches a hilarious viral video campaign. The videos have received millions of views on Facebook and YouTube, with thousands of comments claiming that they are the best commercials of all time.
2019
Patent Awarded to Solid 105 Pole
Life Saver was awarded US Patent No. 10,316,539 for its reinforced pole.
April 25, 2019
Eric Lupton Featured in Forbes
Forbes interviewed Eric Lupton and published this great piece about his life and business.
2019
UFC Heavyweight Champion and Firefighter Stipe Miocic Endorses Life Saver Pool Fence
UFC Champ Stipe Miocic personally requested Life Saver Pool Fence to protect his new pool and his then 1-year-old daughter, Meelah. Stipe starred in a video where he punched and kicked the fence before giving it his endorsement.
2021
Kate Mottram Promoted to VP of Wholesale Distribution
Kate Mottram becomes only the 3rd person in Life Saver history to earn a Vice President title outside of the Lupton family.
December 2021
New Warehouse Space Added, Named “Fortress of Solitude”
An additional 3,000 sq ft of warehouse space is acquired close to the main facility, bringing Life Saver’s Florida warehousing capacity to 16,000 sq ft.
June 2022
“Doghouse of Solitude” Opens
Another 1,375 feet of warehousing space is acquired in the same area as the main warehouse.
January 2023
Life Saver Commits to Supporting Water Safety Events Nationwide
Life Saver promises to sponsor every water safety non-profit event in the country. This commitment is ongoing, and renewed every year.
February 2023
Significant Product Improvements
Our premium Life Saver product is upgraded by adding a matte black finish, laser engraving, and improved accessories
February 2023
“Hall of Justice” Opens
Another 1,125 of warehouse space is acquired in the same area as the main warehouse (dubbed “Metropolis”). Life Saver’s total warehousing capacity is now 18,500 sq. ft.
May 2023
Life Saver Pool Fence Becomes a Franchise
After more than three decades cultivating a robust distributor network, Life Saver expands again by launching its first three franchises – one in Florida, one in Arkansas, and one in Tennessee. By the end of the year, five franchises were fully launched, and several more opened in early 2024.
August 2023
Drop Logo Tattoos Are All the Craze
AMore than a dozen people across the country – including CEO Eric Lupton – demonstrate their commitment to drowning prevention by getting the Life Saver drop logo tattooed onto their bodies.
January 2024
Michael Doscher Named Happiness & Generosity Manager
Operations Manager Michael Doscher receives the additional title of “Happiness & Generosity Manager” for noticing and meeting employees’ individual needs. In the first few months, Michael arranged for an employee who biked to work to get new tires, a car jump pack for an employee whose battery went dead, a barber to come onsite and cut everyone’s hair, a food train for two new dads… and more!
In 2024, $22,096 was spent on dozens of acts of Happiness & Generosity.
February 2024
100-Year Warranty Upgrade
What does a “lifetime warranty” mean, anyway? Whose lifetime? Life Saver removes all ambiguity and upgrades its warranty to last for 100 years.
March 2024
“Hall of Justice” Transformed Into Franchisee Training Space
Just like a portion of the “real” Hall of Justice served as a training facility for the Justice League, a portion of our HOJ was remodeled into a classroom for new Life Saver franchisees. It boasts a chalk wall, a giant screen for virtual sessions, and a wall of photos of previous trainees.
May 2024
Attention, Picklers!
Life Saver officially moves into the pickleball space, launching Pickleballfence.com to offer fencing for pickleball courts.
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