Jacuzzi and Sundance Receive ADEX Awards Two hot tub manufacturers, Jacuzzi and Sundance Spas, have been honored by the Awards for Design Excellence.
Jacuzzi won two honors for the J-495 hot tub, a 9-person hot tub with 62 jets, and the CLEARRAY Water Purification System, which utilizes an exclusive ultraviolet technology to clean water. Both products received the Platinum ADEX Award for innovation and design excellence.
“We are extremely honored to win these two prestigious awards,” said Tracine Marroquin, vice president of product marketing. “These awards are a reflection of our ongoing mission to produce innovative, high-quality products for consumers.”
Sundance Spas also took home ADEX awards for the Aspen, an 8-person model with 66 jets, and the Peyton, a 6-person spa with 35 jets. The hot tubs won a platinum and gold award respectively.
“We are thrilled to receive these two honors from such a well-known design awards program,” said Larry Ovalle, senior product manager of Sundance Spas.
Hosted by Design Journal, an international trade journal for interior designers, ADEX is the largest and most prestigious awards program for product and project design in the A&D industry. Each submission was judged by an anonymous panel of professionals representing a cross-section of the design industry.
Water Tech Corporation Adds to Sales TeamWater Tech Corp, the manufacturer of the Pool Blaster line of battery powered pool cleaners, is pleased to announce it has hired Lisa Olito as the company’s Southwest Pool & Spa Division Manager. Olito is responsible for sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. With many years of sales experience, Lisa offers sales and service support to pool professionals throughout the southwest region. Lisa can be reached at [email protected] or at (917) 673-1593.
Stoett Industries Expands OperationsStoett Industries, Inc., a custom manufacturer of pool enclosures, has moved into a 70,000 square foot facility in Hicksville, Ohio, doubling the square footage of its previous facility in Defiance, Ohio.
Because of increased growth, Stoett was bursting at the seams at its 30,000 square foot facility in Defiance. After searching for a larger facility that would fit its manufacturing processes, Stoett purchased the Hicksville facility to allow for more capacity. Chris Stover, Operations Manager, said, “The expanded space will allow Stoett to increase efficiency and house larger projects.” Stoett moved to the new location in early 2013, and began full operations May 15.
Website Takes Action to Prevent Drowning with Online VideosThe number one cause of unintentional death among children ages one to four is drowning. Drowning is the number two cause of death among children up to 14, and is 5th overall among Americans of all ages.
To help lower those numbers is Learn2Swim.org, a simple, user-friendly website that features instructional videos to teach children how to swim. In four concise video tutorials, parents can learn the basics of early-childhood swim instruction via four concise video tutorials.
The project began when Matt Giovanisci, creator of SwimUniversity.com, noticed something missing in the vast world of Internet pool care information — safety instruction. He partnered with Krissy Bartlett, professional swimming trainer at SwimKids Swim Schools and videographer Steven Donovan to film the videos.
The videos, under three minutes apiece, make a great resource for pool industry professionals to pass onto customers. See the videos here.
Senate Bill Impacts Independent ContractingCalifornia’s Spa and Pool Industry Education Council is keeping its eye on bill: SB 556.
Written by Senator Ellen Corbett, SB 556 purports to protect both workers and consumers by ensuring that people (or entities) that contract for labor or services are held liable for injury or damages for work performed under the contract.
However, SPEC sees a different outcome.
“SB 556 attempts to go directly to the top of the supply chain by holding employers liable for (1) willful and negligent acts of the contractor or contractor employees and (2) for contractor wage violations. This is problematic because by definition, independent contractors are ‘independent.’ Employers do not exercise direct control over independent contractors. Employers utilize independent contractors for many reasons, including, controlling and saving costs. Independent contractors provide employers the flexibility to operate their business effectively.
“SB 556 is not about protecting workers or consumers; it’s a subterfuge to eliminate the ability of employers to utilize independent contractors, a longstanding labor issue."
SPEC expects the bill will face increasing opposition. To learn more about the bill and other SPEC efforts, visit their website.
