The Pond Professional Receives 2010 Best of Woodstock Award

Posted on: 10/28/2010 1:53 PM    Posted by: Gloria
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pond Professional Receives 2010 Best of Woodstock Award U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement NEW YORK, NY, October 21, 2010 -- Pond Professional has been selected for the 2010 Best of Woodstock Award in the Ponds & Pond Supplies category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties. About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America. SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association CONTACT: U.S. Commerce Association Email: PublicRelations@uscaaward.com URL: http://www.uscaaward.com

Ponditat™ For Humanity 2010
Posted on: 5/31/2010 0:33 PM    Posted by: Gloria
IPPCA Top Guns in Lincoln , Nebraska
On June 24, 2010 the IPPCA Top Guns will converge on Lincoln , Nebraska to rework an existing pond at the New Covenant Church at the fifth annual Ponditat™ for Humanity event hosted by the IPPCA. IPPCA Contractor members who attend this event, known as Top Guns, will add bog filtration along with a face lift and a waterfall. The existing pond was built by a local congregational member and business owner several years ago to greet the congregation as it enters the facilities for worship services. Work will also be done, time permitted, on another pond-less water feature on the premises that is leaking badly.

IPaWGS member (the hobbyist side of IPPCA), Danny Keelan, member of the New Covenant Church, nominated his church for the Ponditat For Humanity 2010 project. IPPCA President Rocke’ Huntington is also an IPaWGS member and assists Mr. Keelan from time to time on his personal pond. Both gentlemen were picked by Ponds USA as Midwest Pond Contractors in January, 2007. Rocke’ agrees that the New Covenant Church was a great choice for the 2010 Ponditat For Humanity recipient, as it is in dire need of filtration and a face lift.

The New Covenant Church helps the community with their many services such as Celebrate Recovery, Community Corrections Ministry, Royal Family Kid’s Camp, Step Out and Serve (SOS) and We Love Lincoln Outreach.

On Thursday, June 24 IPPCA Top Guns will begin the revitalization of the New Covenant Church pond and will finish up the project on Saturday, June 26. The IPPCA has once again negotiated a lower than normal room rate for all IPPCA Top Gun Attendees. Please contact IPPCA for the special code to book your room in the IPPCA block. All rooms must be booked by June 12, 2010 to receive the special discount.

The Pond Professional receives 2009 Best of Woodstock Award
Posted on: 11/18/2009 9:00 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pond Professional Receives 2009 Best of Woodstock Award U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Pond Professional has been selected for the 2009 Best of Woodstock Award in the Ponds & Pond Supplies category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties. About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America. SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association CONTACT: U.S. Commerce Association Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org URL: http://www.us-ca.org ### Source

Add-On Biz: Water features
Posted on: 11/16/2009 9:55 AM    Posted by: Gloria
The sound of gently splashing water delights a growing number of residential landscape customers. Landscape contractors are well aware of this. They're cashing in on this growing market segment by designing and installing decorative ponds and streams. For the consumer this has turned out to be both good and bad news. Pond associations offer services While the technical details of installing these features shouldn't challenge the experienced and detail-oriented landscape contractor, the question of whether a contractor should offer the service at all may hinge on the question of their commitment to ongoing support and maintenance. Will the pond builder be willing to provide ongoing customer support, which often requires special knowledge of aquatic ecosystems? Will he be available as a resource for the questions that the homeowner/client will have about pond care? Dave Jones, co-owner along with wife Gloria of The Pond Professional, Woodstock, GA, claims that too many contractors are building landscape ponds that will fail, usually within the first year after installation. The majority of the failures are due to careless or inexperienced installations, he says. In most cases, the contractors are off to the next job and the frustrated homeowner ends up having to seek help elsewhere. This inattention to detail and follow-up has created a strong demand for the services offered by the Jones' company. They now spend most of their time repairing, renovating and maintaining ponds, a big change from several years ago when most of their company's revenue came from designing and installing water features. "Installing a beautiful, healthy pond is not just a matter of digging a hole and putting a liner in it," says Jones, who founded the International Professional Pond Contractors Association (IPPCA) several years ago to raise standards within the pond building segment of the landscape industry. (For more information visit http://www.ippca.com/.)

Obviously, any contractor considering designing and installing landscape water features should assess their ability to please the customer, including providing ongoing maintenance and customer support. Yes, a properly designed and constructed landscape water feature requires little maintenance apart from checkups and periodic cleanups. But it will require maintenance. "The landscape contractor needs to understand that he needs the same understanding of the functions of the aquatic environment as he does of soils and all the factors that influence the health of landscape plants," says Jones.

Pond Industry Pioneers Make a Difference
Posted on: 11/15/2009 1:14 PM    Posted by: Gloria
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Water Garden News, the magazine featured 10 expert-recommended pond and water garden industry pioneers (slideshow) in the April issue. With so many individuals deserving recognition, the editors continued the list here. *Note: Names appear alphabetically. •Anthony Archer-Wills placed rocks using techniques that inspired pond builders and designers nation-wide. •Roseanne Conrad, former publisher of Pond-Keeper magazine. She produces Pondapalooza National Pond Expo & Conference through Garden Pond Promotions Inc. •Joe Decker, a water feature contractor in New Jersey who invented the pond skimmer and inspired Greg Wittstock, of Aquascape Inc., to distribute it on a large scale. •David B. Duensing & Associates, a group of water feature designers and landscape architects that changed the way water integrates into the environment. •Laurence Gedye (deceased), an Australian who was one of the first to attach a pump to a filter and was a prolific waterlily hybridizer. •Robert “Bob” Heideman founded Aquatic Eco-Systems Inc., one of the largest sources of aquatic products and systems worldwide, boasting 13,000 products for ponds, aquariums and aquaculture in tis annual “Master Catalog.” •Barre Hellquist, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, is one of the world’s experts on aquatic plants. •Bill Heritage is an Englishman who promoted using a flexible liner more than 20 years ago. He also wrote “Ponds and Water Gardens” (Poole, 1981). •Rocke Huntington, International Professional Pond Contractors Association president, helped launch the organization. •Eric Johnson, DVM, a leading authority on koi health. •Dave A. Jones, International Professional Pond Contractors Association chairman of the board and president of The Pond Professional, continually works to establish uniform pond-building standards for the industry. •Ron Malone, Ph.D., inventor of the bubble-bead filter. His work in the aquaculture industry largely affected the water garden industry. •Brad McLane, owner of Florida Aquatic Nurseries, is a hybridizer and leading producer of aquatic plants. •Kip Northrup, president of Blue Thumb Distributing, shook up the way pond products were distributed in the industry by acting as middleman between the pond owner and the contractor. Contractors gave pond owners Blue Thumb’s catalog, homeowners ordered direct from Blue Thumb and contractors received a commission check from the sales. •Ben Plonski, owner of Matala USA and Laguna Koi Ponds, developed innovative filter media and changed koi pond filtration. •Craig Presnell, with Luster Aquatic Nursery, is a hybridizer and leading producer of aquatic plants. •Herb Simmons introduced koi pellets as a reliable diet for pond fish. •Greg and Sue Speichert founded Water Gardening magazine and American Water Garden Society. They popularized water garden plants through Crystal Palace Perennials, their Indiana nursery. •Deb Spenser and Susan Davis of Water’s Edge continually push the envelope when it comes to selling the pond hobby. Their pond designs, retail displays and merchandising ideas have inspired hobbyists as well as fellow retailers. •Kirk Strawn, Ph.D., (deceased) was a founding member of International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society and a premier hybridizer of hardy waterlilies and irises. •Charles Thomas, former president of Lilypons Water Gardens, was a founding member of International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society. •Eric Triplett, owner of Exotic Aquatics in Redlands, Calif., has worked to unify the water garden and koi pond industries. •Peter Malcolm Waddington, a British koi enthusiast who wrote “Koi Kichi” (Gardners Books, 1999) and co-wrote “Koi 2 Kichi” (Nishikigoi International Ltd., 2005), impacted the U.S. koi market by introducing the hobby to laymen in an approachable and humorous way. •Slearmlarp “Sam” Wasuwat, Ph.D., of Thailand transfused Asian ideas and influences into the North American water gardening scene.

Source


Swimming Ponds
Posted on: 11/15/2009 1:10 PM    Posted by: Gloria
Youre taking potential customers to one of your clients homes to show them an example of the type of work you do. Youve made arrangements with your client and received their permission to show off your skills. As youre walking through the backyard gate, your potential customers suddenly stop and look around with an expression youre now familiar with, and you smile to yourself. Youve been there before. Your potential customers are frozen in their tracks; theres a look of awe and amazement like theyve been magically whisked to another part of the planet. What theyre seeing is a swimming pond paradise complete with fish, birds and water lilies everywhere that your company installed last month. Children are swimming, diving and frolicking in the pristine-appearing crystal-clear water that, you make a point to inform them with pride, is chemical- free. There is even a family of colorful wood ducks that have made this body of water their home. Your potential new customers are blown away by the overall impact. Another five- or sixdigit saleslam dunkwhat more could you ask for? This must be the key to the mint. In case youre not familiar with the term swimming pond, or how it differs from a swimming pool, here it is. On the surface, a swimming pond will look like a natural garden pond, but its whats below thats different. It is made up of two zonesa deep swimming area and a shallower surrounding area with plants chosen to purify the water. Where a swimming pool utilizes chemicals to kill bacteria, a swimming pond relies on natures ecological balance. As a full-time professional pond builder, Ive watched with acute interest the marketing trend of swimming ponds. With a footprint the size of an Olympic- sized pool and a price tag to go with it, what an appealing thought to a man who makes his paycheck building ponds. I wear two hats: one is that of a businessman, and I say that tongue-in-cheek, because Im a contractor who builds ponds. As you know, many contractors, although excellent artisans, are not very good businessmen. However, when I see an opportunity to have happy clients and increase the volume of my business, Im all ears. The other hat that I wear is that of executive director and chairman of the board of the International Professional Pond Contractors Association (IPPCA). In this capacity, I want to make sure pond contractors are not overstepping their bounds by entering into the swimming pool market. I felt it behooved me to find out more about this marketing trend, and to see if it could potentially benefit myself and fellow members of the IPPCA. As a result, Ive looked at a lot of information and websites over the last several months, and have talked with many authorities in various municipal, state and federal agencies, along with pool and pond industry pros as well. Ive got to tell you, on the surface, this initially looks like a great idea. Big bucks, fairly quick turnaround on the projects, and they photograph real well, too. It looked like a no-brainer. So why did I get this nervous feeling that something isnt quite right here? While conference-calling with a prominent international pond supply companys president and his independent Canadian consultant on this subject, (they are currently promoting swim pond kits as well as swim pond certification classes) I heard some troubling statements that I have researched and drawn my own conclusions from. Some of the statements made to me were along the lines of ...in most parts of the U.S., there arent any rules on swim ponds, or These ponds are extremely popular in Europe, weve had great success with them there. How about, We dont need to worry about codes on submersible pumps, were using 12-volt, and We realize that the water is colder in Europe and Canada, but weve modified the design to take warmer water into consideration. Also No, we actually dont have any in the Southern states, but were confident it should work, or Theyre very popular in British Columbia, and weve had no problems with them there. What about, Well, weve actually built three nationwide in the last three years, but were confident the trend is growing. By the time I got done with that one twenty-minute call, plus a twoday email correspondence with another group, I had warning sirens and red flags going off in my head to rival a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza. One of the first things I did was download a copy of my local swimming pool regulations, obtaining a copy of the national standards as well. If people are going to swim in this thing, its going to have to be safe, right? I also received a set of EU (European Union) standards, but unfortunately they did me no good, as private pools there arent required to be permitted. They only regulate public bathing and beach areas. Now, Im not currently licensed as a swimming pool contractor. Im licensed as a general contractor. As a general contractor, I can build a swimming pool as long as I secure and follow the conventional permit and health department protocols. A landscape contractor can probably get away with the permits, but his insurance carrier will throw a fit when they find out he built a pool. (My GL [general liability] carrier had a fit when I showed him pictures of a stone walking bridge that I built for a customer, and he was emphatic that I needed to talk to him before I ever did another one). Its a higher degree of liability. To get back to the point, there are more than 50 pages in the National Spa and Pool Building Standards book. They are all there for one reason: for the safety of humans that will be interacting with the pool and its water. Trying to circumvent or ignore these codes may happen for a short while, but it will catch up to you with a vengeance. When you look at building a swimming pond from the aspect of human safety rather than profit margins based on speculative marketing reports, some interesting things start to become self-evident. Our pond skimmers arent approved (290-57-.11) Surface Skimmers. (Among many other specifications Surface skimming devices shall comply with NSF [National Safety Federation] International Standard 50]. Any submersible pond pumps arent safe for human exposure. Our pond filters arent approved for pools. At best, theyre modified pool filters now designed to host colonies of bacteria to break down organics, and at worst have never been tested or rated by either the NSF, UL or ANSI. When you get to the appendix section of the pool and spa code book, some other interesting (I feel insurmountable) challenges appear. There can be no algae visible in a poolits a safety issue. There can be no bacteria in a pool (as a side note, E. coli bacterium doubles its population every twenty minutes in an organic-rich environment like a pond.) Its not considered safe to have any bacteria in a swimming environment. So much for natural bacteriological filtration. The nationally recognized U.S. code recommendations for both algae and bacteria, if found in a swimming environment, is to shock with disinfectant chemicals and increase daily dosage of disinfectant chemicals supplemented with brushing and vacuuming. So much for plants and fish. The slopes and pitches of pool walls and bottoms have to be carefully sculpted for a reason: human safety. When was the last time you successfully walked across a bare liner pond without slipping and sliding, and more than likely taking an unwanted bath? Do you relish the feel of algae (and who knows what else) squishing between your toes? Kind of hard to sell the reality versus the fantasy, isnt it? Do you notice that I am using the term pool rather than pond? See how theyre getting blurred and mixed up as one and the same in your mind? What do you suppose regulators and legislators are going to do? Lump them all in together with the toughest regulations governing them all, thats what theyll do. (See: Davis County, California; all water features, including Koi ponds by name, are regulated and defined as swimming pools.) As a conventional swimming pool, a pond is a big failure. As a conventional pond, a swimming pool is a big failure. They each have a specific purpose and set of goals that they are clearly designed to achieve. I suggest that it is self-evident that we keep them as separate entities and not try to blur the definitions of each. I cant think of a faster way to get landscaping ponds regulated out of existence than to have them get lumped in with swimming pool codes after some accident involving someones loved one in a pond built intentionally for swimming. Well all be happier in the long run without the new rules and regulations that are confusing to begin with. I think youll agree after careful consideration, a downright misleading marketing term like swimming pond is sure to affect the green industry. I have built many family friendly ponds, designed for the possibility of occasional intimate interaction with pets or people, but when you put it all together with safety and responsibility as the main criteria rather than questionable marketing and dubious profitability, swimming ponds really just dont add up the way theyre being promoted. I do want to make it perfectly clear that the opinions expressed in this article are my personal ones. I am not speaking for any group or entity. Source

When the Going Gets Tough
Posted on: 11/15/2009 1:08 PM    Posted by: Gloria
the Tough get Smart...Resourceful Smart These are tough times we’re going through, especially in the pond and waterscape industry. Many of us have never gone through a period like this before. I hear many contractors talking about recession, depression, economic downturn, stalled economy and, quite frankly, it can be depressing if you let it get to you. But there is also opportunity. These are the times that Americans have traditionally excelled in. Turning adversity into creative prosperity and profitability— that’s the American tradition, or at least it has been in times past. Have we lost our creativity? Has the prosperity gone on for so long that we’ve lost our ability to be creative, innovative and thrive on the challenges rather than bemoan the end of the gravy train? Has our national motto become, “I spend eight hours a day here; you want me to work, too?” (Or should I use the word ‘think’ in lieu of work?) The one inevitable fact of life is change. Not promulgated as a political campaign slogan which isn’t real, change is the real fact of life. You have to adapt and overcome or get run over and left to wither on the vine. There are opportunities; however, they’re not going to come to you. You’re going to have to learn how to market yourself and your company and get out and show your clients opportunities for them to save energy and money. But before we get to that, we need to do some self-examination. How many of you have added creative marketing to your portfolio? Have you developed better job knowledge and work skills in the last year? The last five years? The last decade? How many of you have taken courses, attended seminars and/or workshops about any new development(s) in our market, or even better yet, one closely related? Have you attended any “Resource Smart” contractor-oriented seminars? When was the last time you looked around to see if that “hot” product you started using in 1999 (and are still using) isn’t now considered substandard by the rest of the industry in the here and now? Asking yourself these questions periodically will make you stay up to speed. There is an old saying, “Nothing stands still. If you don’t progress, you will regress.” Keeping up with the latest developments will afford you the opportunity to do a better job marketing. In these times, we need to stay afloat. There are a number of ways to do that, including diversifying into other areas like low-voltage lighting, or just adding additional services. If you were a hair stylist, wouldn’t adding manicures and pedicures to your business model be a no-brainer? I have stated many times over the course of my career as a general contractor that the need to diversify my business very strongly resembles that of a gold mine. We start off following a valuable and producing vein of gold. As we dug deeper and time passed, we would occasionally run across a divergent vein and we would h ave to decide whether to follow the new producing vein until it ran out or thinned down, or continue to follow the original . We always know that those other veins (thoughts, skills and diversity) are laying there, waiting for us to go back to and follow if this one died out or no longer produced enough to be worth pursuing. How many o f those “diversity veins” have you banked away for a rainy day? Perhaps many of you in the pond and waterscape industry have diversity and options you haven’t considered. With today’s society falling in love with ‘green,’ promoting environmentally responsible behavior is good for business. These opportunities have never been greater. Quit watching and listening to the doom and gloom mongers selling fear on the airwaves, and engage that good old American brain that God gave you. When was the last time you sent out a newsletter to your customer base explaining to them about new and fantastic improvements in the industry’s equipment? When was the last time you tried selling upgrades and retrofits? Your totally justifiable reasons for promoting and suggesting these upgrades and retro-fits will be: improved efficiency, lower power bills, better water quality and resource stewardship responsibility. Less consumption of valuable resources is just “resource smart.” You can also explain to your clients that you can install shut-off valves on auto-fills so that they only turn the auto-fill on when a top-off is needed. This will be a great way to spot any leaks that would otherwise very possibly go unnoticed. In addition, it is just plain responsible stewardship of our finite water resources. Have you considered or thought about discussing with your customers the idea of converting highvolume, not so efficient submersible pumps with more energyefficient mag drive or external pumps? Many times, the power consumption savings can be amortized out in as little as eight to ten months and justify a very large equipment upgrade. We did $35,000 worth of nothing but this style of upgrade in ’08 alone and we were in a level IV drought on top of a socalled “slow” economy in the Atlanta market. How about upgrading to and replacing current conventional halogen low-voltage lighting with LED lighting? The power consumption reduction is staggering. How many of your customers have a traditional Koi pond and do 10 to 15 percent weekly water change to lower the nitrate level in their pond to keep it sub- toxic? Wouldn’t an upgrade to a properly designed Bog filter (see www.Bogfiltration .com) or adding an additional dedicated plant pond to their system make economic sense? You would use these nutrients up onsite and stop the waste of water. One of the biggest no-brainers out there is joining a buying group to save on equipment purchases. When times are good and the contracts are stacking up, it’s too easy to get complacent. It’s amazing how after the belt has cinched up a couple of notches that this practicen ow starts to make more sense. I know for a fact (because my company offers membe r di s - counts to IPPCA members, along wi t h s e v e r a l other members’ companies as well, on a broad range of pond-related products. I know of a number of participating contractor members who have already saved more than $38,000 in the first half of 2009. One member saved over $4,400 on just one job! How much sense does it make to you to add another 10 percent or so to your bottom line? And these are name-brand products you’re already buying anyway. No-brainer, right? Are you doing it? There is no time like the present to get out of a good times-created rut and explore new and exciting options to business and profit. Yes, you may actually have to think about it some, but you may be able to release that death grip on your checkbook and start to smile again, very likely quicker than you may have thought possible. For those of you who made it all the way through to the end of this article, did you notice the unusual amount of questions? They were put there for a reason: Do you have personally acceptable answers to all of them? If not, maybe it’s time the tough got smart. Source

ABC covers Ponditat For Humanity ‘09
Posted on: 7/2/2009 0:59 PM    Posted by: Gloria
ABC covers Ponditat For Humanity ‘09 This past weekend saw the IPPCA and close to a dozen of its Topgun Contractor Members from all over the country completing the fourth annual humanitarian Ponditat For Humanity™ Pond Renovation project in Lexington, Kentucky. Contractors from as far as New York, Nebraska, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and California were present at the event. Local ABC Channel 36 covered the event on both the first and last day while this $20,000.00 estimated value project was done. This year’s recipient, The Ashland Terrace retirement home in Lexington, Kentucky had their failing and leaking high maintenance water feature totally rebuilt, updated and expanded with state of the art equipment. IPPCA supporters and members such as Danner Manufacturing, Firestone Specialty Products, Easy Pro Manufacturing, Atlantic Water Gardens, American Pond, Graystone Creations, Aquatic Logic, Winston Products, Aqua Control, Ewing Irrigation, Fielding Pumps, Enviroscapes, and the Dow Chemical Company graciously supplied all the hardware and equipment for this unique event. Local suppliers H2O Designs and Tracy Rock and Gravel supplied additional materials as well. Some of the meals for attendees were supplied by Ashland Terrace, but several area restaurants wished to contribute as well. Taco Bell and Texas Roadhouse as well as the smoked, whole hog roast donated by local farmer Tim Ellis on Saturday to cap the event were all donated and was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all who attended. A special thank you to the Courtyard Marriot for the discounted rooms for these hard working contractors. The Pond’s current aquatic residents were temporarily housed on site in several large aerated tanks until the three day scheduled build was completed by noon on Saturday, the 27th and could be returned to their new and vastly improved and enlarged home, complete with a large cave. The eight large Koi and close to three dozen Goldfish went immediately into explore and appreciation mode when returned to their new pond. Local Lexington, Kentucky ABC affiliate Channel 36 actually captured and aired footage of goldfish jumping and swimming up the last waterfall and stream area entering the pond, as well as considerable footage of the actual construction underway. The station aired coverage at their noon broadcast on day one, Thursday, with a follow up Saturday night on all three broadcasts at 6, 10 and 11. Thank you for the great coverage yet again by ABC and its local affiliates, making it 4 out of 4 years for televised and major media coverage of these events.

The Pond Professional Donates Time and Expertise
Posted on: 6/5/2009 3:28 PM    Posted by: Gloria
Build a Memorial Pond for Kadin Wilson Kadin Wilson was a kindergarten student at Bascomb Elementary in Woodstock, Georgia. He was the son of Michael O’Dea and Chandra Blackwell and Step father Stacy Blackwell. He was a Special Needs student with Cerebral Palsy and Cortical Visual Impairment. He was in Mrs. Candis Novaks’s class with the support of Sheryl Hendry and Beth Glaubitz. He was a joy to be around and was loved by all that knew him. On the morning of February 22nd Kadin had a seizure and passed away. His family will miss him greatly. Please join us in building a memorial pond for Kadin at the home of his parents at 1531 Oakmont Drive in Acworth Georgia on June 8, 2009 at 8:00 AM. We will teach you the proper way to install a pond while doing a very nice thing for Kadin’s family. Dave and Gloria will help Ken Hendry with Hendry & Associates install this pond for Kadin's family on Monday, June 8, 2009.

Certified Wildlife Ponditat
Posted on: 5/20/2009 3:00 PM    Posted by: Gloria
CERTIFIED WILDLIFE PONDITAT™ Program Launched by IPaWGS Over two years in the making, the International Pond and Water Garden Society (IPaWGS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program. The two fold focus of the program is to first and foremost Promote and Protect our vital Water resources and secondly to protect and preserve the Wildlife that Waterscapes and Ponds automatically encourage to thrive. The Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program is extremely simple and loaded with goodies for applying hobbyists. For a small registration fee, applicants will receive a year’s membership in IPaWGS, gift packages from supporting Corporate Members of the Association as well as an in-door frame-able certificate and an outdoor plague suitable for mounting announcing the fact that this area is a “Certified Wildlife Ponditat” by the International Pond and Water Garden Society (IPaWGS). The Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program has met with overwhelming and literally unanimous support and enthusiasm by IPPCA members as well. The IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors Association) launched the hobbyist branch of its Association (IPaWGS) last summer and has since received enthusiastic support by both hobbyists and industry professionals. “The synergy created by these two groups is a win-win for both hobbyists and professionals” stated IPPCA Executive Director, Dave Jones. More information will be available online in the very near future at www.WildlifePonditat.com including an online application.

Atlanta Koi Club Pond Tour
Posted on: 5/20/2009 2:58 PM    Posted by: Gloria
Atlanta Koi Club is sponsoring a Pond Tour, May 30 and 31 in the Woodstock, Acworth and Marietta area. June 6 & 7 in the Atlanta to Gainesville area. Come join the fun only $25.00 per vehicle. Booklets can be purchased at Kol Koi, Kennesaw, Stone Forest Materials, Kennesaw, Splendor Koi & Pond, Marietta, or The Pond Professional, Woodstock, or online at http://www.thepondprofessional.com. For more information contact Gloria Jones at 770-592-2273.

CERTIFIED WILDLIFE PONDITAT™ Program Launched by IPaWGS
Posted on: 5/15/2009 9:29 PM    Posted by: Gloria
CERTIFIED WILDLIFE PONDITAT™ Program Launched by IPaWGS Over two years in the making, the International Pond and Water Garden Society (IPaWGS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program. The two fold focus of the program is to first and foremost Promote and Protect our vital Water resources and secondly to protect and preserve the Wildlife that Waterscapes and Ponds automatically encourage to thrive. The Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program is extremely simple and loaded with goodies for applying hobbyists. For a small registration fee, applicants will receive a year’s membership in IPaWGS, gift packages from supporting Corporate Members of the Association as well as an in-door frame-able certificate and an outdoor plague suitable for mounting announcing the fact that this area is a “Certified Wildlife Ponditat” by the International Pond and Water Garden Society (IPaWGS). The Certified Wildlife Ponditat™ program has met with overwhelming and literally unanimous support and enthusiasm by IPPCA members as well. The IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors Association) launched the hobbyist branch of its Association (IPaWGS) last summer and has since received enthusiastic support by both hobbyists and industry professionals. “The synergy created by these two groups is a win-win for both hobbyists and professionals” stated IPPCA Executive Director, Dave Jones. More information will be available online in the very near future at www.WildlifePonditat.com including an online application.

2009 Ponditat For Humanity, Lexington, Kentucky
Posted on: 5/15/2009 9:27 PM    Posted by: Gloria
IPPCA PONDITAT FOR HUMANITY 2009 RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED This year’s Ponditat For Humanity recipient is the Ashland Terrace retirement home in Lexington, Kentucky. From a field of several candidates, the Ashland Terrace nomination rose quickly to be the number one choice for this year’s humanitarian pond build event hosted by the Pond and Waterscape Industry’s Trade Association, the IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors Association). This will be the fourth Annual Ponditat/pond resurrection done by the Association, with former events being held in Myrtle Beach, SC, Danville, IL, and Atlanta, GA. The primary reason for these events is for the Pond Industry to right a wrong by replacing a failed or failing professionally built pond with a new, properly designed and functioning high efficiency, low maintenance pond. The event is currently being scheduled for the last weekend in June, 25-26- 27th. For more information about this and previous events, information is available at www.PonditatForHumanity.com

2009 Atlanta Koi Club Pond Tour
Posted on: 5/15/2009 9:26 PM    Posted by: Gloria
The Atlanta Koi Club Pond Tour is set and ready to go. The first weekend of the pond tour is May 30 and 31. The Ponds in the Marietta, Woodstock and Acworth area will be the first weekend. The second weekend is set for June 6 & 7 in the Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Alpharetta, Cumming and Gainesville area. Please join the Atlanta Koi Club in this year's exciting pond tour. Booklets available for $25.00 per vehicle. Purchase your booklet either here on The Pond Professional website or retail locations: Splender Koi & Pond in Marietta and Kol Koi and Stone Forest Materials in Kennesaw or Atlanta Water Gardens in Atlanta. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact tour@atlantakoiclub.org.

Ponditat For Humanity, Atlanta, Georgia 2008
Posted on: 6/25/2008 8:24 AM    Posted by: Gloria
IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE IPPCA IPPCA Staff May 18, 2008 The IPPCA will hold its 3rd annual Ponditat For Humanity event on July 10, 11 and 12 at the world renowned Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite in Atlanta, Georgia. Contractors as well as other members from all over the United States and Canada will arrive in Atlanta on July 9, 2008 to disassemble the existing koi pond at the Children’s hospital in preparation of the rebuild to start July 10th. The IPPCA rebuilt a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a handicapped gentlemen in June, 2006. In 2007, the group traveled to Danville, Illinois to rebuild a pond for a handicapped man and his wife who had just undergone back surgery and simultaneously helping out a fellow IPPCA contractor who had just undergone neck surgery. For more information and to see how you can participate in this year’s Ponditat For Humanity go to: www.ponditatforhumanity.com If you would like more information on this project please contact the IPPCA at 770-592-9790.

Storm Of The Century
Posted on: 8/26/2007 9:51 PM    Posted by: Gloria
For immediate release: 8-26-07 Members deal with “Storm of the Century” while attending the IPPCA EasyWeve™ Liner seminar in Decherd, Tennessee. I can truthfully say “WOW, what an experience!!!” And right up front, a HUGE “THANK YOU” to all that attended yet another hugely successful IPPCA hosted event. We arrived on Friday afternoon, the 24th of August, a half day early to check over the job-site, and found it to be in perfect condition. (The air conditioning was a little weak, thoughJ) Everything was ready to knock this project out tomorrow and be done by noon at the latest, thereby getting done before the record breaking heat the has been plaguing the southeast this summer. Little did we know that Mother Nature was about to step in and throw us a MAJOR curve ball that would put our professionalism to the ultimate test. (We Passed, by the way). With less than a 10% chance of an isolated shower, and that area of Tennessee not having received a drop of rain in over two months, we knew we were good to go. About 9:30 pm Friday night, the heat lightning off to our North started to more and more frequently actually strike the ground. By 10:00 pm, there were infrequent but huge raindrops plopping and lightning popping 360 degrees around us, and then within minutes, the bottom dropped out of the barrel. For the next FOUR HOURS, it rained like there was not going to be another opportunity to do so in this millennium. (We got more rain (and lightning) that night than that area of Tennessee has seen ALL YEAR COMBINED.) The local weather stations Friday night and Saturday morning were calling it the “Storm of the century”. We saw Flash flood warnings, Severe Thunder Storm warnings and Tornado warnings until daybreak. Several areas within spitting distance of the job-site getting over 6 (SIX) inches of rain in less than 2 hours!!! Franklin County Tennessee received over 23,000 lightning strikes Friday night. IPPCA member Gary Sackett drove through this stuff for over three hours before finally getting to the hotel. Winchester (where we were staying) and Dechard (only 2 ˝ miles away, where the jobsite was) were receiving more than 25 lighting strikes per minute for over 2 ˝ hours. That’s a lot of fireworks folks, let me tell you. We watched the show until 2 AM and then went to sleep with the sound of rain and wind beating on the windows and roof. At least we kept our roof. The Holiday Inn just 600 yards up the street lost parts of their roof in a massive lightning strike that was followed by some straight-line winds over 60 miles per hour. This was a heck of a night and a heck of a storm. I was awakened Saturday morning by the homeowner calling my cell phone at 6 AM. He was sitting in his truck outside our hotel room. He wanted to confirm his own opinion that we were going to and should call this event off and go home. I held a brief conversation with him in the parking lot and told him; “Hey, lets don’t write this off until we’ve at least had a chance to look at the jobsite”. Several of the other pros that attended this event met with me in the parking lot and we all agreed that we wouldn’t scratch the event without at least looking at the jobsite first. Truthfully, we weren’t very optimistic. Upon arrival at the jobsite, it was rather apparent that there was A LOT of water in the “hole”. When walking it with hip-boots on, it was over a foot and a half deep. Well, that in itself is no big deal. One of our attendees had two clean-out pumps in his truck. We set them up and starting draining Noah’s flood residue from our work-site. Piece of cake right? Just wait ‘til the sun comes out, and it’ll dry out quick. It ended up drying out faster than we expected. By noon, the heat index was over 100 and climbing. What was mud only 5 hours earlier was now rapidly and exponentially turning into brick. While the pumps were getting rid of about 80,000 gallons of liquid sunshine, we started rolling out the 7 (seven) rolls of under-layment and cutting them to 150 foot lengths to cover the narrow span of the pond (lake?). We started laying out the under-layment on the high-side of the lake and chased the water down the length of the bottom as the pumps caused the waters to recede. Moses we aren’t. Pond pros we proved ourselves to be without a doubt. The homeowner couldn’t believe we completed the project successfully in those conditions. Several of us just said to him “When you’ve got lemons, make lemonade, not excuses.” The homeowner had several friends and neighbors come by to help roll out the liner and under-layment, and I’d like to extend a personal thank you to them all. They jumped in and really helped make the difference. Thanks guys!!!. Between them and the twenty pros attending, we nailed this puppy by about 2:30 pm. It truly was an AWESOME and UNIQUE opportunity to acquire valuable experience for all who attended!!! (Which, by the way, is why the seminar was held in the first place). A Storm of the Century the night before and 110 plus heat index installing the liner. Was it FUN?………..not really. It was brutal work. I feel for every one of the attendees, because I know that they’re dealing with the blisters on their knuckles that ALL of us got from pulling that 200 degree plus solar super- heated liner out across that hole. The skin literally was peeling off our knuckles if we held the liner for more than 2 seconds while pulling this 2552 pound monster out over that half acre lake. And I’ve got to tell you, it takes more than a couple of seconds to position a 26,400 square foot liner in a 14 foot deep hole and maneuver it around a dock. Now that the liner is in, this lake when filled will retain well over half a million gallons of water. I would also say that the unanimous consensus of all the professional attendees was that while memorable and a bit of a bear, the trip and time was well spent and the knowledge and experience gained was literally priceless. (And no one had to pay to attend either.) I would say that makes this event by default another smashing success for the IPPCA and its members. For those of you that couldn’t attend, I am considering doing a re-cap seminar at INFO TANZA in October to touch on the challenges and knowledge needed to succeed in a project like this with profitability. This would probably be on Thursday afternoon after the Firestone Liner Installation Certification seminar on Thursday morning. Let me know if this is of interest to you. Overall, it was an experience that those who attended will have memories of for a life time. (I think the blisters will heal a little quicker J). A great event with great guys that just helped prove yet again that the IPPCA is truly “The Place To Go to Find A Pro” in the Pond and Water Garden industry. Thanks again to all attendees for contributing to the motto I personally try to remember when confronted by challenging circumstances: “I don’t want to hear about problems, I want to hear about solutions”. We ALL epitomized that at this event. WAY TO GO!!!!!!! Dave A. Jones The Pond Professional Woodstock, Georgia 30188 Executive Director of The IPPCA dave@IPPCA.com

IPPCA's Ponditat For Humanity
Posted on: 7/25/2007 9:23 AM    Posted by: Gloria
For release: immediate: 7-21-07: From: IPPCA headquarters, 4045 N. Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, GA. 30188 IPPCA’s Ponditat For Humanity™ 2007 gets great reviews!!! In following with its tradition of hosting the Pond and Water Garden industry’s annual Premier Humanitarian event, Woodstock, Georgia based IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors Association) hosted Ponditat For Humanity™ 2007 in Danville, Illinois this year. The Ponditat™ event was held at the home of this year’s recipients, Tony and Linda Jones, long time Danville natives. Tony has been a Danville police officer and volunteer firefighter for decades and has had to retire due to a heart attack and then a stroke. Linda has been a longtime community service oriented person and will be retiring shortly from her job of finding employment in the community for folks with disabilities. Not only did the Danville couple receive a brand new estimated $50,000.00 pond and water feature, but IPPCA contractor member Gary Sackett, owner of Springwater Waterfeatures in Bismarck, Illinois, recovering from major surgery, received a check for almost $12,000.00 as well. This check reflected the labor that Mr. Sackett would have collected on a contract he had with the Joneses to rebuild their water feature if he hadn’t been temporarily sidelined by an unrelated injury and the subsequent surgery. The Georgia based IPPCA, in keeping with the humanitarian and professional goals of their Ponditat For Humanity™ event, modified this year’s event to include a payday for member Gary Sackett. “This is slightly irregular in our normal format but actually fit in perfectly with the long term goals and aims of the event and the association.” stated Executive Director Dave Jones (No relation to the recipients), owner of the Pond Professional, also based in Woodstock, GA. Jones went on to add, “Helping out two families in one event was a possibility that we just couldn’t pass up.” The whirlwind of activity started on Thursday the 12th of July with contractors from all over the U.S. arriving early to start excavation and construction of the new pond and water features that would be approximately 12 times larger than the Joneses’ original leaky, poorly constructed water garden. With generous donations from both Industry leading manufacturers as well as local businesses, the project flowed smoothly from start to finish in less than the three full days allocated for it. “It’s like watching a finely choreographed dance.” said Linda Jones, watching the project unfold magically before her and her husband’s astonished eyes. “These guys and gals make it look so easy” she further stated “You can tell they really are pros, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.” The Pond has such unique features as a functioning water wheel, two train trestles for Tony’s large scale train set and a curving tunnel for the train, disappearing behind one and then emerging again along side another of the four waterfalls. With built in fish hides, underwater bridges, underwater lighting, dual skimmers, oversized plumbing with dual high efficiency pumps and two handicap friendly water fall filters and three times per hour turnover, this back yard beauty is a true work of art that will serve the Joneses well for decades. Sam Thoma of Warren Thoma and Associates was one of the attendees at this year’s Ponditat™ event. Sam attended on behalf of Easy Pro Pond Products, based in Grant, Michigan. Thoma said, “One of the first things I noticed at this event was the different mindset and the high degree of professionalism displayed by the attending contractors.” Sam went on to explain “… most of these pond build events I attend, people are paying to attend for one reason or another, usually to learn how to build ponds.” ”That’s not the case with this event. These are seriously experienced contractors that are there to get the job done.” “They realize that by being around other contractors of their own caliber, they’re going to learn and network by default. They’re not required or asked to pay to attend and the results speak for themselves.” “One of the most pleasurable pond build events I’ve ever attended.” “This is a great and innovative concept”. “The IPPCA is leading the industry by example, not hype and hooplah like many others.” said IPPCA member Gary Sackett. “We’ve noticed for the last couple of years that the IPPCA gets things done while other groups are still sitting around talking about what they’re thinking about doing.” “They’re a great group to be affiliated with and I’m proud to be a part of them.” He added with a catch in his voice, ”look what they just did for myself and my family, how can you beat that?” ‘This is what you could expect from the industry’s leading association, and they surpassed our wildest dreams with what they’ve done for us and the Joneses.” Another first in the Pond and Water Garden Industry occurred this year when not one, but four IPPCA message board/forum members attended the event as well. “These folks may not be Professional pond contractors, but they came to work and worked hard right along- side the Pros” stated IPPCA President Rocke’ Huntington. Huntington went on to say, “A big hats off and thank you to Ben from Illinois and Daniel and his two sons from Pennsylvania.” “They not only support our forum, but what the IPPCA is doing for the Pond and Water Garden Industry” “Kudos”. One of the requirements for an IPPCA contractor member to become an IPPCA TOPGUN is to attend one of the annual Ponditat For Humanity™ events. Returning Topguns this year were Dave Jones of Woodstock, GA., Larry Moore of Danvile, KY., and Rocke’ Huntington of Lincoln, NB. New Topguns created by this event include Mike White of Batavia, IL., and Gary Sackett of Bismarck, IL. Local businesses Mustards Last Stand and The American Legion of Danville donated food for the attendees. Local business Marsters Sign Company donated the large sign that decorated the couple’s front yard during the entire event, and equipment donated by Big R Rental made the job flow smoothly and almost effortlessly. An additional thank you is due the local Danville Comfort Inn for greatly discounted room rates for Ponditat™ attendees. Industry leading manufacturers and IPPCA sponsors that contributed to this year’s tremendously successful event include: Alpha Bio System, Easy Pro Pond Products, Dow Chemical Company, Fishman Chemicals, Russell Water Gardens, Performance Pro Pumps and NishiKoi USA Inc., Other supporters that contributed materials and/or funding for the event include: Firestone Specialty Products, Black Mountain Timberworks, Smart Advantage, The Pond Professional, Springwater Waterfeatures, Pond Armor, Waterscape Designs LLC., Peter Stopen of Pondview Landscaping and Mike Garcia of Enviroscapes. For more details, you can see the whole event day by day pictorially at: www.ponditatforhumanity.com. Be sure to check out and register to receive the IPPCA’s monthly newsletter at: www.pondpulse.com . And get more information on another industry exclusive event hosted by the IPPCA, INFO TANZA.. See: www.INFOTANZA.com Be sure to check out other IPPCA sponsored websites such as www.pondcleanout.com with its extensive related topics article section, and:www.bogfiltration.com with its step-by-step tutorial, and of course their home site and message board at; www.IPPCA.com. The IPPCA is “The Place to Go to Find a Pro”. Photos available upon request.

The Pond Professional to Participate in "Ponditat For Humanity"
Posted on: 6/15/2007 9:47 PM    Posted by: Gloria
This year’s Ponditat for Humanity recipients are: Tony & Linda Jones / Danville, IL In March 2006, IPPCA member, Gary Sackett of Bismarck, Illinois was injured at work. It wasn’t until just over a month ago that Gary underwent Double Cervical Fusion surgery on his injury. Gary has a Contract to redo a pond for a medically challenged couple but is unable to complete the contract due to his recent surgery. Tony & Linda have been in positions of community service for many years. After a long career as a counselor for people with disabilities, Linda will be retiring later this month. This is perfect timing considering she just recently had back surgery and is currently recovering beautifully. Tony has had an extensive service career also. His positions have included a year of fireman service with the Danville Fire Department, 27 years of service with the Danville Police Department, many years volunteering with the Bismarck Fire Dept. and an extensive career as the Deputy Coroner for forty years. After having a heart attack in December of 1994; Tony retired from police work in 1995. He suffered a stroke in 1996 and was told that he probably would not survive and would, most likely, never walk again if he did survive; He of course proved them wrong on both accounts Tony & Linda love to entertain and spend a majority of their time outdoors in their beautiful back yard. Their home is the “go to” place for their friends and family to enjoy a relaxed evening. They are always quick to offer their hospitality and great company to anyone coming by. They had a small water feature built approximately six years ago in a corner of their backyard. Plagued with several installation defects that prompted their initial “qualified” installer to disappear rather than fix, the Joneses met and contacted Gary Sackett of Springwater to make the necessary corrections and get this current system cobbled back together enough to work. Though it has provided many great memories, it never really fit their needs. Considering Tony’s limitations with mobility & balance, for safety sake, they are hoping for a new, larger feature that will serve their vision and their needs. Gary says, “They are fantastic, openhearted people who are quick to give a hand to anyone in need.” What a great opportunity to offer them something in return!!!! IPPCA needs your help to rebuild their pond and to help Gary out in this situation. Come join us on July 12, 13, and 14. To get your name on the list and to be a 2007 IPPCA “Top Gun” Candidate just hit the reply button up top and type in “Count On Me” in the text line. We already have some awesome cutting edge new products that have been donated to this event by some of our sponsors. Our attendees will be way ahead of “the pack” after getting first hand experience with these products. Thanks Guys/Gals, we look forward to seeing you all in Danville!!

The Pond Professional to Participate in Ponditat
Posted on: 6/12/2007 4:25 PM    Posted by: Gloria
This year’s Ponditat for Humanity recipients are: Tony & Linda Jones / Danville, IL In March 2006, IPPCA member, Gary Sackett of Bismarck, Illinois was injured at work. It wasn’t until just over a month ago that Gary underwent Double Cervical Fusion surgery on his injury. Gary has a Contract to redo a pond for a medically challenged couple but is unable to complete the contract due to his recent surgery. Tony & Linda have been in positions of community service for many years. After a long career as a counselor for people with disabilities, Linda will be retiring later this month. This is perfect timing considering she just recently had back surgery and is currently recovering beautifully. Tony has had an extensive service career also. His positions have included a year of fireman service with the Danville Fire Department, 27 years of service with the Danville Police Department, many years volunteering with the Bismarck Fire Dept. and an extensive career as the Deputy Coroner for forty years. After having a heart attack in December of 1994; Tony retired from police work in 1995. He suffered a stroke in 1996 and was told that he probably would not survive and would, most likely, never walk again if he did survive; He of course proved them wrong on both accounts Tony & Linda love to entertain and spend a majority of their time outdoors in their beautiful back yard. Their home is the “go to” place for their friends and family to enjoy a relaxed evening. They are always quick to offer their hospitality and great company to anyone coming by. They had a small water feature built approximately six years ago in a corner of their backyard. Plagued with several installation defects that prompted their initial “qualified” installer to disappear rather than fix, the Joneses met and contacted Gary Sackett of Springwater to make the necessary corrections and get this current system cobbled back together enough to work. Though it has provided many great memories, it never really fit their needs. Considering Tony’s limitations with mobility & balance, for safety sake, they are hoping for a new, larger feature that will serve their vision and their needs. Gary says, “They are fantastic, openhearted people who are quick to give a hand to anyone in need.” What a great opportunity to offer them something in return!!!! IPPCA needs your help to rebuild their pond and to help Gary out in this situation. Come join us on July 12, 13, and 14. To get your name on the list and to be a 2007 IPPCA “Top Gun” Candidate just hit the reply button up top and type in “Count On Me” in the text line. We already have some awesome cutting edge new products that have been donated to this event by some of our sponsors. Our attendees will be way ahead of “the pack” after getting first hand experience with these products.

The Pond Professional Adds Aquadyne
Posted on: 1/22/2007 9:30 AM    Posted by: Gloria
The Pond Professional has added Aquadyne Bead Filters to the list of quality products they now offer to their customers. If you are considering intalling a "Koi Pond" contact The Pond Proefssional for a professional installation of your pond today. Don't be mislead by others, "we build the best and service the rest".

The Pond Professional Participates
Posted on: 1/7/2007 11:24 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Dave, Gloria and Michael Jones of The Pond Professional participates in the #9 event to affect the Pond Industry in 2006. In June, The Pond Professional traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to participate in the rebuilding of a pond referred to a "Ponditat For Humanity". The photos and explaniation of this project can be see at the http://www.Ponditat For Humanity

Thrive Koi Clay
Posted on: 7/29/2006 3:04 PM    Posted by: Gloria
The Pond Professional has become a distributor for 'THRIVE KOI CLAY". You ask what is "THRIVE KOI CLAY"? Thrive Koi and Pond Clay contains the ideal balance of Calcium, Magnesium and trace minerals for Koi and fish health. Thrive Koi and Pond Clay should be used all year long; although some only use it in the summer to combat algae problems. Thrive Koi and Pond Clay is possibly the best food supplement for Koi and pond health from mother earth. These minerals are the vital element source of nutrients that easily dissolve in water and are absorbed by fish through body, gill, and digestion. Adequate doses of Thrive Koi and Pond Clay in the fish's diet helps our fish to live healthier and longer, improves their skin quality, adds gloss to their colors, aids in scale development and helps them develop to their full potential. Get your Thrive Koi Clay today, look for it under "Fish Food" or Click Here.

Pond Contractors Respond to call for Help!
Posted on: 5/3/2006 5:32 AM    Posted by: Gloria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2006 Pond contractors respond to call for help Woodstock, GA. Pond contractors and builders from all over the country are converging on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on June 9th through June 11th to answer a call for help. The contractors, members of the International Professional Pond Contractors Association (IPPCA), will be coming from as far away as New Hampshire on the east coast and Washington on the west coast to do an “extreme pond makeover” for a local disabled man left with a backyard pond plagued with leaks and other problems. The disabled Myrtle Beach man, Tom Kincheloe, has only been active with the IPPCA’s public forum on the internet for a few months, but it was enough to get their attention when they realized he had a serious pond problem and was trying to take care of it himself despite his disability. Kincheloe had his pond built in his backyard two years ago by a local professional pond contractor, according to information published on the forum at the IPPCA’s website. He has had nothing but problems with it despite paying the contractor repeatedly to fix those problems. With his pond still losing water daily, he turned to the IPPCA for help by submitting photos of the problems he was finding, as well as photos of him trying to make repairs. Kincheloe lost his left leg above the knee in early childhood. He recently underwent surgery to correct deformities that grew over the years, leaving him to get around on crutches until he heals enough to wear a prosthesis. The organization, moved by the photos and Kincheloe’s determination, realized he needed a lot more help than they could provide through the internet and so the organization formed a new project to help the Myrtle Beach man. The project, dubbed “Ponditat for Humanity” is being spearheaded by one of IPPCA’s sponsors, John Russell, owner of Russell Water Gardens, located in Redmond, Washington. When Russell saw the photos of Kincheloe’s pond, he told the IPPCA via their forum, “Tom needs a new pond. Let’s get him a new pond!” Russell and his wife, Pamela, offered to donate all of the supplies and equipment to build the pond if the IPPCA would provide the labor. “We accepted the challenge,” said Dave Jones, Founder and board chairman of the IPPCA, based in Woodstock, Georgia. “He needs a new pond and we’re going to give him a new pond.” Jones said that some of IPPCA’s commercial sponsors are also helping out with donations of various supplies for the project. Jones said the IPPCA was formed to help unite the professionals of the pond and water garden industry in an association that is committed to “Quality First”. “Being a neutral, apolitical entity, the IPPCA is not controlled by any manufacturer or major corporation,” he said. “The IPPCA is governed and operated by independent contractors and business men and women who are concerned with maintaining quality experience, service and products in an industry plagued with get rich quick, predatory marketing and sales elements.” “This is just the type of situation that the IPPCA was formed to prevent,” Jones, himself a pond building contractor, said, referring to Kincheloe’s pond. “This is the type of situation we don’t want to see in the pond industry.” “The IPPCA has very strict guidelines for meeting the basic requirements of membership to try and prevent this sort of thing from happening.” According to USA Today, pond and water garden ownership is one of the largest and fastest growing categories of home enhancements. With this kind of growth projected to increase in the future, the IPPCA was formed “to help the pond industry maintain integrity and excellence” as the industry grows, said Jones. The organization was created on the internet to provide an easily accessible source of assistance for both pond contractors and pond owners, he added. According to Jones, The IPPCA.com website was launched so that consumers can find dedicated professionals in their area “with the click of a mouse”. These members of IPPCA have met the requirements and must follow aggressively enforced rules of conduct and performance to maintain their membership with the IPPCA, he said. Home owners can log onto IPPCA’s website at http://www.ippca.com and locate a contractor member within their area. “When you find an IPPCA contractor listed on our website, you know you’re seeing one of the best, most dedicated contractors in the industry.” said Jones. “We are the top guns! We have the best of the best installers, builders, and commercial suppliers that want only the best for the industry and are willing to help others, as well as learn about and use cutting edge technology and equipment for the industry.” While Jones acknowledged that the association can’t help everyone that has been left with a poorly installed pond, they can at least help the pond owners resolve their issues through free, professional advice on-line. Interested home owners and local contractors can find out more about the IPPCA by visiting their website at http://www.ippca.com. There is a public message board located at the website where home owners and contractors alike can get help anytime with their pond projects. “There’s going to be a lot of activity in [Kincheloe’s] backyard that weekend,” said Jones. In addition to Washington and New Hampshire, professional pond builders and volunteers are also coming from Nebraska, Illinois, Florida, California, and Georgia. Some of the contractors are bringing their families to vacation in Myrtle Beach when they finish the project, he said. Some contractors are even bringing their top crew members, he added. As for Kincheloe: “He is as excited as we are,” said Jones. “He’s counting the days!” For more information contact the IPPCA at 1-866-484-7722 or email them at info@ippca.com.

The Pond Professional adds New Websites
Posted on: 4/24/2006 9:41 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Most of you know us as "The Pond Professional" we are also the founders and members of the International Professional Pond Contractors Association a/k/a IPPCA. An association to bring quality installers to the consumers, quality pond products to the installers and much needed feedback from the installers and consumers back to the manufacturer. The IPPCA has a message board at http://www.ippca.com/phpBB2/index.php. We invite you to talk to ponders, contractors and manufacturers all over the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland. The knowledge you will find on this board will be invaluable. Come Join the fun. New websites promoted by the IPPCA and The Pond Professional are http://www.pondcleanout.com and http://www.bogfiltration.com.

Koi Keepers Assistant
Posted on: 10/26/2005 1:54 PM    Posted by: Gloria
Not only will you be able to keep detailed records of your Koi and the ponds they inhabit, but you will have direct access to health information and even basic varieties identification. With this software you can record information about your Koi and your ponds for easy retrieval and display. Each Koi will have a detailed record that will ensure that you can see any information you require. Water quality can now be easily recorded and charted so you can see trends before it's too late. This software will enable you to keep track of the quality of the water in your ponds by allowing you to record your water tests, then chart the results by date. Koi Keepers Assistant will check your records to make sure you have adequate water flow through your filtration system. It will also automatically calculate your ponds volume and recommend liner sizes, pump sizes and more. There are several reports included with the application so that you may view information about various aspects of your Koi and ponds, including graphs displaying results of water tests, Koi show results, Growth and even medical treatment records. Find this product under Fish Care Products at "The Pond Professional.com" website. Order yours today. Click Here

Winners From Atlanta Koi Show
Posted on: 9/23/2005 8:44 AM    Posted by: Gloria
The following names were drawn for the Atlanta Koi Show Display Pond Drawing: C. Holley, Canton Georgia Receives 40% off retail pond price D. Turcan, Smyrna, Georiga Receives 25% off retail pond price J. Varner, Kennesaw, Georgia Receives 25% off retail pond price We thank all all entries. Remember if you entered you will automatically be receiving 10% off the retail pond price. Call us today to schedule the installation of your new pond. Dave & Gloria Jones The Pond Professional

Advanced Build A Pond Day
Posted on: 8/23/2005 6:29 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Come One, Come All!!! Earth Products will be having an Advanced Build A Pond Day, the first week of October. Dennis Slatterly with Imagine Landscaping along with our Pond Pro Christian Bowdoin, will be instructing the class. The Pond Professional will be working along side them in this advanced build a pond day. Come work with the pros. Contact Gloria at pondman@thepondprofessional.com or by calling (770) 592-2273.

What Did They Say About The Tour Of Ponds
Posted on: 7/25/2005 9:04 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Dave & Gloria, hey I really enjoyed meeting both you guys and finding out about your business. You definitely know ponds and all related the subjects. I managed to make to it to a couple other of the ponds on the tour and saw some more of your handy work, very nice. I have decided that I am going to build a bog garden after seeing how clean all of your ponds are with them, it is just a matter of finding the time. I think I can source all of the materials except for the big pipe, so I will be taking you up on your offer Dave, and the rock. So if you have any good sources for rock, or if you can supply it, let me know. thanks again, Steve Stignani Shasta Studios

Info Tanza October 20 thru 23
Posted on: 7/8/2005 1:08 PM    Posted by: Gloria
The IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors) will hold their first annual meeting in Mineral Bluff, Georgia. The IPPCA announces its first annual Industry Wide Information Extravaganza and Symposium, known as INFO TANZA!!!!!!!!! This year’s event will be based around the theme of “Ecological Balance”. On day one, Thursday, October 20th, the IPPCA will be featuring its first World Wide Waterfall and Stream building competition. A cross section of the industry’s leading products will be used in this competition, as well as other product installation methodologies being explained by Industry Professionals. On October 21, INFO TANZA will begin in earnest, with seminars on many topics. Some of the topics to be addressed at this event are: Filtration, Aeration, Bacteria’s, Overall water quality, Bog and wetlands filtration, Rain gardens and natural solutions to storm water runoff, UV lights, Skimmers, Pumps, Fish health and diagnostics, Plants for the pond, and polyurea spray on liners. Many IPPCA members that are industry leaders will be speaking on these topics. Some of the speakers that have already committed to being there include Vicki Vaughn, head of the fish health research center at UGA, Doctor Erik Johnson, DVM, Steve Walker of Sacremento Koi and Advantage bead filters, as well as Eric Marsh, representing the polyurea spray-on liner industry, and Troy Winters of Clearwaters of Michigan, who will be speaking on a revolutionary new drainage system for developments that’s all natural, and actually allowed one developer to build twice as many homes as a conventional storm sewer system and retention pond method would have allowed. Many more speakers will be present. The site for this year’s event will be at Koi Theater, located just seconds off the Appalachian Highway in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Our host is Dr. Erik Johnson. For those of you who have never been there, the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia are famous World wide for the fall colors of their hardwood forests. This event is timed to coincide with peak color. The IPPCA wishes to thank Dr. Johnson for offering to host our first event at his Lakewood Office Complex, where Koi Theater and Koi lab are located. We look forward to seeing you all there!!!!!! Event Calender: Thurs. Oct 20, 2005: World Wide Waterfall and stream building competition and equipment training seminars. Fri. Oct. 21, 2005: INFO TANZA information seminars Sat. Oct. 22, 2005: INFO TANZA information seminars and IPPCA’s First Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet. This meeting will be open to the public, but seating will be limited, and members of the IPPCA will have automatic seniority for seating. All attendees to the Banquet will need to pay $25.00 per person for the banquet, and RSVP.

Annual Parade of Ponds
Posted on: 7/8/2005 0:09 PM    Posted by: Gloria
The Pond Professional Parade of Ponds will be held July 23 and 24 this year. Open House at The Pond Professional. Map books will be available for the tour at the Open House. All procedds benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate.) Call (770) 592-2273 for more information.

New Products
Posted on: 6/4/2005 8:09 AM    Posted by: Gloria
The Pond Professional is happy to announce becoming the newest distributors for AquaOne and AquaBead Filters. More new products will be on our website in the following weeks. Check back for UV's and sequential pumps.

10 Questions for your Pond Contractor
Posted on: 5/22/2005 8:23 AM    Posted by: Gloria
1. How long have you been building ponds? 2. When can I look at your ponds in person? 3. Do you do Service and Maintenance? 4. Are you a member or certified by any Association? 5. Do you build the ponds yourself or do you sub them out? 6. Do you carry General Liability and Workmen's Compensation? 7. What is the difference between and Koi Pond and a Water Feature? 8. What do you know about plants and fish and the ecosystem? 9. Can I get 5-10 referrences to Call? 10. How soon could you start? Now why ask these questions: 1. Some contractors have just started to build ponds. Some contractors have the natural professional and ethics to build ponds right from the beginning, others just see $ and have no idea what it is all about. They feel they have watched the training videos and now they now everything. 2. If they seem reluctent to show you ponds in person, they probaly have something to hide. 3. If a company does not do service and maintenance they have no idea if they are building a success pond or not. All ponds need some type of maintenance, be sure your contractor does service and maintence. Ask for service and maintenance referrences as well as new pond installation referrences. 4. If a contractor has been certified by an association, they have jumped through specific qualifications already. Call the association to verify their qualifications. Make sure the Association qualifies the individual not the company. Qualifing the company you are also qualifing the individual that was just hired who has no experience in building ponds. Employees come and go, so does the experience. 5. If a company subs their ponds out, you will be paying more for your pond then you should. Also, be concerned about the qualifications of the sub. Find out who is actually doing the building. 6. Yes you will pay a little more for your pond, because of the additional overhead of having this coverage. But it is a small price for the comfort knowing your contractor is a professional, not just a fly by night. Get a Certificate of Insurance in your name, sent to you directly from the Insurance Agent. Do not accept a copy of the policy from the contractor. Policies can be taken out on a payment plan and the contractor will get a copy of the policy then let it cancel for non-payment and have no coverage for your project. 7. The difference: Koi Ponds are the pond that is the healthest for the koi, normally a liner pond, with no rocks or gravel, bead filtration and a UV light. Water Features are normally more natural. They are still a healthy pond if built and maintained properly. 8. Knowledge of fish and plants are very important in an ecosystem. A natural water feature must have the right balance of fish and plants to maintain the water quality and clarity of the water. How many fish can I have in the pond? What happens if I get more fish than my filtration can happen. What can be done to increase the filtration to handle more fish waste than the average pond. 9. Do your homework now, not after your pond has been built. Most people only ask for the referrences, they never actually call and ask questions. When calling these referrences ask how easy the pond is to care for. You should enjoy your pond, not having to spend money for chemicals or monthly maintenance contracts. 10. If your contractor can start on it right away. Be concerned, most of the professionals are booked and will have to put you on a schedule. Don't be too hasty to get your pond built, you may pay for it later.

Certified Master Pond Contractor
Posted on: 5/22/2005 7:59 AM    Posted by: Gloria
Dave Jones is the only CMPC in the State of Georgia. Want a professional to build your pond? Need help with your pond? Is your contractor not returning your phone calls? All these sound familiar? Call "The Pond Professional", customer service is our #1 goal. We spend your money like it was ours. Why spend $100's on chemicals when we can show you how Mother Nature can work for you not against you.

Spring Has Sprung
Posted on: 5/22/2005 7:55 AM    Posted by: Gloria
When was the last time your pond was clean? All ponds should be cleaned every 12-18 months. Total drain and clean. Call "The Pond Professional" for your "Spring Clean" today. Got string algae, what's your pH? Order your pH pen today from "The Pond Professional".

IPPCA
Posted on: 5/22/2005 7:53 AM    Posted by: Gloria
International Professional Pond Contractors Association. A place for the consumer to find a professional contractor and a place for the contractor to find good suppliers. Go to http://www.ippca.com, find out who is supporting the Water Garden Industry.

Build A Pond Day
Posted on: 10/18/2004 11:11 AM    Posted by: The Pond Professional
If you are interested in working hands on with the Pro's call us and we will put you on the list for our next Build A Pond Day.

Winter Preparations
Posted on: 10/18/2004 11:09 AM    Posted by: The Pond Professional
It is that time of year. Stop feeding your fish when you water temperature is 55 or below. Shut off and drain your auto fill. Prepare your pond for the winter. In areas where your pond will freeze solid, make sure you keep a hole in the ice for the gases to escape. Purchase a heater from our website and it will do it for you. Remember if you pull you pump out of the water for the winter set it in a bucket of water in the house, where the water can not freeze to prolong the life of your pump. Any other winter questions please call me (770) 592-2273 I will be glad to help!

IPPCA
Posted on: 10/18/2004 10:55 AM    Posted by: Gloria
International Professional Pond Contractors Association. The IPPCA was formed by pond contractors to unite the water garden industry. The IPPCA is a source of reliable, competent installers for the consumer, as well as a source of ongoing information and educations materials for contractors. additionally the IPPCA serves as a conduit for contractors and manufacturers to exchange information and input on new products, product improvements and exchange notes from the field, as well as from the factory. Check back for the more info.

Bryan Velez Memorial Pond
Posted on: 5/3/2004 10:44 AM    Posted by: Gloria
We will build a Memorial Pond for a sixth grader, Bryan Velez who passed away in January, 2004, from a brain aneurism. The sixth grade class of Arnold Mill Elementary, 710 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, Georgia 30188 will build the pond under our supervision. What a great way to remember a classmate. All supplies are being donated, Earth Products, Marietta, Georgia is donating the pond kit. Stone Forest Materials, LLC, Kennesaw, Georgia is donating the rocks and gravel. Comfort Zone Portable is donating the use of a Spot-A-Pot. The Pond Professional is donating their expertise, plants and fish. We are looking forward to working with these energentic sixth graders. They collected $3200 in a week to give to the Velez family to help cover some of the medical and funeral bills. Any and all donations to "The Velez Family Benefit Fund" can be sent to us and we will be glad to forward to the Regions Bank who is handling this account.

No Pond Scum Here
Posted on: 12/22/2003 11:54 AM    Posted by: Gloria
NO POND SCUM HERE Don’t you just love the soothing sound of running water? Most people do… including Cindy and Dave Theiler, which prompted them to install a pond in their backyard. After rebuilding the deck and rerouting the stairs, Dave had an area in the corner that warranted something special. Getting a flying in the mail gave them a starting point to investigate ponds. They visited several professional pond businesses gathering ideas for their own pond. With three estimates that ranged as high as $10,000, the Theiler's selected The Pond Professional (owner Dave Jones, 770-592-2273) who completed the job in 2 days for $4,300.00. The price included the construction, pumps and filters, skimmer, fish and plants. Dave Jones roughed out a 3 level pond that would hold about 400 gallons of water and enable fish to survive during the winter. He added river rocks, a variety plants both in the water and on the shoreline, a small waterfall and pump to keep the water from stagnating, and filters and skimmers to keep the water clean. To enjoy the pond at night, Dave Jones added lighting in the water. Dave Theiler does have to perform maintenance on the pond. Because he has fish, he must check the PH level weekly and adjust it with chemicals if necessary, and during the middle of summer, he also has to add water to keep the level up. Once a year, he must drain the pond and clean the algae off the rocks so the fish don’t die. But Dave enjoys working around the pond so the maintenance is rather relaxing to him. It’s been a year since the pond has been installed and the Theiler’s still love it. The photos above don’t do this pond justice…in real life – it’s fabulous! If you are thinking about installing a pond, this is one yardscape that is really a soothing and wonderful project.



Copyright ©2003 Dave Jones General Contracting
Contact: PondMan@ThePondProfessional.com

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