Awards
Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Now Accepting Nominations For Two Industry Awards
Winners receive $5,000 for resources and education
(Alexandria, Va.) — The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), the trade association representing the swimming pool, hot tub, and spa industry, is now accepting nominations for both the 2023 Greg Garrett Scholarship Award and the 2023 Dr. R. Neil Lowry Grant. The winners will be honored at the PHTA Awards of Excellence Reception at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo (PSP/Deck Expo) in Las Vegas, NV, this November.
Greg Garrett Scholarship Award
This prestigious award was developed by the PHTA Recreational Water & Air Quality Committee (RWAQC) in memory of Greg Garrett, a former PHTA member. The award provides a $5,000 scholarship to two PHTA members in the builder or service sectors to use toward PHTA education or certification fees. PHTA is pleased to announce that Periodic Products, Inc. is sponsoring one of the two scholarships awarded this year.
“Greg Garrett and I served together on the Recreational Water & Air Quality Committee for almost a decade,” says Dr. Joseph Laurino, President and CEO of Periodic Products, Inc. “Greg had a passion for educating others on some of the most critical technical issues impacting our industry. Being able to continue sharing that passion through the Greg Garrett Scholarship Award means so much to me and Greg’s other industry peers.”
To be considered for the Greg Garrett Scholarship Award, an application form and two recommendations need to be submitted. PHTA members can self-nominate or nominate a fellow member. The nomination deadline is Friday, September 15.
For more information about the scholarship and to submit a nomination form, visit www.phta.org/garrett-award.
Dr. R. Neil Lowry Grant
Given in the memory of Dr. Robert Neil Lowry, a long-time member of PHTA and the Recreational Water & Air Quality Committee (RWAQC), this $5,000 grant honors a public health official or department who has made outstanding contributions to advance the public’s health and safe use of recreational water in pools, spas, and waterparks through educational, safety, operational, and technical programs.
“Public health officials and their organizations play a key role in ensuring our pools, waterparks, and other aquatic venues are safe and enjoyable for all,” says Jody O’Grady, Director of Customer Technical Support for Taylor Water Technologies LLC and Chair of the RWAQC. “The Lowry Grant is one way our industry can acknowledge, honor, and support their dedication and commitment. Dr. Lowry would be pleased to know that he is still having a positive impact on the recreational water safety community through this grant, more than a decade after his passing.”
To be considered for the Lowry Grant, the public health official or department must describe their planned or proposed program, the service provided and how it benefits public health and safety, the impact of the expected results, and how the grant funds will be used. The nomination deadline is Friday, September 8.
For more information about the grant and to submit a nomination form, visit www.phta.org/lowry-grant.
Awards
Best Booth Awards Announced at Coverings 2026
April 1, 2026 – LAS VEGAS – Coverings (coverings.com), the largest international tile and stone event in North America, has announced seven Best Booth Awards for the 2026 show in Las Vegas, including three Best in Show awards, three Best Display awards and one Best Stone Display award. The annual awards program recognizes exhibits with exceptional creative and visual materiality experiences for showgoers.
“The booth craftsmanship and display ingenuity the exhibitors evoke on the show floor make Coverings a highly unique opportunity for attendees to be inspired by tactile and aesthetic spaces,” said Jamie Rich, Coverings managing director. “From new tile and stone collections thoughtfully presented to immersive exhibits designed with architectural elements and passthrough walkways, there is no shortage of innovation.”
A panel of tile and stone industry leaders selected the seven standout booths to spotlight as this year’s Best Booth Award recipients, though the caliber across the entire show floor is truly impressive.
Ceramica Del Conca (Booth 1614) received Best in Show for its immersive design that brings visitors on a sensory journey. Attendees visiting Ceramica Del Conca’s booth are greeted by the eye-catching exterior, covered with three-dimensional red stone and illuminated by LED lights hidden behind mirrors with primal shapes. Large surfaces flank the floors and walls of the first three rooms in the exhibit space, highlighting the three-dimensional effect of porcelain stoneware stones. The exhibit space also spotlights seven tile collections, including the Dinamika Stone Edition collection and Dimore collection.
A Best in Show award was also granted to Stonepeak Ceramics (Booth 6234) for its storytelling design, “The Magical Journey,” which illustrates how the company has transformed ceramics over time through innovation, sustainability and design. The entrance to the booth showcases an immersive journey that passes through a magical portal, beyond which visitors are offered a new interpretation of ceramics and led into a space of perceptions. The design transforms reality, and a perfect balance that plays on perspectives is revealed. Attendees enter the exhibition space, where porcelain dress stairs, vases and columns are installed upside down to represent an altar-universe and heaven-like experience. A Material Library is available inside the booth and features Stonepeak’s entire range of ceramic and porcelain products, including terrazzo-looks, marble-looks, stone-looks and more, showcasing the diverse product range of colors, thicknesses, formats and finishes.
VIVES AZULEJOS Y GRES (S.A.) (Booth 819) was also honored as a Best in Show winner. The company’s vibrant display, showcased through ceramics, is inspired by the striking impact one experiences when visiting Las Vegas. VIVES has conveyed this through its Surf collection, which offers a wide variety of decorated tile in multiple formats and colors. Key features of the booth for attendees to enjoy include two towers that simulate with tile the illuminated signs of Las Vegas as well as a central corridor, highlighting the full color range offered by the Surf collection. Two other collections creatively displayed are Tandem Wood and Duo.
Ceramica Rondine – Bottega (Booth 1145) earned one of the Coverings 2026 Best Display honors. Attendees visiting the booth are guided through a series of interconnected rooms, each displaying different ceramic and porcelain offerings from the company. A standout space within the exhibit is the Japan-inspired room, which displays a variety of Ceramica Rondine – Bottega’s wood-look tile collections and is centered around a vibrant cherry blossom tree. Select other collections on display include Pastel X, Portland Rock and Vibe.
Another Best Display award was presented to Decocer (Booth 833) for its “Echoes of the Earth” design by architect Héctor Ruiz Velázquez. The booth was created as a fully immersive experience inspired by the primal qualities of clay and the natural world. The entire pavilion functions as architecture made of ceramics, rather than using traditional panels or displays, allowing visitors to walk on, touch and inhabit the materials. In the central space of the booth, ceramic columns, clad in earth-toned tiles, emerge from the clay walls. The curved, flowing forms of the stand create an organic and natural spatial experience to showcase eight tile collections from the company, including Talya and Eterea.

Wonder Porcelain (Booth 4439) also received a Best Display award. The company’s impressive exhibit showcases warm colors, technical finishes, new product sizes and in-house mosaics, and each room of the booth features a different feel and experience. It was designed to display Wonder Porcelain’s product offerings via the walls and floors. A highlight of the booth is the black and white checkerboard floor, featuring the company’s new obsidian-black Tuxedo™ Porcelain™ Collection and bright-white Arctic Style Porcelain™. Wonder Porcelain’s Taj Opus™ collection is also on display, which captures the timeless character of Taj Mahal marble through a thoughtfully reinterpreted, shimmering and nuanced design.
The Best Stone Display award went to ANTOLINI® (Booth 7833) for its striking exhibit designed as a contemporary village, conceived by designer and creative lead Alessandro La Spada. The concept invites visitors to follow the story of natural stone – from its origin in the quarry to its transformation into refined architectural surfaces. The space invites visitors to see luminous backlit walls, refined kitchen surfaces and the expressive finishes of the Texture+ Collection. In a dedicated space of the booth, these innovations reveal how technology can elevate stone, unveiling unexpected textures and depth. Coverings 2026 attendees touring the space can discover more than 20 of Antolini’s natural stones, including Cipollino GreyWave and Irish Greene®, both part of the Exclusive Collection.
Learn more at www.coverings.com.
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 hundreds of exhibitors.
The exposition and conference, with more than 35 years of successful history, serve as a valuable and complimentary learning 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, broadcasters, podcasters 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), Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) and International Product Assurance (IPA) Laboratories.
The show is managed by Taffy Event Strategies.
For more information about attending, sponsoring or exhibiting at Coverings 2026, contact Taffy Event Strategies at 571-313-5801 or [email protected].
Press Contacts:
Eberly & Collard Public Relations
404-574-2900
Sophie Collins: [email protected]
Don Eberly: [email protected]
Awards
Pentair Pool Honors 2025 Premier Pool Pro Award Winners
Celebrating pool pros who put customers first, embrace innovation, and lead by example.
[LONDON, February 17, 2026] — The Pentair Pool Pro Awards recognize standout pool professionals who go above and beyond to keep pools safe and enjoyable. This year’s theme, “The Backyard Legends,” nods to the industry professionals who help bring memory-making poolside experiences to life in backyards across North America. The 2025 Premier Pool Pro winners exemplify customer-first service, hands-on leadership, and a passion for growing the industry. Though we were able to honor them with a champagne toast in the Pentair Pool booth and some one-of-a-kind experiences at the Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, we’re pleased to have the opportunity to shine the spotlight on them further. Their stories are well worth hearing!
Premier Pool Pro Award Winner: Jena Beach
Service Manager, Coastal Pools | Grasonville, Maryland
“What excites me about coming to work every day is being able to help customers enjoy their pools without worrying about the behind-the-scenes challenges,” Jena Beach says.
Beach leads with empathy, approaching each customer’s pool as if it were her own. She prioritizes making sure homeowners feel comfortable and informed about their water chemistry, equipment, and automation. Her commitment to service often means going above and beyond. During recent storms, Beach personally checked on customers’ homes to help protect their pool equipment while providing real-time updates. “I went out myself over the weekend just to make sure everything was safe and operating properly. Keeping customers informed and protected is always the priority.”
Technology has also become a key part of Beach’s ability to deliver exceptional service. With remote monitoring for the IntelliCenter® Pool Control System, she can quickly troubleshoot and resolve many customer concerns without an onsite visit. “Being able to remotely access a customer’s system and fix issues in real time is a game changer. It allows us to respond faster and provide a better overall experience.”
Winning the Premier Pool Pro Award is especially meaningful to Beach, who remains focused on supporting both her customers and her team. “I’m incredibly grateful for the recognition,” she says. “It motivates me to keep growing, improving, and delivering the best service possible.”
Premier Pool Pro Award Winner: Nick Lehman
Service Tech/Manager, Pinch-A-Penny | Temple Terrace, Florida
“This has basically been my entire life,” says Nick Lehman, whose parents owned the store where he first dipped his toes into the pool and spa industry. “The biggest thing that brings me into work every day is the relationships I’ve built with customers… I love to put a smile on everybody’s face and make their life easier.”
Lehman’s customer-first mindset means working within real budgets. “Not everybody has the budget to do everything all at once. I always focus on trying to find a solution to make their pool swimmable now while saving money so they can come back later. I always try to put the customer first.”
He’s also known for being accessible, whether he’s on the job or relaxing in his free time. “My phone’s always on… I’m here to help them whenever I can,” he says, whether that means providing automation support via remote monitoring or coming in on a day off to finish a job.
On remote monitoring, Lehman notes, “I can log in remotely, fix the problem, and save the customer money without even having to go out.”
Winning the award, he says, reflects something bigger. “It just shows me how much the community cares about me — and that makes me feel great.”
Also recognized: the 2025 Pentair Pool Pro Award winners
Alongside the two Premier Pool Pro Awards, Pentair also recognized Lifetime Achievement, Unsung Hero, Safety Advocate, and Advancing Automation winners as part of the 2025 slate.
Visit www.pentair.com/pool-pro-awards to hear all the winners’ stories.
Awards
Landmark Aquatic Wins Paddock Pool Equipment Awards
Landmark Aquatic is pleased to share that three of its employees won awards from their partner Paddock Pool Equipment Company. These three members of the Landmark Aquatic team were recognized for their outstanding performance and partnership. The awards were given to acknowledge the highest sales of Paddock main drains, bulkheads and decks drains sold. The Awards were presented to Ben Fuchs, Regional Operations Manager, Steven Asher, Director of Renovation, and Sam Blake, Director of Business Development for Landmark Aquatic. Paddock Pool Equipment is committed to American-made quality, safety, and sustainable aquatic systems which aligns closely with the mission of Landmark Aquatic. “This was a proud moment for our team and our partners,” notes J.Ryan Casserly, CEO of Landmark Aquatic. “We’re grateful for the partnership and proud of the results our teams continue to deliver together, for the life of the pool.”
For more about Landmark Aquatic visit www.landmarkaquatic.com.
More information contact:
[email protected]
1-888-871-2887
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