Bethany Branscum

For decades, Latham has helped shape the swimming pool industry, growing from a regional pool company into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of in-ground residential pools and backyard products. As the company marks its 70th anniversary, the milestone offers a chance to look at not only its evolution but also how the role of the backyard pool has changed alongside American homeowners.

Anyone who has worked in pool service long enough has probably experienced it: A customer notices damage, staining or another issue and immediately assumes the water chemistry is to blame — and that the service company is responsible. In reality, these situations are often far more complicated, involving everything from improper homeowner maintenance to equipment failures, environmental factors or preexisting conditions.

Eight years later, Wang boasts nearly 4 million followers across his Instagram and TikTok accounts, where he posts pool transformations, time lapses and project walkthroughs. For Wang, principal and CEO of Danny Wang Design in Orange County, California, posting projects to social media quickly became part of the business itself. Homeowners could see his design style, follow project progress and reach out directly online. “I started just posting my work,” Wang says.