Built to Last

Reaching a centennial is a rare milestone — one achieved by less than half a percent of all companies, says Stuart Baker, Hayward’s vice president of global strategy and business development. And yet, Hayward has done just that.

Founded in 1925 by Irving Hayward as a Brooklyn machine shop, the company has grown into a global leader in pool and spa equipment. The transformation began in earnest in 1964 when Oscar Davis purchased the business. Davis immigrated to the U.S. from Hungary in 1929, then later fought in World War II, serving under General Patton’s Third Army. He brought a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a background in manufacturing, having founded and later sold The Oscar Davis Company — a small machine shop that produced specialty plastic fittings, a venture rooted in the toolmaking trade he learned from his father. Davis’ leadership marked the beginning of a decades-long evolution for Hayward.

When Davis acquired Hayward, it was generating just $300,000 in revenue and focused largely on metal components. But with the rise of thermoplastics in the late 1960s, the company pivoted. Injection molding replaced metal manufacturing, allowing Hayward to produce high-quality plastic components at a fraction of the cost, dramatically expanding its market potential. 

Hayward thrived as a family-run business for decades. In 2002, Davis was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement as an American citizen. And his son, Robert Davis, helped lead the company’s industrial division, which was sold in 2005 for $130 million. Under the Davis family’s stewardship, Hayward invested in innovation, expanded into new global markets and built a reputation for operational excellence and strong internal culture.

In 2017, the Davis family sold Hayward to CCMP Capital, MSD Partners and Alberta Investment Management Corporation for over $2 billion. This marked a new era of accelerated growth, highlighted by the acquisition of companies like Sugar Valley, Kripsol, Paramount Pool & Spa Systems and ChlorKing, and the launch of smart technologies like the OmniLogic platform. Two years later, Kevin Holleran was named CEO, and Hayward opened a new global headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hayward first went public in 1969 on the NASDAQ, was later delisted and then completed a successful IPO again in 2021 on the New York Stock Exchange. Through each of these transitions, the company has maintained a focus on innovation, customer relationships and product excellence.

Baker, born and raised in Cambridge, U.K., joined Hayward through an acquisition in 1998 and relocated to the U.S. in 2003. He has witnessed this evolution firsthand.

The acquisitions, Baker says, helped bring a technological revolution to the company — instead of simply drains, skimmers and fittings, the focus shifted to pumps, filters, heaters, salt chlorine generation and automation, all of which have skyrocketed the company. These efforts also allowed the company to expand geographically, growing in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia.

“If you look at 2004-17, it was very much about geographic growth and also accelerating technology,” Baker says. 

Despite the growth, he says, Hayward still maintains its foundational values.

“I’ve seen the company grow from a family-run operation to private equity sponsorship, and now into a publicly traded company,” Baker says. “As a public company, we retain the same values of the former owners — treating employees and customers with courtesy and respect while driving every day to grow and become ever more successful to make Hayward the investment of choice.”

Hayward’s success comes, in part, from its ability to stay ahead of the curve — quickly adapting to technological trends and customer needs while continuing to provide smart, reliable solutions to complex problems.

Team spirit, support of trade professionals and a hands-on, personal approach is what Baker calls the “secret sauce.”

Supporting trade professionals is essential to setting Hayward apart from the competition as the company moves into its second century, Baker says. Empowering pros with reliable products, training and responsive service will remain a top priority.

Jason DeBruin, vice president of product management, echoes that sentiment, highlighting Hayward’s record of quality.

“Hayward has a long history of operational excellence in lean manufacturing,” DeBruin says. “As far as products go, we have a robust engineering department and product team that seek out innovation to enhance the experience of a pool professional and pool owner.”

As new technology becomes available, they evaluate its potential for a better user experience. When the company launched OmniLogic in 2014, it allowed automation to be simple, plug-and-play, with everything ready for use “out of the box.” “This was the game changer,” DeBruin says. “It could also be upgraded without changing any hardware.”

Energy efficiency and environmental innovation also play a key role in Hayward’s development. Its TriStar 900 variable-speed pump, for example, has the highest Weighted Energy Factor rating on Energy Star’s list for in-ground pool pumps.

Looking ahead, DeBruin sees wireless technology and expanded automation as the next frontier, with Hayward’s high standards behind it.

“We’re laser-focused on the pool and spa industry and providing quality and innovative products,” DeBruin says. “We sincerely care about the success and experience of our customers.”

Hayward has made significant investments in supporting pool professionals through training initiatives. It recently opened the Hayward Hub in Dallas, Texas — a facility dedicated entirely to training and education.

“It’s fully stocked with equipment for hands-on experience,” DeBruin says. “It has a full classroom setup, storage for new equipment and complete presentation capabilities. It has it all.” The Dallas hub is part of a larger plan to expand this training center model, which DeBruin says has already proven valuable as a consistent, reliable touchpoint for professional development.

But Hayward’s training efforts don’t stop there. In addition to in-person classroom-style sessions and virtual offerings, the company has also developed a fleet of mobile training vehicles. “They’re fully loaded and can be deployed anywhere,” DeBruin says. “We can take them directly to a jobsite and do hands-on training with just the vehicle.”

By offering flexible, accessible training options, Hayward ensures pool pros have the knowledge and tools they need — wherever they are.

That same commitment to supporting the industry extends inward as well.

“At Hayward, we care about the product and the people — both internal and external,” DeBruin says. “And one thing I’ve learned is that it’s difficult to fake it externally if you’re not practicing it internally. And [a strong internal culture] is something Hayward does well.” 

As part of its centennial celebration, the company is hosting events, updating marketing materials and highlighting its history throughout the year. But at its core, the celebration is a reaffirmation of values — care, respect and growth — that have defined Hayward from the beginning.

I try to live by the golden rule: Treat people with kindness and respect, and in turn, the same will be passed back to you.”

Oscar Davis

A quote from Oscar Davis, shared in 2002, still resonates today: “I try to live by the golden rule: Treat people with kindness and respect, and in turn, the same will be passed back to you.”

For Hayward, that mindset is not just part of its past — it’s the key to its future.