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On a Need-to-Know Basis: Influential Pool & Spa Products and People
You won’t want to miss the latest up-and-coming products and people you should know that are for the pros and have been recognized by the pros.
5 Min Read
Pool Nation Podcast
It is arguable by the hosts of the Pool Nation podcast that the pool industry hasn’t changed much in the way of innovative and new products in years. It is especially arguable by host Edgar De Jesus that there are people who have worked in the industry for decades and go without any recognition. Thus enters the idea for the Pool Nation Awards.
“The idea for the awards,” De Jesus said, “was put out to be for any pool pro, not just those belonging to an association or group, to be able to receive an award from Pool Nation.”
According to De Jesus, he and his co-hosts go to their Instagram platform every year and say, “Let’s start talking about the awards for this year. Give us the categories you want; do you like the ones from last year? Which ones do we change? Which ones do we add?” After they get the categories, the hosts turn it back over to the pros to nominate people. The hosts then tell Pool Nation: “Now that you’ve nominated all these people, it’s time to vote for them. It’s important for us to recognize people.”
When asked what the awards mean to him, De Jesus told us about Bob Lowry, a chemist, writer and entrepreneur who served the pool industry for decades but never received a single award until he received the lifetime achievement award from Pool Nation. “It really hurt, and that was really the turning point where we said, we see this trend—that’s what drives the passion behind it.”
De Jesus tells us that two things set the Pool Nation Awards apart from any other awards in the industry:
The pool pros are choosing who to nominate and they’re the ones voting.
Their mentality that they go big or go home.
We then asked De Jesus what he thought will set nominees apart. “If you have a sales rep who has a great relationship with their pool pros, that’s going to make them get out there and vote,” he said.
We had the opportunity to talk with Bryan Chrissan, district sales manager at Hayward. We asked him what it felt like to attend the award ceremony to celebrate others, only to realize during the event that others had nominated him for his work too. He responded, saying, “To have the opportunity to read the nominees is nice; it’s great to have a part in this. Then to be recognized and known for the industry; it’s nice to see that somebody is looking at what we’re doing when we’re working so many hours a day.”
When looking toward the PSP/Deck Expo in November, Chrissan says it's one of his favorites because you get everybody who doesn’t normally attend other shows. He says he thinks there is more information at the international show than at any of the other ones that are out there, even on a regional level. He adds that “It’s where we all see each other. It's like a class reunion or family reunion. It's what makes the show fun. We work the floor; we go hang out.”
Pool & Spa Pro wants to congratulate all the nominees.
You may vote for your favorite nominee in any category from Thursday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Oct. 15. The Pool Nation Awards will be held on Nov. 16 at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo™, co-located with Deck Expo in Las Vegas.
And the Nominees Are…
Best Value Automation
Easy Touch PL4 and PSL4 Pool and Spa Control Systems by Pentair
iAquaLink IQ904-PS Bundle by Jandy
Omni PL Smart Pool and Spa Control by Hayward
Favorite Net
Piranha Pool Products
Red Baron by Purity Pool
Distributor of the Year
HornerXpress, Inc.
Pool Water Products (PWP)
SCP Distributors
Best Residential Filter of the Year
Crystal Water by Waterway
DEV DE Filter by Jandy
FNS Plus by Pentair
Pipeline Filter by AquaStar
SwimClear by Hayward
Salt System of the Year
AquaRite by Hayward
AutoPilot Salt System by AquaCal
Chlorine Genie by Ultimate Water
Intellichlor by Pentair
Powerclean Salt Chlorinator by CMP
TruClear by Jandy
Favorite Test Kit
ColorQ by LaMotte
eXact iDip by ITS
K2005 Complete Kit by Taylor
PoolLab 1.0
WaterLink Spin Touch by Lamotte
Variable Speed Pump of the Year
Intelliflo by Pentair
TriStar VS by Hayward
VS PlusHP Pump by Jandy
Favorite Vac System
REMORA by HAMMERHEAD
Rip Tide SL and XP
The Bottom Feeder
The VacDaddy
Automation of the Year
Aqualink RS Pool & Spa Automation System by Jandy
IntelliCenter by Pentair
Omnilogic Smart Pool and Spa Control by Hayward
Heater of the Year
AVIA Pool & Spa Heater by Raypak
JXi Pool & Spa Heater by Jandy
MasterTemp High-Performance Pool and Spa Heater by Pentair
Universal HC Series by Hayward
Innovative Product of the Year
AquaRite S3 Salt System by Hayward
AVIA Pool & Spa Heater by Raypak
Cyclone Filter Cleaning System
Double-07 Skimmer by Thursday Pools
MultiCyclone by Waterco
Pipeline Filter by Aquastar
Spa Electric Retro R10 Lights
The Attendant by Poolside Tech
Best Truck Wrap
Big Family Pools
Blue Desert Pools
C&E Pristine
Dedicated Pool Service
Lucky Duck Pools
Pool Guardians
Pool Troopers
Sales Rep of the Year
Brandon Sheehan, Fluidra
Bryan Chrissan, Hayward
David Gilbreath, Hasa
Jim Miron, Fluidra
Korey Wax, Alpha West
Mike Adams, Fluidra
Nick Johnson, Hayward
Pool Guy of the Year
Chris Mele, Pool Guardians
Dean Ouellette, Big Family Pools
Dudley Adams, Pool Troopers
Garrett Gonzales, Blue Desert Pools
Jan Ocasio, Ocasio’s Pools
Josh Fletcher, Collins Pool Management
Michael Krause, First Response Pools
Pool Girl of the Year
Amber Blaustein, Amber Sparkling Pools
Amy Bailey, Pelican Pool Service & Repair
Kristen Clancy, Pool Gal Houston
Lindsey Brown, Oasis Pool Management
Michelle Watson, Shell’s Pool Service
Sabrina Salem, Structure Studios
Shea Pulte, Pool Troopers
Pool Company of the Year, 250 Pools or Less
Better Call Sal Pools
Big Family Pools
Blue Desert Pools
First Response Pool Services
Round Rock Pool Pros
Pool Cleaner Suction Side
ATLAS XT by Polaris
MX6 Elite by Zodiac
Rebel by Pentair
The PoolCleaner by Hayward
Heat Pump of the Year
AquaCal Heat Pump
Heat Pro by Hayward
JE Series by Jandy
Raypak Heat Pump
UltraTemp High Performance by Pentair
XL Series Heat Pump by AquaComfort
30 Under 40 Rookie of the Year—Female
Alisa Gotay, Serrano Construction
Billie Jean Parish, Blue Desert Pools
Lindsey Lawless, Hayward
30 Under 40 Rookie of the Year—Male
Alex Diaz, Peerless Pool Cover
Alexander Jacobs, United Aqua Group
Colton Frabasilio, Presidential Pools & Spas
Max Brown, The Pool Boys
Max Filho, Fort Pools
William Graham, Spa Electrics
Builder of the Year
C&E Builders
Element Pool Company
Endless Summer Pools
Johnson Pool & Spa
Larry Watford Pools
Liquid FX Pools
Melo’s Pools & Outdoors
Oasis Pools
OC Poolscapes
Paragon Pools Las Vegas
Radelli Design
Texas Outdoor Oasis
About the Authors
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