Every year, one of the issues I look forward to most is our 30 Under 40. This feature spotlights the incredible young leaders who are shaping the future of the pool industry. The class of 2025 is no exception — they are builders, service pros, innovators and entrepreneurs who embody the grit that keeps this trade moving forward.
When Jared McEwan learned about his nomination for Fluidra’s International Pool Pro Day contest, he was shocked. “I didn’t even know I was in the running until round three,” McEwan says with a laugh. “Our social media team told me, ‘Hey, you’re up for this award,’ and I thought, ‘Really?’ ”
I really enjoy learning about the commercial side of the pool service industry. It’s probably the area I know the least about, partly because the scope is so vast. A commercial account could be anything from a waterpark or resort to a splash pad or small HOA pool.
We are deep into the process of selecting our 30 Under 40 winners for 2025. But every year when the list comes out, we hear the same complaint.
In an industry where technical function can overshadow artistry, Allison Gouterman, Livtec designer for Continental Surface Solutions, has carved a niche as a pool liner designer whose work speaks both to aesthetic elegance and engineered excellence.
What I’ve always loved most about this job is the privilege of telling stories — real stories, rich with nuance, full of grit and heart.
For a couple of years, we’ve printed the mentors of our 30 Under 40 recipients on the last page of the magazine (page 70). We do this for a few reasons, and I’m not sure we’ve ever highlighted those. For one, it never hurts to reflect on the people who helped you get where you are today. It’s so easy to feel alone, and remembering that people are willing to help and support you is a great comfort. One of the purposes of 30 Under 40 is to encourage young professionals to grow their careers and stay in the pool industry. Having mentors in the field can help keep people around longer. Showcasing these relationships in PoolPro hopefully will encourage others to seek mentors or become one.
For a couple of years, we’ve printed the mentors of our 30 Under 40 recipients on the last page of the magazine (page 70). We do this for a few reasons, and I’m not sure we’ve ever highlighted those. For one, it never hurts to reflect on the people who helped you get where you are today. It’s so easy to feel alone, and remembering that people are willing to help and support you is a great comfort. One of the purposes of 30 Under 40 is to encourage young professionals to grow their careers and stay in the pool industry. Having mentors in the field can help keep people around longer. Showcasing these relationships in PoolPro hopefully will encourage others to seek mentors or become one.
It’s 30 Under 40! Congratulations to all the 2024 recipients — and if you entered this year and didn’t make the list, please try again next year. Each year we have more entries, and it gets harder to whittle it down to 30. Don’t see this as a rejection but more like being put on a waitlist. For those on the 2024 list, I encourage you to take full advantage of this honor by posting about it and sharing it with your customers, friends and the industry. Part of the reason we do this program is to help recruit a new generation of potential pros — and showing off this accolade is one way we can demonstrate how awesome it is to work in the pool industry!
I have never considered myself a salesperson, and I’m guessing many of you feel the same. There are plenty of negative connotations connected to the word and field.
Distributor Heritage Pool Supply Group had already shaken up the industry with its aggressive entrance in 2021 and subsequent growth, acquiring 20 independent companies in the past three years with more reported to come. But on March 28, it shocked not only the pool industry but the stock market as well, when The Home Depot announced its intent to buy SRS Distribution, parent company to Heritage Pool Supply Group, for $18.25 billion. The sale was completed June 18.
HASA Inc., a provider of water treatment solutions, is poised to transform the pool industry with its expansion into Texas .