S.R.Smith, Canby-based world leader in the manufacture of pool deck, lighting and accessibility equipment, has been recognized by the industry for a new product allowing top-flight aquatic centers to make the best use of their facilities.
S.R.Smith was founded in Canby in 1932 and still houses its corporate headquarters here, while also maintaining manufacturing and other operations in Tennessee, Arizona and Australia and a sales office in Burgundy, France.
The awards were handed down at the United Kingdom Pool and Spa Awards held virtually in December, where S.R.Smith’s application of its SwimWall System at the University of Bath was awarded the Gold Standard for Pool Product of the Year and Silver Standard for Commercial Pool Project of the Year.
The University of Bath was looking for ways to increase flexibility and revenue for the London 2012 Legacy Pool.
One of the U.K.’s busiest sports centers, the 50m Legacy Pool is home to the British Swimming National Training Centre and training base for the Olympic-caliber athletes of Pentathlon GB, while also hosting nine community swimming clubs and five student organizations. As if that weren’t enough, the pool is open to students and the general public.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the pool hosted more than 310,000 visitors each year.
“This project was initiated by the coaching staff who were tired of wasting time with setup and dismantle of the dated turn panels as well as the swimmer’s inability to properly train for short course and interval sprints,” a press release from S.R.Smith said.
The S.R.Smith SwimWall, which essentially silos off different sections of the pool as needed, allowed the university to accommodate multiple uses at the same time without permanently affecting the pool’s structure or limiting their ability to serve the British Swimming Elite Programme.
“They found that the S.R.Smith SwimWall System provided a solution to their problems,” the company said. “The SwimWall allows coaches to increase training time and overall pool utilization by running mixed programs concurrently.”
Stephen Baddeley, director of sport at the University of Bath, said the school was “delighted” with the Canby company’s innovation.
“My staff delights in the ease and speed with which they are raised and lowered, while the flexibility created by being able to divide our pool into 16 — rather than eight — separate lanes has improved our customer offer and been particularly useful during these Covid-constrained times,” said Baddeley.
At the most recent Canby City Council meeting, Mayor Brian Hodson took time to congratulate S.R.Smith for its innovation and success.
“Before the pandemic, back when I could travel, I always made a point at hotels and whatnot to look for the S.R.Smith logo on railings and dive boards,” Hodson joked. “I’d point that out to people and they thought I was a nerd, but I get excited seeing Canby businesses being used around the country and internationally.”
Hodson and Councilor Greg Parker noted that S.R.Smith has also been a generous supporter of the Canby Swim Center and thanked the company for its community partnership.
