Hydra Pools, Inc. has been making backyard dreams come true, since 1984! Hydra offers a complete line of Polymer Wall & Steel Wall Inground Swimming Pools. Hydra also specializes in replacement vinyl pool liners and swimming pool covers in all shapes and sizes! Hydra is pleased to welcome Nathan Bell as the new Purchasing Manager. Bell has worked in both government agencies and private industry and brings years of leadership and experience to Hydra Pools.

Hydra Pools, Inc. is excited to name Bell as the new Purchasing Manager starting November 7, 2022.

Bell received his bachelor’s degree in Business from Bryan College in 2018. Bell proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012 where he received top secret security clearance, managed a crew while deployed in Afghanistan, and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement and Good Conduct Medals. Bell enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, hunting, fishing, and watching college sports.

Bell will be responsible for leading and facilitating the company’s purchasing strategy, supervising teams, and ensuring all processes aligns with the company’s standards and designations for work quality at Hydra Pools, Inc.

About HYDRA POOLS, INC.

WE BUILD DREAMS
For over 30 years we have turned dreams into reality for thousands of homeowners
Hydra Pools, Inc. entered the in-ground swimming pool business in 1984. We began as a
manufacturer of polymer pool products and braces. The following year we began manufacturing our own pool liners. At that time, we occupied a small office space apart from our manufacturing facilities. But growth has been steady over the past eighteen years and Hydra today is housed in a 120,000-square-foot dedicated facility with state-of-the-art equipment for designing and manufacturing our products.

New state-of-the-art $250M trichlor facility reopens with significantly increased production flexibility and enhanced safety features, in readiness for 2023 pool season

LAKE CHARLES, La., November 2, 2022 –KIK Consumer Products (“KIK” or the “Company”), a global leader in pool, household cleaning, and automotive products, today marked the successful rebuilding of its subsidiary BioLab’s state-of-the-art trichlor production facility located in Westlake, Louisiana, outside of Lake Charles, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Senator Bill Cassidy, Congressman Clay Higgins, and Don Pierson, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development joined BioLab employees, retail partners, construction and other local partners including the Lake Charles Metal Trades Council, as well as other members of the community in the celebration of the event.

“Today marks a new beginning for BioLab and is the culmination of over 26 months of planning, engineering, construction, and commissioning,” said Jeff Schmitt, COO of KIK Consumer Products. “Our plant stands here today as a demonstration of the resiliency of our workforce and the people of Louisiana who have made this project possible. With the support of the people, businesses, and institutions across Lake Charles, including the Louisiana State Police and local fire department and law enforcement, we have delivered on our promise of rebuilding and reinvesting in the future of not only this facility – but the future of this community.”

Following the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Laura in 2020, the Company invested over $250 million in rebuilding and reopening its damaged facility. The new facility will employ nearly 80 high-paying, local union jobs and reflects BioLab’s commitment to building on its deep-rooted legacy in Louisiana, where it has operated for decades. Importantly, the facility is reconstructed with improved production flexibility, which will enable BioLab to more effectively meet the demand for pool cleaning products. The facility will also operate with numerous enhanced safety features, including improved structural ratings, an elevated control room and ride out shelter, and improved fire detection and extinguishing systems.

“We are delighted to reopen our BioLab facility in time to support the 2023 pool season and to meet our promise to the Lake Charles community to rebuild,” said Michael Sload, CEO of KIK Consumer Products. “Our thanks go to our valued stakeholders who have made this milestone possible – from our dedicated employees, to our trusted retail partners, to the entire community at large. We look forward to furthering our more than 40-year history in Lake Charles for years to come, bringing products to millions of American families that help keep their spas and swimming pools safe and clean.”

Don Brunette, BioLab’s Plant Manager, echoed this sentiment: “Our BioLab employees are excited to get back to work and honored to celebrate this moment together with all our stakeholders. We are pleased to be welcoming our team back to our newly rebuilt facility, which is one of the most advanced trichlor production facilities in the world and even stronger and safer than before.”

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About KIK Consumer Products

Since 1993, KIK has successfully grown from a single-plant operator in store-branded (private label) bleach to the leading North American independent marketer and manufacturer in household cleaning products and a global leader in pool and spa treatment and automotive products, with brands including BioGuard®, Clorox® Pool&Spa™ (under license), Prestone™, Spic and Span™, and Comet™. In entering these segments, KIK capitalized on an opportunity to leverage its core manufacturing and marketing competencies to drive scale in fragmented industries. KIK has transformed its businesses through a combination of organic growth initiatives and strategic add-on acquisitions and has continued to experience strong growth in all categories. For more information, visit www.kikcorp.com.

Nov. 2, 2022 – ARLINGTON, Va. – Coverings (www.coverings.com), North America’s premier ceramic tile and natural stone event, announced this week the official commencement for event registration, special-rate hotel reservations and award program submissions for Coverings 2023, scheduled to take place April 18-21, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Professionals from all segments of the tile and stone industry can now easily register to attend Coverings 2023 at Coverings.com. Registering prior to the end of 2022 to attend the international tradeshow and exposition will provide access to event and program notifications, special promotions and product sneak peeks.

“From the enthusiastic feedback we have already received from tile and stone professionals around the globe, Coverings 2023 is expected to be one of the most energetic and well attended shows in many years,” said Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the event management company for Coverings. “Attendees will be able to make valuable industry connections through productive networking; gain cutting-edge knowledge and insights; experience hands-on installations; and peruse the newest, most innovative and trend-setting products the worldwide tile and stone industry has to offer.”

Hoff and her event team are also planning a creative and diverse lineup of live demonstrations, panel discussions, active podcasts, engaging activations, and one-on-one experiences from which eventgoers can benefit and interact with peers and new contacts. The four show tenets back by popular demand – “Health & Wellness,” “Sustainability,” “Outdoor Spaces,” and “Timeless Luxury” – will be highlighted in the Coverings Lounge and throughout the learning opportunities and exhibits.

Coverings 2023 Official Hotels

Coverings 2023 official hotels are accepting reservations through the event’s exclusive hotel provider, onPeak. Attendees and exhibitors of Coverings 2023 can secure rooms at discounted rates from a curated selection of Orlando hotels. The list of participating hotels offers convenient and affordable options, which can be booked with no risks, restrictions or deposits. Room reservations can be canceled with no penalties three-to-seven days prior to arrival.

Individuals and business groups are encouraged to reserve hotel rooms only through onPeak, avoid other third-party companies offering hotel assistance, and check individual hotels for their specific cancellation policies. Rooms can be booked through onPeak via the Coverings website at Coverings.com/hotel.

The opening of Coverings 2023 event registration and hotel bookings also includes the official call for submissions and nominations for the 2023 Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Awards and the 2023 Rock Star Awards programs. The submission deadline for both popular award programs is December 16, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Awards

The CID Awards will celebrate outstanding achievements in the design and installation of ceramic tile and stone in residential, commercial and institutional projects. Architects, designers, builders, contractors, distributors, retailers, installers, and other industry professionals may submit their projects through the CID project submittal portal by the December 16, 2022, deadline.

Projects will be judged and awarded based upon eight categorical designations: Residential Ceramic Tile Installation, Residential Ceramic Tile Design, Residential Stone Installation, Residential Stone Design, Commercial Ceramic Tile Installation, Commercial Ceramic Tile Design, Commercial Stone Installation, and Commercial Stone Design. Multiple national and international projects may be submitted free of charge via separate forms, and all projects must have been completed between January 2021 and December 2022 for review eligibility.

CID Award winners will be chosen by a vetted panel of judges, using a blind format based on “Excellence in Execution,” “Inspiring + Original Use” and “Overall Purpose.” Winning projects will be celebrated onsite at Coverings 2023; in various publications; and on Coverings’ website, blog and social media channels. Winners will also receive a complimentary one-night stay or an equivalent gift card at Coverings 2023 and recognition at the CID Awards Reception during the show.

Coverings Rock Star Awards

The Coverings Rock Star Awards, the popular and annual “Emerging Leaders Program,” will recognize the best and brightest young talent in the tile and stone industry from the past year. Rock Stars are nominated by industry leaders, and the program underscores Coverings’ ongoing mission to support the growth and success of the industry by recognizing top-notch talent and fostering networking and educational opportunities. Nominations may be submitted through the Coverings Rock Stars nomination portal by the December 16, 2022, deadline.

Eligible nominees must be 35 years of age or younger and employed within one of the following professions to qualify: Architect, designer, distributor, retailer, contractor/installer, fabricator, specifier, trade association, or manufacturer.

A committee of industry leaders will assess each nominee’s experience levels; professional certifications or affiliations; previous awards or accolades; prior speaking engagements at industry events; quantity of published works; impact in the tile and stone industry; and traits that set them apart as emerging leaders in the industry.

Winners of the Coverings 2023 Rock Star Awards will be honored onsite at Coverings 2023; included in a Coverings 2023 press release distributed to dozens of industry and consumer media outlets; and recognized on Coverings’ website, blog and social media channels throughout the year following the event.

Learn more about Coverings 2023 and register to attend at no cost at Coverings.com.

Prospective exhibitors may gather information about the benefits of exhibiting and request booths through the Coverings 2023 Exhibitor webpages.

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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 more than 30 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.

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, LLC.

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.