Every two years, the prestigious German media outlet Schwimmbad + Sauna hosts the Golden Waves awards, celebrating and rewarding European companies for their outstanding products, technologies, and innovations in the aquatic and wellness industry. The competition draws entries from across the continent, making each nomination a meaningful recognition of excellence. CCEI has long been a strong contender at this event — most notably in 2019, when the company took home the coveted Gold award.

For this 11th edition of the Golden Waves, CCEI put its connected level regulation system Niva VP for infinity pools in the spotlight. The technology earned the company nominations in three categories: Smart Technology, Usability, and Technical Innovation — a testament to the solution’s breadth of impact and the jury’s recognition of its multi-dimensional value. Thanks to its differential pressure technology, Niva VP delivers ultra-precise water level regulation down to the centimeter, without floats or approximate adjustments.

Representing CCEI at the awards ceremony were Catherine Gobin, Group Sales Director, and Leonie Bauer, Germany Branch Manager, who accepted the Bronze Medal in the Smart Technology category on behalf of the entire CCEI team. Their presence at the event also underscored the company’s active engagement with the European market and its commitment to building lasting relationships within the industry. “We are thrilled and honored to receive this award as it acknowledges the hard work of our entire team who continue to push the technological envelope to bring innovative products to the swimming pool industry,” says Gobin.

This distinction is more than a medal — it is a confirmation of CCEI’s strategic vision and ongoing commitment to shaping the pool of tomorrow: connected, efficient, and sustainable. As the aquatic industry continues to evolve, CCEI remains at the forefront, developing solutions that combine cutting-edge technology with real-world usability for professionals and end users alike.

www.ccei-pool.com/us/
424-800-2191
CCEI USA Inc.
808 Hindry Ave, Suite G / Inglewood, CA 90301

Landmark Aquatic is pleased to announce it has been given the 2026 Top Workplace Culture Excellence Award for Professional Development!

The Professional Development award celebrates organizations who focus on developing their employees’ careers and enables them to grow professionally. At Landmark Aquatic, this means focusing on continuous learning, hands-on experience, collaboration across teams, and clear paths for advancement, helping employees build both technical and leadership skills and expertise.

Energage has been working for 20 years to provide business organizations with a blueprint to make better decisions across the employee lifecycle, from selection to succession. Top Workplaces, developed by Energage, has become the nation’s most trusted employer recognition program. The insight provided by this award gives organizations a trusted way to benchmark where they are today and focus on what will make the biggest difference next.

“Winning the Top Workplace Culture Excellence Award for Professional Development is a direct result of a belief we’ve held from day one: that when you invest in your people’s growth, they invest back in the mission,” says J. Ryan Casserly CEO of Landmark Aquatic. “We’ve built a place where growth isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. Where curiosity is rewarded, careers are invested in, and every person has a real path forward. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because our team shows up every day committed to learning and to lifting each other up. I’m incredibly proud of what Landmark Aquatic has built together, and even more excited about where we’re headed.”

About Landmark
Landmark Aquatic is a nationwide provider of commercial aquatic facility design, construction, and maintenance services, with more than six decades of industry experience. Serving clients across most of the U.S., Landmark delivers construction-led solutions and on-going support through its AquatiCare maintenance team, ensuring excellence “for the life of your pool.” Committed to the full lifecycle of every facility, Landmark prioritizes long-term partnerships while adapting to client needs through exceptional service, operational excellence, and forward-thinking solutions.  For more about Landmark Aquatic visit www.landmarkaquatic.com.

After spending nearly five decades building custom swimming pools in Northern California, industry veteran Mike Logan thought retirement might finally be in the cards. But after stepping away from the business he helped shape for nearly half a century, something kept pulling him back.

Now Logan is returning to the industry with a new focus: helping pool builders strengthen their sales process.

The longtime founder of Logan Pools in Brentwood, California recently introduced Swimming Pool Sales Mastery, a sales program designed to help pool companies improve their sales systems, train their teams, and compete more effectively in an increasingly complex market. To learn more about the approach and Logan’s perspective on today’s pool industry, we spoke with him about what has changed over the past fifty years—and why many builders are struggling with sales today.

Five Decades of Industry Evolution

Logan’s career in the pool business stretches back to 1976. Over that time, he has watched the industry transform in almost every conceivable way.

“I started in 1976,” Logan explained. “If you do the math to today, that’s about fifty years. Think about how much the world changed between 1930 and 1980. That’s about the same level of change we’ve seen in the industry since I first started.”

When Logan started his business, most leads came from a single source.

“About eighty percent of our business came from the Yellow Pages,” he recalled. “If you weren’t in the phone book, you basically didn’t exist.”

Today, the buying process has moved almost entirely online. Homeowners research companies extensively before ever contacting a builder. They compare portfolios, read reviews, and evaluate multiple contractors in a matter of minutes.

“The customer used to rely on the salesperson for information,” Logan said. “Now they have unlimited information at their fingertips.”

That shift has dramatically increased competition. Consumers can evaluate dozens of companies quickly, making differentiation more difficult than ever.

“They can check out twenty builders in half an hour,” Logan explained. “That makes it a tougher sale if you don’t know how to position yourself.”

The Sales Process Has Become More Complex

Pool design and construction have also become significantly more elaborate.

In Logan’s early years, a “custom pool” might simply include a spa or a raised bond beam with a waterfall. Today’s projects can include infinity edges, elaborate water features, complex tile installations, grottos, lazy rivers, and fully integrated outdoor environments.

“The options today are almost unlimited,” Logan said.

As projects have grown more complex, the sales process has evolved as well. The traditional one-call close—once common in the industry—is now rare.

“In the early days we’d go out to the house, draw the pool on graph paper, price it on the spot, and close the deal at the kitchen table,” Logan explained. “Today it’s a multi-appointment process.”

High-end projects involving architects, designers, and general contractors can require multiple meetings before a contract is signed.

Technology has also changed the presentation process. Modern 3D design software allows builders to create realistic renderings in minutes. While these tools offer impressive visuals, Logan believes they no longer provide a competitive advantage.

“At one time, having 3D design software really differentiated you,” he said. “Now almost every builder has it. When everyone uses the same tools, it stops being a differentiator.”

When Logan Realized Sales Was the Real Engine

Logan’s focus on sales didn’t happen overnight. Early in his career, he noticed a troubling pattern among other pool builders.

“I watched companies open up with owners who I knew were fantastic builders,” he said. “These guys all knew construction inside and out, but within a few years, they were out of business.”

The problem wasn’t construction quality—it was sales.

“They knew how to build a pool,” Logan said. “They just didn’t know how to sell one.”

Meanwhile, less experienced builders with strong salespeople were consistently winning jobs.

That realization changed Logan’s approach to the business.

“If you don’t have sales, it doesn’t matter how good you are at building pools,” he said. “You’re not going to have anything to build.”

Logan immersed himself in sales training, studying psychology, persuasion, and presentation techniques. He read books, listened to training programs, and traveled the country learning from top sales experts.

“I went to every sales seminar I could find,” he said. “I made it my mission to study the psychology of sales and how to influence people to buy.”

Over time, that focus helped Logan develop a highly structured sales process that consistently produced strong results for his company. Always eager to share what he’s learned from decades in the field, Logan wrote a sales guide called Rich Contractor, Poor Contractor, and was once dubbed “the Zig Ziglar of the pool industry” by Pool & Spa News.

The Swimming Pool Sales Mastery System

After retiring a few years ago, Logan initially planned to spend more time traveling and enjoying his golden years. But something continued to bother him.

“I spent years developing a sales process that worked extremely well,” he said. “And I didn’t want that knowledge to disappear when I retired.”

Working with a marketing partner, Logan began organizing his materials into a formal training system. The result became Swimming Pool Sales Mastery, a program designed to guide salespeople through every step of the pool sales process.

The system includes scripts, training manuals, workbooks, presentation tools, and instructional videos demonstrating how to conduct effective consultations.

“It takes a salesperson from the initial phone call all the way through signing the contract,” Logan explained.

The program is intended to help builders standardize their sales approach and improve consistency across their teams.

A Common Problem: No Sales Process

One of the biggest challenges Logan sees today is the absence of a structured sales system.

Many companies rely on a simple formula: show a portfolio, explain equipment features, present a design, and provide a price. But if competitors follow the same approach, the customer often perceives little difference between builders.

“When everyone presents the same way, it eventually comes down to price,” Logan said.

Instead, Logan believes successful companies must build value throughout the sales process by positioning themselves as trusted advisors rather than traditional salespeople.

“When done correctly, the customer begins to see you as someone guiding them through a complicated decision,” he said.

That approach builds trust early and helps address objections before they arise.

“At the end of a great presentation, the close almost becomes automatic,” Logan said. “The customer has already answered their own questions.”

The Importance of Sales Leadership

Logan also believes many builders underestimate the importance of sales management.

Owners often attempt to oversee the sales team while also handling operations, finances, and customer service. In Logan’s view, that approach limits growth.

“A lot of companies don’t have a full-time sales manager,” he said. “The owner is wearing too many hats.”

A dedicated sales leader can recruit, train, motivate, and manage the team while maintaining consistency in presentations and messaging.

“It’s like a sports team,” Logan explained. “You can have great players, but without a coach you won’t have discipline or consistency.”

Advice for Builders in a Competitive Market

With demand for new pools cooling after the pandemic surge, Logan believes strong sales systems will become even more critical.

In challenging markets, many companies react by lowering prices or offering incentives to win jobs. Logan warns that this strategy can quickly erode profitability.

“When margins start shrinking, people panic and start throwing in extras just to make payroll,” he said. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”

Instead, builders should focus on increasing perceived value through better presentations, stronger credibility, and clearer differentiation.

“If you create more value than the price you’re asking, the customer will choose you,” Logan said.

Where Builders Should Focus

After fifty years in the industry, Logan has seen countless companies succeed—and fail.

For builders looking to strengthen their position in today’s market, his advice is straightforward.

“Focus on your sales team,” he said. “That’s the heart of your business.”

While many builders devote significant attention to construction operations or winning design awards, Logan believes sales performance ultimately determines whether a company survives.

“You can build incredible pools,” he said. “But if you don’t have a strong sales engine driving the business, none of that matters.”

Ready to take a deeper dive?

Listen to our entire conversation with Mike Logan on the Pool Magazine Podcast.

Photo Credits: SwimmingPoolMastery.com