Bethany Branscum

Joined February 22, 2023

Articles 113

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The Backyard Boom

By Bethany Branscum
For decades, Latham has helped shape the swimming pool industry, growing from a regional pool company into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of in-ground residential pools and backyard products. As the company marks its 70th anniversary, the milestone offers a chance to look at not only its evolution but also how the role of the backyard pool has changed alongside American homeowners.

AquaBliss Pool Services

By Bethany Branscum
In south Florida, there’s no easing into the pool business. Heat, humidity and constant use mean even small mistakes show up fast. AquaBliss Pool Services has grown steadily within that environment, expanding from a one-man route into a multicrew operation handling both residential and commercial work.

Adaptive Circulation 

By Bethany Branscum
For years, the pool industry has improved energy efficiency through variable-speed pumps. But as pool setups grow more complex — with heaters, water features, cleaning systems and shifting hydraulic conditions — maintaining consistent circulation often still requires manual adjustment.

The Pool Butler

By Bethany Branscum
In the home services industry, reliability and professionalism often determine whether a customer makes a one-time call or builds a long-term relationship. For The Pool Butler, a Georgia-based pool service company, those qualities are not just goals — they are the foundation of the business.
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Ramos Pool & Spa

By Bethany Branscum
Cuando Ángel Ramos comenzó a acompañar a su padre, Fernando, a los trabajos de piscinas a los 12 años, pensó que solo estaba ayudando y ganando algo de dinero los fines de semana, pero más adelante se dio cuenta de que estaba construyendo una carrera. Hoy, el equipo de padre e hijo detrás de Ramos Pool & Spa, en Lakeside, California, se acerca al décimo aniversario de la empresa.

Power Women

By Bethany Branscum
Across the pool industry, leadership doesn’t always come with a title — it’s built over time through real-world experience, hard-earned credibility and doing things the right way. This year’s Power Women represent every corner of the profession, from builders and service leaders to advocates and educators. Each has carved out a path while helping elevate the people around her, proving that the future of the industry is being shaped by women with both purposeful vision and boots-on-the-ground experience.

Power Women: Averi Edwards

By Bethany Branscum
For Averi Edwards, the pool industry was simply part of the background as she grew up — something her dad did while she was busy figuring out where she wanted to go. “Throughout my childhood and teen years, the thought of working for him or with or around swimming pools never crossed my mind,” she says.

Power Women: Julie Kazdin

By Bethany Branscum
Julie Kazdin has never known a life without pools. Born into a family business on the East End of Long Island, she grew up surrounded by the rhythms of the industry her parents helped build. Her mother and father founded Kazdin Pools & Spas in 1974, years before she was born, and from the start, it was a true family operation. “They joked that the accountant used to feed me peas while he was doing his work,” Kazdin says. 

Power Women: Sam Folaron

By Bethany Branscum
From the time Sam Folaron was 12, she knew the pool industry was where she belonged. What started as a summer job in a retail pool store became an influential education in business, leadership and what was possible for a woman willing to learn every side of the trade.