Kyle Erwin, 39
Vice president of sales
Las Vegas, Nevada
Kyle Erwin’s career in the pool industry began while in college, building pools for his family’s company, Hawaiian Pools and Landscape, in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduation, he transitioned into retail management and sales with the same company. A brief detour into the insurance world didn’t last long — Erwin found his way back to aquatics with Zodiac Pool Systems (now Fluidra), serving as a territory sales manager in the Atlanta market. Seven years ago, he joined United Aqua Group, where he now serves as vice president of sales.
What keeps Erwin motivated at UAG is its unique model. “Our wealth-building program can make a profound impact on our members’ lives,” Erwin says. “It is a place to share ideas and best practices and is a way to help everyone improve.” The opportunity to collaborate with successful peers and learn from their experiences has been especially rewarding.
One of Erwin’s proudest moments came at UAG’s Annual Conference earlier this year, where members celebrated operational improvements, a new financial partnership and a renewed sense of excitement. Seeing photos, videos and smiles from attendees confirmed the positive impact of his team’s efforts.
His most difficult career moment came during the pandemic, when UAG was hit by a ransomware attack at the busiest time of year. “We faced a huge uphill battle to clean up our outstanding orders and receivables and help our members/customers get the products they needed to keep their business moving forward,” Erwin says. With persistence and loyal members who worked alongside them, UAG not only overcame the crisis but also automated key systems to create a stronger foundation. “It was a significant time of growth for my career,” he says. “It is one I would rather not relive but certainly learned from.”
Erwin hopes to broaden the talent pipeline for the industry by attracting nontraditional candidates and raising awareness of career opportunities in aquatics. He also advocates for greater adoption of technology. “There is a huge opportunity for pool businesses to gain efficiency, improve margins and deliver better customer experiences through smarter use of tools and tech,” he says. His goal is to help leave the industry more collaborative and forward-thinking than when he started.
Erwin is also a proud husband of 15 years and father of three children who excel in music, theater and academics. Family life keeps him busy, but he still enjoys grilling by the pool, the occasional round of golf and cheering on the University of Kentucky basketball team. “I will travel anywhere and everywhere to watch the Cats,” he says.
