The Association des commerçants de piscines du Québec (ACPQ) unveiled the names of the winning businesses and industry professionals during its 18th ‘Excellence Gala’ in November.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Yannick Marjot, a well-known Montreal animator, director and producer, was held at the Sheraton Laval and Congress Centre. Approximately 270 pool and spa industry professionals were in attendance.
“For the ACPQ, it is paramount to recognize the outstanding performance of industry retailers, as well as those in manufacturing, maintenance, and service. These businesses contribute to the vitality of our economy and communities,” said Nicolas Guillotte, the chairman of the ACPQ executive board and president and founder of Piscines et Spas POSEIDON. “I congratulate all participating businesses for their exceptional and creative achievements.”
As part of the 2016 ‘Win your Pool or Spa’ contest, 10 businesses and professionals were nominated by consumers. In addition to the opportunity to win a refund of their purchase, those consumers (who evaluated their overall buying experience) helped the industry recognize the most successful businesses among the ACPQ’s retail members.
Retailers of the year
- Piscine Hippocampe, Delson, Que., IPG Canada (above-ground pools)
- Piscines Classic, Victoriaville, Que., IPG Canada (inground pools)
- Spas 4 Saisons Inc., Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., independent store (spas)
Vendors of the year
- Joyce Charland, Piscines Classic, Victoriaville, Que., IPG Canada (above-ground pools)
- Daniel Castonguay, Piscine Hippocampe, Delson, Que., IPG Canada (inground pools)
- Sales team, Spas 4 Saisons Inc., Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., independent store (spas)
Installers of the year
- Luc Gagnon, Piscines Pro, Alma, Que., IPG Canada (above-ground pools)
- Sylvain Déziel, Piscine Hippocampe, Delson, Que., IPG Canada (inground pools)
- Installer team, Spas 4 Saisons Inc., Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., independent store (spas)
Home pool and spa safety retailer of the year
- Piscines Pro, Alma, Que., IPG Canada (inground, above-ground pools, and spas)
Retailer and service companies were also invited to enter their top projects in one of seven categories for the chance to win a ‘Pool and Spa Achievement of the Year’ award from the ACPQ. The selection criteria focused on the project design, construction method, complexity, creativity, quality, terrain adaptation, and the landscape design. This year’s selection committee comprised Emmanuel Amadio, consultant for Watertec, Nicolas Guillotte, president and founder of Piscines et Spas POSEIDON, and Stéphane Tourangeau, vice-president of operations at Toile Soleil. The winners included:
- Piscines Ste-Marie Inc., Ste-Marie Beauce, Que. (inground pool 60,000 L [15,850 gal] or less)
- Piscines Classic, Victoriaville, Que. (inground pool 61,000 L [16,114 gal] or more)
- Piscines Classic, Victoriaville, Que. (above-ground pool)
- Piscines Soucy Inc., Ville de Québec, Que. (commercial aquatic installations)
- Piscines Soucy Inc., Ville de Québec, Que. (renovation project)
- Piscines Soucy Inc., Ville de Québec, Que. (mechanical rooms)
- Béton Décorum Inc., Magog, Que. (spas)
Finally, manufacturers and distributer that exhibited at the 24th Salon Splash show were also invited to present their best-selling products in 2016 or their top products projected for 2017. Show attendees voted for the winners.
2016 Favourite Product of the Year
- BioGuard Pool Complete (a weekly water maintenance product) by BioGuard
2017 Novelty of the Year
- The Royal Entrance II / La Marche Royale II (for above-ground pools) by Lumi-O | Innovaplas
2016 Supplier of the Year
- Sani Marc Pool and Spa
