Marine Veteran Bringing Big Blue Swim Schools To Connecticut

Marine Corps veteran and business owner Chris Gray is set to open three Big Blue Swim Schools in the Hartford area over the next few years. Gray signed to bring these locations to the area during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to provide plenty of job opportunities in the area once the lock-down is lifted.

Prior to becoming a business owner, Gray served in the Marines and received his MBA from the University of New Haven. Gray and his wife Jaime have been married for 16 years and have 2 young daughters. Gray has spent the last 16 years leading and growing Sales, Marketing, and Operations teams at Verizon Wireless, and most recently at Apple Inc. While traveling to Chicago for work, Gray discovered Big Blue and fell in love with the brand’s mission and values. Gray decided it was time to dive into the world of business ownership for himself, while bringing a life-saving skill to the children of Hartford.

“I have always wanted to have my own business, but never really saw anything that I could see myself doing until I came across Big Blue Swim School,” said Gray. Gray said that Big Blue Swim School’s mission and values offer world-class experiences for both parents and kids, which really solidified his decision.

“As a parent of two young girls, a healthy respect for water and the ability to swim ranked as high as walking and talking,” said Gray. So the idea of teaching swimming and water safety skills in his community just felt right, with the added bonus of a boost to the local economy.

“Each location will bring 25 full-time jobs, plus all contracting/building work will be completed by local contractors and tradesmen,” added Gray.

Gray said that the three locations have not yet been finalized, but spots in West Hartford/Farmington, Wethersfield/Rocky Hill, and Manchester are being considered.

“The development of the three locations will take about four years in total, opening one location every 14-18 months during that time period,” he said.

Big Blue Swim School is one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, with Gray’s agreement marking number seven for 2020.

Since last year, Chicago-based Big Blue has established an ever-growing footprint, with signed franchise agreements in strategic markets including Chicago, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Raleigh, and Austin, as well as in the states of New Jersey, Florida, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina. The brand has also signed leases in Colorado, Virginia, and Maryland, and is nearing an Atlanta-area opening this spring.

“We have always known that Big Blue is a special opportunity thanks to our mission-driven business focused on creating big, life-changing moments for kids and our strong support infrastructure for children’s franchise partners," said Big Blue founder, U.S. competitive swimmer Chris DeJong.

“As a Connecticut resident, father, husband, and Marine Corps veteran, I believe a business should add to the community,” said Gray. “This business will do just that.”

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