Manufacturer
Automatic Pool Covers Announces Bruce Holmes Retirement
Company Honors 42-Year Industry Leader as He Transitions into Retirement in 2026
[Westfield, Indiana] – February, 2026 – Bruce Holmes, Business Development and Sales Representative at Automatic Pool Covers Inc, has officially retired from the company after a distinguished 42 years in the industry, most recently spending 14 of those years in sales and business development at Automatic Pool Covers Inc. Holmes was honored and celebrated at his recent retirement party. During the event, the crowd of over 200 people learned that Holmes began his career in the pool industry in 1983 as the VP of Sales and Marketing for Pools of Fun—while also being a high-school teacher, coach and athletic director. “Not everyone realized that our dad worked both his high-school job and the position at Pools of Fun for 17 years,” explained his daughter, Katie Miller. Holmes explained that the two jobs were perfectly synchronized: “Luckily we have summers off at the high-school and we all know the swimming pool season is busiest in the summer, so I was able to switch from the busy days of high-school into the busy days of the pool industry as soon as school got out,” explains Holmes.
During the retirement party, there were many speeches including from his children who mentioned that Holmes frequently sat at the kitchen table with his kids, going homework while also working on his own pool drawings laid out around the table. He also brought his kids to the pool store to stock chemicals, test pool water and ensure the company provided the best customer service. “He was a role-model for us all,” explained his daughter, Abby Holmes.
Since joining Automatic Pool Covers, Holmes has been instrumental in driving revenue growth and expanding the company’s dealer network across the country. “Bruce’s dedication, leadership, and integrity have been foundational to the company’s culture and success,” says Mike Shadoan, VP of sales for Automatic Pool Covers. “He’s also a lot of fun and will be dearly missed.”
“Bruce has been a tremendous leader and a mentor to many of us,” noted Shadoan. “We are deeply grateful for his years of service and dedication, and we wish Bruce the best in this next chapter.”
“Working alongside so many talented and fun people in the swimming pool industry has been a highlight in my life,” says Holmes. “I will especially miss people at Automatic Pool Covers but I am confident that my contributions to the industry, and the people in the industry, will be remembered and honored in the future.” Holmes says he is excited to begin 2026 in full retirement: “My wife Kathy and I have planned our first big trip, and it’s not to a swimming pool trade show!”
Automatic Pool Covers, Inc. | Westfield, Ind. | (800) 878-5789 | AutomaticPoolCovers.com
Manufacturer
Fluidra Acquires Datapool to Lead Digitalization and Efficiency in the Pool Sector
Fluidra, the global leader in pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions, has announced the acquisition of Datapool, the digital twin platform developed by Ecotropy. With this transaction, the company reinforces its strategic commitment to sustainability, operational efficiency and the digitalization of the sector.
The transaction represents the evolution of a collaboration that began in 2024, when Fluidra invested in Ecotropy through Fluidra Ventures, its Corporate Venture Capital fund focused on startups with the potential to transform the pool and wellness sector through technological innovation.
With this acquisition, Datapool becomes fully integrated into Fluidra’s digital ecosystem for commercial pools, consolidating its role as a key part of the company’s value proposition. The platform incorporates advanced analytics capabilities, IoT solutions and real-time data within an open and scalable architecture, in line with the company’s strategy to offer connected and sustainable solutions that maximize the efficiency of aquatic facilities and accelerate the transition towards smarter management models.
Datapool outfits aquatic facilities with digital twins, enabling pools to be managed using reliable, real-time data and replacing management models based on estimates or manual supervision.
In this way, the platform simulates the optimal operation of each facility and continuously compares it with variables such as energy consumption, occupancy, weather conditions and water quality, providing a comprehensive view that helps anticipate incidents, optimize resources and improve operational performance.
Thanks to this technology, operators can reduce operating costs by 10% to 25% by optimizing water and energy consumption without the need for construction works or invasive interventions; monitor and adjust key parameters such as temperature, water quality and occupancy in real time; automate management through predictive models that adapt climate control and operations to real demand; generate automatic reports with traceable data for audits, tenders or grant applications; and plan investments and improvements based on objective data.
“This acquisition marks a milestone in our digitalization strategy. Datapool allows us to accelerate the transition towards an intelligent pool management model, improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact and offering our customers data-driven tools to make better decisions,” said Thorsten Muck, Commercial Pool Director at Fluidra.
Manufacturer
Water Tech™ Corp Launches Interactive 2026 Digital Catalog
Water Tech Corp, manufacturer of award-winning battery-operated handheld pool and spa cleaners, has released its 2026 product catalog as an interactive online flipbook—available 24/7.
The 20-page catalog is designed as a comprehensive ordering and service reference for pool professionals. It features detailed product descriptions, SKUs, UPC-12 codes, and part numbers alongside full replacement part breakdowns. Logistics and merchandising data—including unit weights, case weights, retail box dimensions, and case and pallet quantities—that are clearly presented to support purchasing decisions at every level.
Large-format product photography makes it easy to identify and specify the right units, service parts, and accessories for retail floor sets, service trucks, or customer repair needs.
To view the 2026 catalog, visit: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/961943389/
City/State: E. Brunswick, NJ
Website: www.watertechcorp.com
Phone: 800-298-8800
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/watertechcorpNJ/
https://www.instagram.com/watertechcorp/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/watertechcorp/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWatertechCorp
About Water Tech Corp:
Water Tech Corp is the manufacturer of the original Pool Blaster handheld battery powered pool cleaner as well as the powerful Volt and Precision battery powered pool cleaners on the market today. Water Tech has been a part of the pool and spa industry now for 20 years after being founded by Guy Erlich in 2001 in an apartment building in New York City. Water Tech has always been focused on patented-technologies and designs that have allowed Water Tech to succeed in the very competitive pool and spa cleaner arena. With 19 different US patents on pool and spa cleaners alone and more to come, Water Tech has been able to use its intellectual property and unique product designs to systematically ensure its success in the marketplace. In fact, between 2005 and the present date, Water Tech has received the “Pool & Spa News & Readers’ Choice Award” for “Best New Product” approximately seven (7) times.
The company now operates out of a large facility in E. Brunswick, NJ with more than 20,000 square foot of space. Water Tech has a reputation for bringing innovative, reliable products to our industry, designed specifically to meet the needs of consumers, service professionals and retailers in the swimming pool and spa market.
Manufacturer
Pentair, Pool Brain Unveil Integrated Pool Service Technology
The planned first-of-its-kind technology integration aims to provide actionable insights to support faster diagnostics, smarter planning, and a better customer experience.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — May 5, 2026 — Pentair Pool, a leader in smart, sustainable
pool solutions, today announced plans to release a technology integration with Pool Brain, a
premier software platform for swimming pool service and repair professionals, to strengthen
Pentair Pool’s connected equipment ecosystem and further advance Pentair’s vision for data-
driven service and automation for pool professionals. This future integration is designed to equip pool professionals with streamlined, all-in-one insights—enabling faster, more informed service for homeowners.
The long-anticipated integration will bring together Pentair Pool’s connected pool equipment, the largest installed based in the U.S., and automation technology from Pool Brain’s service
management platform to deliver critical insights before a technician ever arrives on site. With the technology integration, for the first time, service professionals will be able to gain a
consolidated, data-driven view of pool conditions through an all-in-one software solution—
helping them arrive informed, prepared, and confident.
“This future technology integration is designed to not only provide pool servicers with deeper
insight into our connected equipment but empower them to deliver superior service to pool
owners” said Greg Claffey, Senior Vice President and President, Pentair Pool. “Together with
Pool Brain this integration will provide insights that will help reduce truck rolls and increase
profitability for servicers while, most importantly, ensuring that pool owners are able to enjoy
more pool days with their friends and family.”
The expected release of the Pentair Pool–Pool Brain technology integration is designed to
support pool service teams with goals of:
- Automated visibility into equipment status and pool performance
- Smarter and simplified service planning that helps reduce truck rolls and diagnostic time
- Improved customer experiences through faster resolution, proactive issue prevention,
and informed service calls - Streamlined and focused technology consolidating platforms for more efficient workflows
- Digital access to product information and performance data—making Pentair Pool one of
the first manufacturers to deliver the insights pros need, directly within the platforms they
already use.
The collaboration reflects Pentair Pool’s broader vision to deliver connected, intelligent pool
solutions that help save time, build efficiencies, and grow servicer profitability in every stage of operating, servicing, and growing a pool business.
“Remote data monitoring is the future of the pool service industry and this ground breaking
integration with Pentair Pool marks a major step forward,” said Adam Beech, founder and CEO
of Pool Brain. “Pool Brain was built from day one with this future in mind and we’re thrilled to
now integrate with the most widely deployed connected pool equipment in the market. Service
companies will finally be able to connect the equipment on the pad to the software platform they already use to gain automated data visibility, even when not on property. This data, combined with Pool Brain’s alerts and automations create benefits that simply weren’t possible until now. It’s a huge win for both pool pros and pool owners.
Building on its legacy of industry-leading innovation, Pentair Pool is once again redefining how pools are managed and enjoyed. The expected rollout for the Pentair Pool technology
integration with Pool Brain is late summer 2026. Pool professionals can stay up to date on the
next steps for the Pentair Pool–Pool Brain technology integration by signing up to be the first to know how the game is changing in the pool industry, at Pentair-Pool Brain Integration.
About Pentair Pool
Pentair Pool is a Pentair plc business. At Pentair, we help the world sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life’s most essential resource. From our residential and commercial water solutions, to industrial water management and everything in between, Pentair is a core large cap value S&P 500 equity stock focused on smart, sustainable water solutions that help our planet and people thrive.
As an industry leader in the pool and spa space, Pentair Pool is driven to help people sustainably enjoy water. Our solutions include industry-leading pumps, automation, lighting, heating, and filtration technologies that help customers enjoy a smarter and more efficient pool. Customer success is central to our vision—bringing family and friends together in the pool and on the deck to build social connections, create lifelong memories, and promote fitness and enjoyment.
For more information, visit pentair.com/pool and follow Pentair Pool on Facebook and Instagram.
About Pool Brain
A modern “all in one” pool software platform built by industry experts to give you more time, more money, and less stress. Key features include fully automated chemical dosing, remote data monitoring, custom alerts, guided workflows, scheduling, route optimization, quotes (estimates), jobs (work orders), automatic billing, self-serve customer portal, products & services management, customer management, multiple bodies of water, equipment tracking, issue reporting, technician controls, built-in customer feedback, mobile app (no signal required), auto-notifications, group emails, reporting and integrations, and more.
For more information, visit poolbrain.com.
Media Contact:
Heather Morris
Pentair Communications
[email protected]
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