News
Florida Pool Professionals Honored for Excellence in Design and Craftsmanship

[Florida] — The Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) proudly recognized the state’s top pool builders and designers during its annual Design Awards, celebrating innovation, craftsmanship, and creativity in pool and outdoor living design.
The awards honor exceptional residential and commercial pool projects built throughout Florida, highlighting the skill and artistry of professional pool builders across the state. Winning projects showcase cutting-edge features, including custom water elements, resort-style outdoor spaces, integrated lighting, and unique architectural designs.
The award winners were:
Best in Show – Almar Jackson Pools, Inc.
Award of Merit – Classic Residential – Top Notch Pools
Residential Pool 250-500 sq ft – Gold Award – Premier Pools of Central Florida, Inc.
Residential Pool 250-500 sq ft – Gold Award – Landscape Fusion
Residential Pool 250-500 sq ft – Silver Award – Landscape Fusion
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Gold Award – Almar Jackson Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Gold Award – Coast to Coast Pools
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Gold Award – Signature Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Silver Award – Platinum Pools SRQ
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Silver Award – A&G Concrete Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Silver Award – Almar Jackson Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Silver Award – American Pools and Spas
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Bronze Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Bronze Award – Natural Springs Pools & Spas
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Bronze Award – South Florida Custom Pools
Residential Pool 501+ sq ft – Bronze Award – Lucas Lagoons
Residential Pool Restoration – Gold Award – Almar Jackson Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool Restoration – Gold Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Pool Restoration – Bronze Award – Aquatech Pools GC
Residential Spa – Gold Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Spa – Silver Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Gold Award – Almar Jackson Pools, Inc.
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Silver Award – Coast to Coast Pools
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Silver Award – Premier Pools of Central Florida, Inc.
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Bronze Award – Coast to Coast Pools
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Bronze Award – Grunit Pool Contractors
Residential Pool Vanishing Edge – Bronze Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Water Feature – Gold Award – Aquatech Pools GC
Residential Water Feature – Gold Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Water Feature – Gold Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Water Feature – Silver Award – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Residential Water Feature – Bronze Award – Oak Wells Aquatics
Residential – Fiberglass or Vinyl Liner – Gold Award – Hydra Pools and Pavers
Commercial Water Feature – Gold Award – LaGasse’ Pools
Public Pools / Spas – Bronze Award – LaGasse’ Pools
Other – Lazy River – Gold Award – Pools By Bradley
Technical Achievement – Aquatech Pools GC
Technical Achievement – Coast to Coast Pools
Technical Achievement – Ike’s Carter Pool Companies
Technical Achievement – LaGasse’ Pools
Technical Achievement – Lucas Lagoons
Technical Achievement – Signature Pools, Inc.
“These awards recognize the incredible talent and dedication of pool professionals across Florida,” said Lyndsey Shock, CEO of the Florida Swimming Pool Association. “Each project represents the highest level of design, construction expertise, and commitment to creating beautiful outdoor environments for homeowners and communities.”
In addition to pool design awards, FSPA also recognized outstanding service vehicle presentation with the “Tops in Trucks” award. This award celebrates FSPA members who showcase professionalism and creativity through their company vehicles. This year’s Tops in Trucks winner was Aaron’s Leak Detection.
Award winners were selected by a panel of industry experts based on criteria including design creativity, functionality, craftsmanship, and overall aesthetic appeal.
The Design Awards were presented during the Everything Under the Sun Expo, the region’s premier trade show for pool and spa professionals.
To view the full list of award winners and photos, visit: FSPAAwards.com
About the Florida Swimming Pool Association
The Florida Swimming Pool Association represents pool and spa professionals throughout Florida and is dedicated to promoting safe, high-quality pool construction and advancing the pool and spa industry through education, advocacy, and professional standards.
Manufacturer
Soake Pools Bolsters National Growth With Four Key Hires

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.
Industry News
Hayward Holdings Names New Chief Accounting Officer

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]
Press Releases
Daldorado Names Marcia Gyles Director of Sales

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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