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Congratulations Pool Nation Award Winners!

Popular pool podcast hosts award show focused on inclusion

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Congratulations Pool Nation Award Winners!

Pool Nation held its second annual awards show in Las Vegas, NV at the International Pool Spa Expo. “Our favorite thing about these award shows is it’s like a high school reunion, only with people you want to hang out with. To us, it’s a place where we celebrate each other’s accomplishments and successes; where we build each other up instead of tearing each other down,” said John Chakalis. The award show presented by the popular Pool Nation Podcast in collaboration with PoolPro recognizes achievement in a variety of different categories.

Award Winners by Category:

  • Variable Speed Pump of the Year: Hayward TriStar VS
  • Best Residential Pool Filter: AquaStar Pipeline Filter
  • Automation of the Year: Jandy Aqualink RS
  • Innovative Product of the Year: AquaStar Pipeline Filter
  • Salt System of the Year: Hayward Aquarite
  • Best Value Automation: Jandy iAquaLink IQ904
  • Favorite Net: Pirhana Net
  • Favorite Test Kit: Taylor K2005 Test Kit
  • Best Truck Wrap: Big Family Pools
  • Builder of the Year: Element Pool Company
  • Sales Rep of the Year: Korey Wax – Alpha West Marketing Group
  • Favorite Pool Vac System: Hammer Head Pool Vac
  • Heater of the Year: Jandy JXI Heater
  • Pool Guy of the Year: Chris Mele
  • Pool Girl of the Year: Michelle Watson
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Wayne Ivusich
  • Zac, John, & Edgar Award: Janey Flawless
  • 30 Under 40 Male: Alexander Jacobs
  • 30 Under 40 Female: Alisa Gotay
  • Pool Company of the Year 250 Pools or less: Round Rock Pool Pros
  • Pool Cleaner Suction Side: The Pool Cleaner, Hayward
  • Heat Pump of the Year: Hayward Heat Pro

The Pool Nation award show has become quite popular among pool professionals and is supported by the pool & spa community. The awards are unique in that nominees are voted on by peers from within the pool industry. With a focus on inclusion, Pool Nation host Edgar De Jesus said, “It’s clear that we all want a better industry but in order to do that, we all belong in the same room and the key to success is collaboration.”

Having had close interaction with a number of the winners, I can certainly attest to the validity of the awards being given out. Korey Wax is a phenomenal sales rep. Wayne Ivusich certainly deserved a lifetime achievement award for his 30-plus years with Taylor Technologies. Element Pool Company is a young and thriving pool builder in the San Antonio market, that we’ve written about here at Pool Magazine. To see a young up-and-coming pool company recognized as Builder of the Year is absolutely refreshing. Round Rock Pool Pros is also a pool company that has fast become recognized as a service industry leader and again, great to see some of these terrific companies getting the recognition they richly deserve.

The 30 Under 40 category recognized two young professionals that will undoubtedly remain a force in the industry, Alexander Jacobs of United Aqua Group and Alisa Gotay of 787 Serrano Construction LLC. Again, these are folks who you may have already encountered in the pool industry that are rapidly making a name for themselves.

In all of the product categories, this year each of the winners delivered an exciting product that helped propel the industry forward. Many of the best pool product category winners had products we’ve highlighted right here in Pool Magazine. Congratulations to all of the winners who deserve all the credit in the world for having a tremendous year. We wish all of them continued success moving forward into 2023.

5/5 - (1 vote)

Editor in Chief of Pool Magazine - Joe Trusty is also CEO of PoolMarketing.com, the leading digital agency for the pool industry. An internet entrepreneur, software developer, author, and marketing professional with a long history in the pool industry. Joe oversees the writing and creative staff at Pool Magazine. To contact Joe Trusty email [email protected] or call (916) 467-9118 during normal business hours. For submissions, please send your message to [email protected]

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Landslide Damages Homes, Destroys Swimming Pool in California

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Landslide Destroys Home, Damages Swimming Pool in California

A landslide wreaked havoc in Sherman Oaks early Wednesday morning, causing millions in damage and virtually destroying one homeowner’s swimming pool. The catastrophe unfolded at around 3 a.m. following reports from residents in the 3700 block of North Ventura Canyon Avenue, who noticed downed power lines and a large tree fallen into a backyard, as detailed in a press release by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a significant portion of the hillside had shifted downward, endangering at least three homes and inflicting heavy damage on another under construction. Video footage captured by OnScene.TV revealed a gaping crack splitting through the backyard of one residence, with a section of the home visibly tilting to one side.

While no injuries were reported, several individuals were evacuated from at least one home, with firefighters resorting to pumping water out of a swimming pool to alleviate additional strain on the hillside. Unfortunately, part of the pool and home ultimately collapsed down a 30-foot cliff destroying another residence that was still under construction.

Responding to the crisis, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety initially deemed one home unsafe, red-tagging the structure. However, their assessment later extended to two homes deemed unsafe and a third severely damaged, marked with a yellow tag. Ongoing drone surveys by firefighters aim to assess the extent of the damage and potential risks.

At present, the exact cause of the landslide remains undetermined, according to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange. Requests for comment from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety went unanswered.

Authorities seized the opportunity to remind residents of the necessity for year-round emergency preparedness, emphasizing the looming threats posed by wildfires and heavy rainstorms capable of triggering landslides.

The unfortunate incident follows March’s heavy precipitation in Southern California, with Sherman Oaks experiencing 1.95 inches of rainfall over March 6th and 7th, as reported by the National Weather Service.

4.9/5 - (12 votes)

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BofA Downgrades Latham Group Citing Weak Pool Construction Market

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BofA Downgrades Latham Group Citing Weak Pool Construction Market

Latham Group (NASDAQ: SWIM), a prominent player in residential swimming pool construction, faced a setback as Bank of America downgraded its stock due to concerns over sluggish new pool construction and increased decrementals.

With the downgrade, SWIM’s stock plummeted by 23.78% during pre-market trading on Wednesday, settling at $2.50, marking an 11% dip below its 200-day simple moving average.

Bank of America revised its recommendation on Latham Group stock to Underperform, slashing the price target from $4.50 to $2.60.

In its 2024 guidance announcement, SWIM projected revenues between $490M and $520M, falling short of the consensus estimate of $533.09M. Similarly, adjusted EBITDA guidance ranged from $60M to $70M, representing an 8% to 35% decrease compared to previous expectations.

The downgrade stems from a sluggish start to 2024, subdued projections for new pool construction, operational challenges leading to deleverage, and constrained free cash flow.

Management anticipates a 15% year-over-year decline in new pool construction for 2024.

These developments contrast with the optimistic sentiment among some sell-side analysts, who maintain a Buy rating on SWIM with an average price target of $3.54.

Scott Rajeski, President and CEO, stated, “Latham navigated a very difficult market environment in 2023. We successfully implemented cost reduction programs and lean manufacturing initiatives that structurally reduced our cost basis, while maintaining our investments in future growth. These cost reduction programs improved margins as the year progressed and we expect they will enable us to considerably expand margins and overall profitability once volumes recover. At the same time, we increased productivity and efficiency for our dealers, developed new fiberglass pool models, and invested in digital tools that have enhanced the consumer’s pool buying experience. As a result of these actions, Latham is positioned for meaningful market share gains as overall industry conditions improve.”

5/5 - (7 votes)

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Fluidra Launches €20 Million Venture Capital Fund – Fluidra Ventures

The company will invest €20 million in tech-based startups that offer emerging solutions that can enhance the pool and wellness sector.

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Fluidra Ventures

Fluidra, a global leader in connected equipment and solutions for the pool and wellness sector, is launching Fluidra Ventures, a €20 million corporate venture capital fund (CVC) investment to lead innovation in the sector.

The CVC will invest in each startup with the potential to revolutionize the industry on a global scale through their solutions, with a special focus on the United States and Europe. The goal of this first three-year phase is to build a solid portfolio of startups through investing in innovative companies.

The CVC will target startup initiatives that enhance efficiency, connectivity, sustainability and safety in the swimming pool and wellness business, leveraging IoT, computer vision and robotic solutions. It is looking for startups that add value to the pool and wellness sector with innovative business models, fostering direct customer interaction through sales, subscriptions and other channels. The CVC has already invested in Coral Smart Pool, a technology company aiming to transform the pool experience through Artificial Intelligence (AI) with an initial focus on pool safety.  

Fluidra Ventures will also invest in companies that innovate in engineering and science to advance materials and products that deal with swimming pool manufacturing, efficiency and maintenance.

Four segments and eight strategic guidelines

The fund is focused on four different segments — Commercial, Residential, Wellness and Mass Market—and has an investment thesis that covers eight strategic guidelines, from connected pools, resource optimization, digital platforms, innovative materials, security systems, personalized experiences, robotics and innovative consumable products.

Fluidra Ventures is fueled by Fluidra Lab, Fluidra’s open innovation division, and any startups that want to submit their proposals can send their investment pitch decks to [email protected]. Offering more than just investments, Fluidra aims to leverage this initiative to become the top strategic collaborator for the most innovative startups with the tremendous benefits that being an industry leader brings, such as: resources, scale successful business models, expertise, experience, and sales options.

“This initiative joins several others that we have at Fluidra to promote innovation in our industry. This is why here at Fluidra Ventures we’re excited about the transformative potential that this venture will have for the pool and wellness industry, driving forward innovation, sustainability and technological advancement”, said Eloi Planes, Fluidra’s Executive Chairman.

5/5 - (12 votes)

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