From more than 200-plus North American entries, Pleatco, a cartridge filter manufacturing company in Glen Cove, N.Y., recently announced the 2011 winners of its fourth annual Perfect Pool Guy and Gal contest.
This year’s contest winners were Gil Serrano of Bay Area Pool Service in Florida and Jennifer Angevine of Gold Coast Swimming Pools in New York.
Serrano, who has become the go-to ‘service master’ in his area over the past 14 years and now trains service technicians on industry best practices, was shocked to learn how many people supported him throughout the contest.
Angevine, who has owned Gold Coast Swimming Pools for nearly 10 years and has been in the industry since she was old enough to accompany her father on service calls, was proud to be a part of the contest and to hold the 2011 title.
“Over the four years Pleatco has sponsored this contest, we’ve learned that being a professional pool or spa service technician is more than a job, it’s a passion,” said Pleatco’s chief operating officer, John Antretter. “Many homeowners treat their service ‘guy’ or ‘gal’ as part of the family; it’s a special relationship.
“A pool or spa is an integral part of a home; it’s a place for a family to share time together. Homeowners trust their service professional to keep their ‘backyard oasis’ safe.”
Both winners received a trip for two to the 2011 International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo (IPSPE) and a $5,000 continuing education scholarship from Genesis 3 Design Group. They will also be featured in Pleatco’s nationwide followup ad campaign.
The contest has grown significantly since it was first launched in 2008 and the talent pool has become much larger. As such, Pleatco handed out six additional awards this year to selected contestants based on their contributions to their community and the pool and spa industry. Fourteen finalists were also named, including Ryan Landriault of In Hot Water Spas in Airdrie, Alta.
