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Float Like a Duck Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Award-Winning, Family-Friendly Water Safety Initiative Celebrates 20th Anniversary

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Float Like a Duck Celebrates 20th Anniversary

(Las Vegas, NV) April 2023 – Float Like A Duck celebrates two-decades of sharing the importance of water safety. Float Like A Duck was founded by Paragon Pools’ President Joseph M. Vassallo as part of the company’s philanthropic endeavors with a mission of Educating the public on the importance of safety while celebrating the joys of water sports!

Since its launch in 2003, the water safety initiative with messaging in English and Spanish has achieved some notable milestones over the years including numerous accolades, hosting in-person events, publishing a water safety coloring book, releasing numerous water safety PSA videos, and establishing its own cheerful water safety mascot named Duckie, to name a few. In addition, Float Like A Duck has provided funding for free swimming lessons for at-risk youths and sponsors the Nevada Desert Mermaids artistic swimming team. 

Float Like A Duck’s unique positive, family-friendly messaging has made it a popular platform for others to embrace and share among their community. Individuals and organizations from all walks of life have volunteered their time to present at events, participate in making the videos, and/or allowing their likeness to become part of the water safety coloring book. And the media has also found Float Like A Duck to be a cheerful and informative storyline for their news stories.

Vassallo states, “Water and water sports are an integral part of our lives whether it be in the bath, a pool, at the lake, or beach. Our goal through the Float Like A Duck program is to prepare the entire family with water safety skills, practices, and preventative measures to ensure every experience is an enjoyable one.”

The 20th anniversary campaign concentrates on enhancing the initiatives’ on-line presence providing a wide resource of information, tips, and videos for consumers, non-profits, and fellow water safety advocates. New content is continuously being added and a common theme focuses on ENFORCING the ABC&D’s of water safety, with a BIG emphasis on A-adult supervision.

Each YouTube video offers a unique perspective on water safety, and several are featured in Spanish. “Water safety encompasses all types of water-related environments not just the pool, therefore each year we brainstorm on how we can share the water safety message in different capacities,” states Vassallo. “Some of the videos target situations and/or elements that adults may not consider to be a vulnerable setting for their child.”  

The objective is to educate families on steps they can take to keep their loved ones safe by bringing attention to situations and providing them with a pro-active safety tip to ensure a safe and fun lifestyle. May is National Water Safety Month, however we want the public to be conscious about water safety during the entire summer swim season as well as throughout the year. 

The Float Like A Duck team encourages households to enjoy the Float Like A Duck webpages, downloadable coloring book, and videos as a family unit and then discuss the various elements so that everyone- including grandparents, teens, and kids have an appreciation for water centric activities and how to stay safe. Float Like A Duck resources can also be a helpful tool when discussing water safety with a caregiver, baby sitter, or au pair. 

The national award-winning program has been recognized by the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, the Nevada Governor’s Points of Light Awards, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, the National Water Safety Congress, and Kix Brooks- Kidde Hero of the Week. Several of the videos have also received awards for their production and content. Float Like a Duck/Paragon Pools has received three grants since 2021 from the PHTA Step Into Swim foundation. One hundred percent of the funds are presented to swimming programs throughout the Las Vegas community to provide free swimming lessons for at-risk youths in the valley. The 2023 Grant will be presented to the City of Las Vegas to utilize in their swimming lessons programs. 

Float Like A Duck is an official partner of the PHTA National Water Safety Month, and the USCPSC Pool Safely program. Vassallo was also a founding board member of the Southern Nevada Child Drowning Prevention Coalition. And, Float Like a Ducks’ messaging physically crossed the US borders in 2021 and 2022 when packets of water safety coloring books were presented to Cabo San Lucas Fire Department-Fire Chief Juan A Carabajal Figueroa for his community. 

The campaign has succeeded in growing support over the 20 years, where thousands have been exposed to floating and other lifesaving skills. Program partners have included the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, the City of Henderson & Rad Tad Travels, first responders Las Vegas Metro, LV Metro Volunteer Police & Mascot McGruff, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, and the Nevada Highway Patrol, along with the YMCA, Danny Romero Designs, UMC Children’s Hospital, Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas,  SNCDPC, SNHD, Las Vegas Sky Cam, Mirage Las Vegas & Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat, Mary Vail MBA Publicist, Nevada Desert Mermaids, Ovia Entertainment, and media partners KVVU-Fox-5, KTNV TV-13 & the Morning Blend, iHeart Media, La Buena 101.9, Beasley Broadcasting, Pin Point Publications, as well as pool industry partners the PHTA, Fluidra, Cover Pools, Paramount Pool Systems, PebbleTec, Adams Pool Solutions, PoolCorp, National Pool Tile, and Carecraft. 

For more water safety information, tips, and videos are available on the website, social media, and on YouTube.  https://www.paragonpoolslv.com/float-like-a-duck

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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].

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Skimmer Announces Public API to Support Custom Enterprise Workflows

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Austin, TX – June 11 – Skimmer, the leading enterprise operating system for scaling pool
service businesses, today announced the availability of its new public API, designed to support enterprise customers who want to integrate Skimmer more deeply into their operational tech
stacks.

The release marks a significant step in solidifying Skimmer’s enterprise position in the pool
service market, offering a flexible, secure way for larger businesses to connect existing systems—including CRMs, ERPs, inventory platforms, and custom reporting tools–with
Skimmer.

“We built Skimmer’s Public API for businesses that need more control, more flexibility, and fewer manual touchpoints,” said Jack Nelson, CEO of Skimmer. “This isn’t a plug-and-play app store integration, it’s an invitation to collaborate and build for businesses ready to scale. We are unlocking new possibilities for the businesses that are ready for them.”

Purpose-built for the pros who need it
Skimmer’s Public API reflects a deliberate step forward in supporting the most sophisticated
pool service operations; those with the scale, systems, and vision to customize how they work.

“We’re excited to begin working with Skimmer’s Public API as part of our integration journey in the US,” says Shannon O’Brien, Global Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Poolwerx. “While the partnership is still in its early stages, the documentation and developer tools have made for a smooth initial experience. We’re optimistic about the role this integration will play in helping us better align systems and support our growing US franchise network,” he says.


Built for businesses operating at scale


Skimmer’s API is designed for companies with in-house technical resources who are ready to
eliminate data silos, reduce manual entry, and create bespoke workflows tailored to their needs.


API access is available on Skimmer’s Owning the Market tier, and currently offered through a
sales-led process to ensure security, performance, and fit.


Interested businesses are encouraged to reach out to Skimmer’s sales team to discuss whether the API is a fit for their use case. The company is especially interested in learning how customers hope to use the API, with plans to shape future capabilities based on real-world demand.


For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit getskimmer.com/contact or reach out directly to [email protected].

About Skimmer

Skimmer is America’s #1 pool service software platform.

The company is on a mission to modernize the pool and spa service and repair industry through easy-to-use software and best-in-class support. Over 30,000 pool service professionals servicing 900,000 pools in North America use Skimmer to get organized, get paid faster, and grow their businesses.

For more information about this report, Skimmer, or our products and services, please visit
www.getskimmer.com.

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AquaStar hires Jeff Cameron as Northeast Sales/Technical Manager

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Cameron adds extensive industry experience and knowledge to the exceptional AquaStar team.

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 9th, 2025 – AquaStar Pool Products , Inc. has hired Jeff Cameron to fill the position of Northeast Sales/Technical Manager. Cameron is an industry veteran with 23 years of experience within the pool industry, most recently as a Field Service Technician for the last 14 years before making the jump to AquaStar Pool Products.


Starting his pool industry career in 2002, Cameron has expertise in multiple aspects of our industry including sales, training, field support, and troubleshooting. We asked the classic question of “what made you get into the pool industry?” and like many others, “by chance, after leaving a job in an unrelated industry, I found a position for phone support with a pool industry manufacturer and worked my way into the field. The rest is history.” – Responds Cameron.


Cameron enjoys training others and providing for the pool industry. One of his recent accolades was training a room of 80+ people in Atlantic City, NJ. Jeff was awarded “Service Tech of the Year” in 2022, and also, “Employee of the Year” in 2023 with a previous employer.

“We are excited to add Jeff to our AquaStar family. His experience and expertise will be a great addition to our team.” Says Todd Pieri, President of AquaStar. Jeff Cameron’s position is effective as of April 30th. He can be reached at 401-449-3141 and email [email protected].

MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Krause, Brand Manager
AquaStar Pool Products
[email protected]
805-813-4369

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CCEI Wins the Best Vendor Award! A Recognition of a Strong and Lasting Partnership

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CCEI is honored to have received the award of Best Vendor by long-time partner, SCP. As a key player in pool equipment distribution worldwide, SCP has collaborated with CCEI for many years. During that partnership, CCEI has always been committed to delivering innovative, reliable solutions tailored to the needs of industry professionals. Receiving the Best Vendor Award is a true recognition of this dedication. This award not only highlights the quality of our products but also the trust-based relationship that CCEI has built with SCP over time. It underscores our ability to support our partners with high-performance connected solutions, responsive customer service, and top-tier technical support. More about this award can be found here: https://www.ccei-pool.com/en-us/blog/ccei-wins-the-best-vendor-award-3

Since 1973, CCEI has been designing and manufacturing electrical equipment for private and public pools. Over the years, we have acquired in-depth experience with pools and their specific constraints. Starting as a manufacturer specialized in electrical boxes, CCEI has expanded to different areas, including automatic water treatment and lighting for pools.

CCEI’s technical team has also grown and now has a team with recognized skills in electronics, optics and electrochemistry. With this knowledge, CCEI is now able to provide global, adapted solutions to pool builders and industries and enhance the safety, ergonomics and reliability of pool facilities.

To learn more about CCEI’s many award-winning products, visit www.ccei-pool.

CCEI USA Inc.

808 Hindry Ave, Suite G

Inglewood, CA 90301

424-800-2191

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