At the Pool & Spa Show in Atlantic City last week, Fluidra donated $100,000 to Step Into Swim. Fluidra Executive President & Executive Chairman Eloy Planes Corts, Fluidra CEO Bruce Brooks, and Fluidra North America President Troy Franzen presented the check to PHTA President & CEO Sabeena Hickman and PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development Rowdy Gaines.

“Being able to swim isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Franzen, who also serves on the Step Into Swim Champions Board. “The ability to swim is essential to improving the health and safety of this and future generations, and we are fully invested in the effort to teach people how to swim and be safe around water, regardless of their socioeconomic situation.”

As part of its goal to bring the joy and substantial benefits of swimming to children across all communities, Master Pools Guild committed $40,000 to Step Into Swim. “We are very excited to be partnering in the Step Into Swim Program with PHTF. Creating more swimmers and providing safe swim education are goals we share and believe must be promoted by all our industry. With Rowdy’s enthusiasm and leadership, we are confident he will bring this year’s program to a very strong finish, and we are proud to be part of the team,” said MPG Executive Director Teri Wiltshire.

PHTA's Awards of Excellence program is one of the largest, most renowned design competitions in the industry recognizing pool and hot tub installations. Each year, hundreds of entries showcasing beauty, creativity, and innovation are submitted by builders around the world.

With unlimited national, local, and international exposure opportunities and industry recognition, the Awards of Excellence is the one design competition you can’t afford to miss!

Submissions are due July 1.

The PHTA Model Safety Manual for Builders and Service Professionals is a member tool developed to put the focus on safety in the workplace. This manual is not meant to be used verbatim, but gives members a starting point to create your own Safety Manual for your specific company or business.

The PHTA Model Safety Manual has examples of policy statements, safety inspection checklists, emergency actions plans, and much more. Download your free copy today!

D271: Architectural Styles starts virtually on Monday, February 14! There's still time to register for this course, which will take you one step closer to becoming a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional. D271 will enable you to coordinate details and relate the water elements back to the surrounding environment in an appropriate way. Take your designs to the next level!

Dive into the world of water history with D280: The History of Pools and Water Features, part of the Master Pools Guild Meeting in March in Charleston, SC. This course will guide you through the world's most renowned swimming pools and water features from ancient to historical to today's contemporary installations. You'll learn the who's who of today's most influential water feature designers and why this knowledge is necessary to relate to your clientele. Registration is now open!

Head to Orlando March 4-5 for the Everything Under the Sun Expo and stop by the PHTA Booth #520. You can also come a couple days early and take one of two GENESIS® courses: E211: Fluid Hydraulics for Pools & Spas or D180: Drawing for Professionals. Both courses will take you on the path to becoming a Certified Master Pool Builder & Design Professional!

PHTA and the California Pool & Spa Association (CPSA) will be live and in-person at the Western Pool & Spa Show in Long Beach March 10-12. PHTA will be hosting a Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) certification course. Plus, come in a day early and join CPSA for the Under the Sea Golf Tournament!

Does a work question have you stumped? Interested to see if other pool industry professionals around the country are experiencing the same challenges as you? Have a funny or insightful anecdote that you think others would like to hear? Share all of this and much more at myPHTA, the online community exclusively for PHTA members.

PHTA, in partnership with Boxwood, offers members a career center. As a job seeker, you can upload your resume, apply for jobs, and get career coaching. As an employer, you can post open jobs, search resumes, and get information on compliance. Make an account today!

PHTA is looking for seasoned industry professionals who want to give back to the industry by sharing their knowledge, experiences, and advice with another PHTA member through our unique, members-only mentoring program. Your level of commitment is in your hands – you can select your start and end dates, identify how many mentees you’d like to accept, and approve or decline requests from prospective mentees.

AQUA Magazine
Consumers will likely shift their disposable income back to restaurants and travel in 2022, but aggressive housing activity, high employment, and rising wages will help generate retail sales for the pool and hot tub industry.

Marketing for Pool Builders
Potential customers must first find your pool company website compelling and engaging before they will accept your follow-up. Review your website by asking five important questions.

Inc.
The Small Business Digital Alliance will offer free resources for business leaders to help them expand their e-commerce footprint, including training platforms on e-commerce, benefits, and data analytics. Rollout is expected during the first quarter of 2022.

Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living
Check out these projects that represent the best in pool and outdoor living design for 2021. Congratulations to the more than a dozen PHTA members on this list!

Pool and Spa News
Industry veterans from the plastering, building, and manufacturing segments—including two PHTA members—have developed a new product, based on patented nanotechnology, for cementitious pool and spa surfaces.

AQUA Magazine
PHTA members Terry Arko and Alicia Stephens help you understand the basics of rainwater’s effect on pool chemistry to make aftermath maintenance easier.