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.