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PHTA Celebrates 40th Anniversary As American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Developer

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PHTA ANSI aniversary logo

(Alexandria, Va.) – The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is proud to be celebrating 40 years of being an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer. PHTA is the leading industry organization recognized by ANSI to develop and promote national consensus standards for residential and public swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas. Since 1983, PHTA has developed and revised 16 industry standards covering construction, maintenance, safety, energy efficiency, and other important topics. They help ensure the safety and health of consumers, members, and the community.

The PHTA standards serve as best practice documents that specify minimum requirements, which raise the level of quality and standard of care throughout the industry. They serve as voluntary consensus guidelines but can become mandatory if adopted into law, which is the case with many PHTA standards. “Standards define the pass/fail criteria needed to confirm success, the foundation on which consumer trust is built,” says PHTA Standards Process Committee Chair Steve Barnes, Director of Science and Compliance at AquaStar Pool Products.

PHTA follows stringent procedures defined in the ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards, including balance of interested and affected parties, due process, public review/comment, appeals, and more during the development phase. Its Standards Consensus Committee (SCC) serves as the official ANSI consensus voting body.

Standards development has been a core focus of PHTA (then the National Swimming Pool Institute [NSPI]) since its founding in 1956. After hearing concerns that the standards were industry-dominated and serving the industry rather than consumers, NSPI sought external validation and received ANSI approval in 1983. The Board of Directors understood the value of standards, giving the Technical Committee (TC) responsibility for the association’s American National Standards (ANS) development process. This resulted in the publication of five new ANSI standards in 1991 and 1992.

Since then, PHTA Standards staff and a long list of volunteer experts in Standard Writing Committees and the TC achieved significant success from January 2007 to February 2023, producing five new standards covering pool and spa energy efficiency, water conservation, public pool water chemistry, and plastering.

Pool and Hot Tub Alliance began its 40th anniversary celebration with the publication of the brand-new ANSI/PHTA/ICC-2 2023 standard for the operations and maintenance of public swimming pools and spas in February 2023. This standard is significant in that it provides state-of-the-art public pool policies in an easy-to-use document that was diligently written to follow and improve upon PHTA’s existing knowledge base and that of the Model Aquatic Health Code.

“While known for suction entrapment preventions, energy efficiency, and applied hydraulics, I am most proud to have been part of the PHTA-2 development team because effective operations and maintenance policy impacts every public pool user there is,” says Barnes. “Helping to achieve and consistently maintain water quality is, and always will be, the most consequential responsibility we have as an association and an industry.”

As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, PHTA is collecting videos, photos, and testimonials from those who have been involved in developing PHTA/ANSI standards over the decades. Those interested in sharing their experiences can submit their materials online on the PHTA website. A compilation video will be presented at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo (PSP/Deck Expo), November 13-15 in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit phta.org/standards.  

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Alise Everton

Alise Everton has been working in the pool industry for the past decade and is an experienced press correspondent and contributor for numerous trade publications and web portals including PoolMagazine.com and PoolContractor.com among others. Contact her for guest posting opportunities, press releases, and pool equipment related news.

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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