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Annual Rock Star Award Winners Announced for Coverings 2023

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Coverings 2023

March 29, 2023 – ARLINGTON, Va. – Coverings (coverings.com), the premier international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America, has announced the annual Rock Star Award winners in advance of Coverings 2023, which will take place April 18-21, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida.

The Coverings Rock Stars program has a long history of honoring up-and-coming trailblazers in the tile and stone industry who continually revolutionize and inspire as pioneers of success.

The coveted annual awards reinforce Coverings’ mission to support the advancement and achievements of the industry by distinguishing exemplary young leaders and fostering networking and educational opportunities. Award winners represent the industry’s brightest and most inventive young professionals raising the bar on performance and excellence.

“The Coverings Rock Stars program celebrates many incredible tile and stone industry experts of which the 15 most outstanding nominees are being honored across various categories this year,” said Jennifer Hoff, CEO of Taffy Event Strategies, LLC, the event management company for Coverings. “The winners are an extremely talented group of individuals who provide inspiration for their peers and colleagues from the creativity, innovation and commitment they consistently showcase.”

A committee of longstanding tile and stone industry leaders thoughtfully evaluated nominations to select this year’s inductees for Coverings Rock Star status. The 2023 Rock Stars represent numerous industry segments and include the following winners:

Builder/Remodeler (1):

Christopher Rachel, Owner

Superior Home Solutions

Ashland, Neb.

Contractor/Installer (6):

Nathan Cooper, Owner

Infinity Bath

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Cody Cox, Operations Manager

Cox Tile Inc.

San Antonio, Texas

Randall Johnson, Tile Contractor

The Tile Geek, LLC

Meridian, Idaho

Maria Meyer, Tile Artisan Apprentice

Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc

Shorewood, Wis.

Elly Warner, Apprentice Installer

Hawthorne Tile

Portland, Ore.

Schannon Yodice, Owner/Tile Contractor

That Tile Chick

League City, Texas

Distributor (1):

Melanie Lawton, Showroom Manager

Best Tile Company

North Scituate, R.I.

Interior Designer (1):

Kenya Jones-Lowell, Interior Designer Hospitality

MG2 Corporation

Puyallup, Wash.

Manufacturer (1):

Heather Ruhl, National Technical Manager

TEC/H.B. Fuller Construction Products, Inc.

Retailer (1):

Jack Rautiola, Head Merchant – Renovation

Wayfair

Boston, Mass.

Stone Fabricator (1):

Austin Maxwell, President

Maxwell Countertops

Farmer City, Ill.

Other (3):

Casandra Guthrie, Manager, IS & Sales

Choices Wholesale Flooring Solutions

Albuquerque, N.M.

Manasa Rao, Sustainability Manager

WAP Sustainability Consulting

Chandler, Ariz.

Vincenzo Spina, Stone Consultant

STONEX Consulting

Dubai, UAE.

The 2023 award recipients will be honored at Coverings 2023, April 18, 4-5 p.m. EDT. Coverings attendees are welcome to join the celebration at the awards ceremony and networking reception in the Coverings Lounge, Booth 4209.

Wally Adamchik, Founder, FireStarter Speaking and Consulting, will present a professional development session geared toward emerging leaders entitled, “One Hit Wonder or Future Hall of Famer?” that will take place prior to the awards ceremony at the same location from 3:30-4 p.m.

Recognition for the winners also includes Coverings 2023 press content, a year-long professional feature on the Coverings website, and postings on Coverings’ social media channels and blog.  

To learn more about the Coverings 2023 Rock Stars, visit coverings.com/coverings-rock-stars.

For more information and to register for Coverings 2023 at no cost, visit coverings.com.

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Coverings’ Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/CoveringsShow

Twitter: @Coverings, #Coverings2023

Instagram: instagram.com/CoveringsShow

Vimeo: Watch Coverings videos

LinkedIn: Coverings LinkedIn showcase page

Blog: coverings.com/blog

About Coverings: Coverings is the largest and preeminent ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and exposition in the United States and North America. It features exhibitors from 40 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world, with more than 1,000 exhibitors.

The exposition and conference, with more than 30 years of successful history, serve as a valuable and complimentary continuing education resource for all segments of the industry, with dozens of educational opportunities throughout the show. Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders, real estate developers, as well as journalists, reporters and bloggers who cover the vital tile and stone industry.

Key sponsors of the show are Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain (ASCER)/Tile of Spain, Tile Council of North America (TCNA), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), and Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA).

The show is managed by Taffy Event Strategies.

For more information about attending, sponsoring or exhibiting at Coverings 2023, contact Taffy Event Strategies at 571-313-5801 or [email protected].

For press registration, photos, content, and interviews, contact Eberly & Collard Public Relations at 404-574-2900 or the email addresses at the top of this release.

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Marianne Trusty

Marianne Trusty is a Press Correspondent for the pool & spa industry. A published author and social media influencer reaching over 20 million people around the world each day. Contact Marianne about publishing op-editorials, breaking pool news and press releases at [email protected].

Manufacturer

Soake Pools Bolsters National Growth With Four Key Hires

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Soake Pools team announcement featuring four new hires surrounding the company's logo.

New territory managers, production leadership, and operations support reinforce the plunge pool manufacturer’s white-glove service as demand grows across U.S. markets

Pembroke, N.H. — October 2026 — Soake Pools, the New England manufacturer that pioneered the made-to-order precast concrete plunge pool, has added four team members to support its growth into new regional markets. The hires span sales, production leadership, and operations, positioning the team to scale with rising national demand for its hand-tiled pools, without sacrificing service or quality.

New appointments include:

  • Kerry Covington, Pacific Northwest Territory Manager—Based in Oregon, Covington is Soake Pools’ first territory manager to live and work in the Pacific Northwest, offering on-the-ground support. With more than a decade of experience in high-end remodeling and landscape design for luxury residential construction, he will help Pacific Northwest homeowners translate plunge pool concepts into thoughtfully planned additions tailored to their homes and landscapes.
  • Brooke Fine, MA South Shore, Cape Cod & Islands Territory Manager—Also based in territory and a Soake Pools customer herself, Fine brings both local knowledge and firsthand experience with the brand to the role. With a personal understanding of how a Soake Pool can enhance wellness, relaxation and outdoor living, she will provide dedicated in-territory support to homeowners across the Massachusetts South Shore, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
  • Eric Bailey, General Manager—At the company’s Pembroke production facility, Bailey will oversee manufacturing with 22 years of precast concrete experience. As a born-and-raised New Hampshire resident with a career built on quality and customer service, Bailey embodies the values Soake Pools has built its reputation on.
  • Katherine Fillon, Accounts Receivable—Lifelong New Englander Fillon rounds out the company’s administrative team, supporting a seamless experience between Soake Pools’ customers, partners and collaborators.

The news follows Soake Pools’ recognition as one of Business NH Magazine’s 2026 Best Companies to Work For in New Hampshire, where the company earned the No. 11 spot after a rigorous evaluation that included employer and team surveys, site visits, and employee focus groups. As it grows its team, the locally owned, family-run company stays anchored to the same standards that earned this honor.

About Soake Pools: Co-founded by Karen and Brian Larson in 2014, Soake® Pools disrupted the industry as the first company to offer hand-tiled precast concrete plunge pools for the home. Today, Soake Pools is the leading prefabricated plunge pool manufacturer in North America, designing luxury, space-saving pools for year-round use and enjoyment. At Soake Pool’s New England facility, its plunge pools are made to order in a controlled environment using proprietary concrete and state-of-the-art tile, continually setting the standard with new dimensions, luxury finishes, and innovations in quality control, safety and usability with impressive turnaround timelines. Fully customizable and delivered ready to install, each Soake Pool is equipped for hot dips in the winter and cooling soaks in the summer, with cold plunge and resistance system offerings that support athletic recovery and enhance at-home wellness routines. The monolithic concrete design offers accessibility in size and pricing, while saltwater filtration, low water usage, and variable speed pumps support sustainability, require less maintenance, and lower costs. Delivering backyard luxury retreats with demonstrated ROI in home value, Soake Pools offer countless physical and mental wellness benefits at a fraction of the footprint and expense of a traditional pool.

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Industry News

Hayward Holdings Names New Chief Accounting Officer

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CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HAYW) (“Hayward” or the “Company”), a leading global pool and outdoor living technology company, today announced the appointment of Jared Arrowood as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective immediately. As principal accounting officer, Arrowood will oversee the Company’s global financial reporting, tax, operational finance and technical accounting functions.

“Jared’s experience as a financial executive for publicly traded global organizations and his deep understanding of our business make him exceptionally well suited for this role,” said Eifion Jones, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer. “I am confident his technical expertise, leadership and business perspective will continue to strengthen our finance organization and support long-term value creation for shareholders.”

Arrowood will continue to report to Jones as part of his financial leadership team.

Arrowood joined Hayward in 2023 as Assistant Corporate Controller and was promoted to Vice President, Corporate Controller in 2024. He has helped strengthen the Company’s financial processes, controls and continuous improvement efforts across the global controllership organization. Prior to Hayward, Arrowood spent 17 years at SPX FLOW, including serving as Vice President of Finance for its Mixing Solutions division.

He holds a Master of Accounting from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a certified public accountant.

About Hayward Holdings, Inc.
Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HAYW) is a leading global specialty water management company focused on designing and manufacturing pool and outdoor living technology and industrial flow control products. Driven by a mission to transform the experience of water, Hayward offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy‑efficient and sustainable pool equipment—including pumps, heaters, sanitizers, filters, LED lighting, water features, and cleaners—integrated through its intuitive, IoT‑enabled SmartPad™ platform. The Company also provides industrial thermoplastic valves and process control products serving a wide range of applications.

Investor Relations Contact: 
Kevin Maczka
[email protected] 

Media Relations Contact: 
Misty Zelent
[email protected]

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Press Releases

Daldorado Names Marcia Gyles Director of Sales

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Marcia Gyles, newly appointed Director of Sales at Daldorado

Daldorado, a leading innovator in the commercial aquatic industry, announces the appointment of Marcia Gyles as its new Director of Sales. Bringing a distinguished track record of high-impact leadership to the role, Gyles’s comprehensive sales approach will span the entire industry ecosystem, serving distributors, contractors, and facility owners alike as she accelerates revenue growth and scales national operations.

In her new role, Gyles will manage the entire United States, leveraging her deep market expertise to provide unlimited access to Daldorado’s expansive product line. She is tasked with representing the company’s full portfolio of high-performance aquatic solutions—including its signature Rim-Flow systems, Main Drains, and highly anticipated products currently in development.

“We are thrilled to welcome a professional of Marcia’s high caliber to the Daldorado leadership team,” said Rob Lawson, Founder/CEO. “Her unparalleled expertise in channel sales and sophisticated account management makes her the perfect fit to elevate our national footprint as we shift to a distribution sales model. Marcia’s dynamic energy and master strategic vision will play a critical role in setting the tone for our sales pipeline and achieving our aggressive scaling goals.”

As Director of Sales, Gyles will oversee regular sales forecasting, manage cross-functional collaborations with marketing and operations for seasonal inventory planning, and maintain a commanding field presence. Her role involves an extensive travel schedule which includes conducting on-site commercial installation visits and providing master-class training for Daldorado’s extensive distribution and design networks.

About Daldorado

Daldorado is a leading innovator and manufacturer of high-quality commercial aquatic drainage systems and perimeter grating solutions. Committed to safety, durability, and superior engineering, Daldorado serves major commercial aquatic facilities, waterparks, and competitive swimming venues globally.

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