Home | News | Hydra Pools, Inc. Hires Nathan Bell As Purchasing Manager
Hydra Pools, Inc. has been making backyard dreams come true, since 1984! Hydra offers a complete line of Polymer Wall & Steel Wall Inground Swimming Pools. Hydra also specializes in replacement vinyl pool liners and swimming pool covers in all shapes and sizes! Hydra is pleased to welcome Nathan Bell as the new Purchasing Manager. Bell has worked in both government agencies and private industry and brings years of leadership and experience to Hydra Pools. Floor Vinyl Mat
Hydra Pools, Inc. is excited to name Bell as the new Purchasing Manager starting November 7, 2022.
Bell received his bachelor’s degree in Business from Bryan College in 2018. Bell proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012 where he received top secret security clearance, managed a crew while deployed in Afghanistan, and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement and Good Conduct Medals. Bell enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, hunting, fishing, and watching college sports.
Bell will be responsible for leading and facilitating the company’s purchasing strategy, supervising teams, and ensuring all processes aligns with the company’s standards and designations for work quality at Hydra Pools, Inc.
WE BUILD DREAMS For over 30 years we have turned dreams into reality for thousands of homeowners Hydra Pools, Inc. entered the in-ground swimming pool business in 1984. We began as a manufacturer of polymer pool products and braces. The following year we began manufacturing our own pool liners. At that time, we occupied a small office space apart from our manufacturing facilities. But growth has been steady over the past eighteen years and Hydra today is housed in a 120,000-square-foot dedicated facility with state-of-the-art equipment for designing and manufacturing our products.
Florida Swimming Pool Association Offers Tips on How to Prepare Your Pool for Hurricane Season
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Alise Everton has been working in the pool industry for the past decade and is an experienced press correspondent and contributor for numerous trade publications and web portals including PoolMagazine.com and PoolContractor.com among others. Contact her for guest posting opportunities, press releases, and pool equipment related news.
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Stadium Swim is an over-the-top luxury swimming pool sportsbook experience like no other.
Bradford Products has long been a manufacturer of stainless steel vessels. With a pedigree for producing world-class resort-style swimming pools and water features, the firm has long been the go-to source when it comes to high-end projects. The fact should come as no surprise that Bradford Products was firm behind the world-famous Stadium Swim, a massive swimming pool sports book located at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Recently, we had the opportunity to discuss the pool at greater length with Mike Sage, VP of Sales & Marketing for Bradford Products who gave us some insight into why Bradford was tapped for this particular project.
“The backbone of our company, and certainly the largest part of our business, is the Aquatic vertical,” said Sage, “that is what encompasses primarily all of the custom and commercial elevated stainless steel pool and spas. I think that’s probably what we’re most well-known for. That goes for anything that goes on top of an apartment building or a Las Vegas pool deck or any number of our other custom applications for swimming pools and spas around the world.”
With over 10,000 pool and spa installations worldwide, Sage said the project planners behind Circa didn’t have to look far to find Bradford Products. The firm has been responsible for many well-known resort swimming pools all over the world. In fact, they were involved in the collaboration of another high-end pool project in London that made headlines across the globe, (Sky Pool).
“We’ve got a lot of experience in Las Vegas working with most of the major resorts and casinos there having installed just a tremendous number of pools and decks,” said Sage. “For most of the major players out there, Circa was unique for a couple of different reasons. It’s located in the old downtown part of Las Vegas. It’s a much tighter environment down there, which in and of itself created some unique challenges in constructing that particular casino. Certainly, the pool presented some unique challenges.”
“When it came down to it, there really was no other choice in their mind but to work with us,” said Sage. For project planners, it made sense to choose Bradford Products. The Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Golden Nugget, Wynn, Encore, and Palms Casino are only a few of the commercial clients they have had the fortune to work with. Consequently, the 40-year-old firm’s reputation proceeds them in the market when it comes to resort swimming pools in Las Vegas.
“Ultimately why Bradford was chosen as the pool supplier there. I would say first and foremost, by far the primary reason was because of the actual orientation of the pool deck. Stadium Swim sits directly above the gaming floor of the casino. And that is the heart and soul and money generator for that casino,” explained Sage, “there had to be an absolute highest level and sense of security that these pools were not going to leak or eventually leak over time. So Bradford was chosen because of our ability to deliver a fully welded, fully guaranteed watertight, stainless steel pool that would be placed directly over the most critical part of the casino.”
“They needed the ability to get these pools up to the pool deck in some pretty tight environments, “said Sage, “they also needed an organization that had the ability to maximize the full section sizes for transportation including craning and rigging, but still doing it in a manner that was conducive to staying on construction schedules and fitting into some pretty tight spaces.”
While the project was a monumental undertaking, it’s all in a day’s work said Sage, who claims to be eager to tackle the next huge Las Vegas project that comes along. This project is just another feather in the cap for the firm as they continue to dominate when it comes to Las Vegas commercial work. The end results of the Stadium Swim clearly speak for themselves.
“It truly is a really unique design. There are six pools and they are tiered. So the closer pools are set at the lower elevation, and then the further away that you get from the television screens, the higher up the pools go. So it is truly a stadium seating experience and layout,” explained Sage.
“It’s also the first of its kind in that the pool deck also doubles as a sports book,” explained Sage, “there’s a massive wall of TVs that are broadcasting any number of sporting events. The pools and spas on the pool deck basically act as the seating for watching the action. I can tell you, it’s quite comfortable having been on the deck in the middle of August in Las Vegas. There’s no better place to sit than in Stadium Swim and enjoy the big game. That’s certainly what captures everybody’s attention, are the massive screens.”
We’re certainly intrigued by the project and it’s no wonder why Stadium Swim is rated #1 on our list of the Best Pools in Las Vegas. We’ll keep you updated with more great content about Stadium Swim when we visit it during our trip to the International Pool Spa Patio Expo in November.
Learn more about the history of Bradford Products, their involvement with the Sky Pool and Stadium Swim on the Pool Magazine podcast.
Photo Credits: Circa Resort & Casino Featured Photo Credit: Ryan Gobuty
(SARASOTA, Fla.) – As hurricane season continues, the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) looks to provide tips and information to prepare swimming pools safely in case of a storm.
There are many misconceptions about how to prepare your pool for a hurricane. Below are several important ways to ensure both public and private pools can be maintained safely throughout the inclement season.
Should I drain my pool? No, you should keep your pool water level maintained. The weight of the water in the pool helps hold the sides and bottom in place. This is especially important with rising water table levels during a storm.
Can I put my pool loungers into my pool so they won’t blow away? Yes, but you should not throw anything into your pool. Gently place items into your pool to avoid damaging your pool. Whenever possible bring your items inside instead. Additionally, you should never put any glass items into your pool.
What other things can I do to prepare my pool for an incoming storm? • Shock your pool. o You may lose power for an extended amount of time, so your pool should be ‘super chlorinated.’ This will help your pool’s water chemistry. • Turn off all power at the circuit breakers before a storm hits. o Any exposed electrical equipment such as motors for the pumps should be covered with plastic wrap or removed completely if flooding is expected.
Consumers who are seeking additional professional advice on storm preparation or who have additional questions can search for an FSPA member professional via the FSPA Membership Directory: www.FloridaPoolPro.com
Other hurricane safety tips for your pool can be found at: www.floridapoolpro.com/hurricane-pool-safety
The Florida Swimming Pool Association is a trade association for the pool and spa industry in Florida. There are approximately 750 member businesses in 16 Chapters across the state. Members are required to abide by a code of ethics and to be properly licensed and insured. FSPA provides the industry with access to continuing education courses, information on current trends and issues, and an arbitration program and government relations representation. FSPA is governed by a Board of Directors.
New state-of-the-art $250M trichlor facility reopens with significantly increased production flexibility and enhanced safety features, in readiness for 2023 pool season
LAKE CHARLES, La., November 2, 2022 –KIK Consumer Products (“KIK” or the “Company”), a global leader in pool, household cleaning, and automotive products, today marked the successful rebuilding of its subsidiary BioLab’s state-of-the-art trichlor production facility located in Westlake, Louisiana, outside of Lake Charles, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Senator Bill Cassidy, Congressman Clay Higgins, and Don Pierson, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development joined BioLab employees, retail partners, construction and other local partners including the Lake Charles Metal Trades Council, as well as other members of the community in the celebration of the event.
“Today marks a new beginning for BioLab and is the culmination of over 26 months of planning, engineering, construction, and commissioning,” said Jeff Schmitt, COO of KIK Consumer Products. “Our plant stands here today as a demonstration of the resiliency of our workforce and the people of Louisiana who have made this project possible. With the support of the people, businesses, and institutions across Lake Charles, including the Louisiana State Police and local fire department and law enforcement, we have delivered on our promise of rebuilding and reinvesting in the future of not only this facility – but the future of this community.”
Following the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Laura in 2020, the Company invested over $250 million in rebuilding and reopening its damaged facility. The new facility will employ nearly 80 high-paying, local union jobs and reflects BioLab’s commitment to building on its deep-rooted legacy in Louisiana, where it has operated for decades. Importantly, the facility is reconstructed with improved production flexibility, which will enable BioLab to more effectively meet the demand for pool cleaning products. The facility will also operate with numerous enhanced safety features, including improved structural ratings, an elevated control room and ride out shelter, and improved fire detection and extinguishing systems.
“We are delighted to reopen our BioLab facility in time to support the 2023 pool season and to meet our promise to the Lake Charles community to rebuild,” said Michael Sload, CEO of KIK Consumer Products. “Our thanks go to our valued stakeholders who have made this milestone possible – from our dedicated employees, to our trusted retail partners, to the entire community at large. We look forward to furthering our more than 40-year history in Lake Charles for years to come, bringing products to millions of American families that help keep their spas and swimming pools safe and clean.”
Don Brunette, BioLab’s Plant Manager, echoed this sentiment: “Our BioLab employees are excited to get back to work and honored to celebrate this moment together with all our stakeholders. We are pleased to be welcoming our team back to our newly rebuilt facility, which is one of the most advanced trichlor production facilities in the world and even stronger and safer than before.”
Since 1993, KIK has successfully grown from a single-plant operator in store-branded (private label) bleach to the leading North American independent marketer and manufacturer in household cleaning products and a global leader in pool and spa treatment and automotive products, with brands including BioGuard®, Clorox® Pool&Spa™ (under license), Prestone™, Spic and Span™, and Comet™. In entering these segments, KIK capitalized on an opportunity to leverage its core manufacturing and marketing competencies to drive scale in fragmented industries. KIK has transformed its businesses through a combination of organic growth initiatives and strategic add-on acquisitions and has continued to experience strong growth in all categories. For more information, visit www.kikcorp.com.
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