The Madison Aquatic Club is a 30,000-square-foot facility that includes two pools — one warm-water instructional pool and another 25-yard lap pool — as well as a fitness center, and the whole place is outfitted with Fluidra’s lineup of products.
“All our blocks, stanchions, ladders, pumps, the pool tank filters — all of it is Fluidra,” says Shane Ryan, owner and program director of the facility, located in Verona, Wis. “We’re one of the unique facilities that have packaged this all together as one brand.”
Matt Carrico, president of Carrico Aquatic Resources Inc., a supplier located 40 miles to the east in Jefferson, Wis., oftentimes sees designers and facility owners purchase products from several suppliers, combining disparate filters, pumps and deck equipment. MAC’s approach was something Carrico admitted he “hasn’t seen someone do very often, regardless of the manufacturer.”
After operating the pool for nearly 18 months and running the full facility for six months, Ryan confidently says, “The partnership with Fluidra is one of the best decisions we made.”
“Partnering with Coach Ryan and Carrico Aquatics provided an exceptional opportunity for the Fluidra Commercial team to collaborate, learn, and grow. Beyond delivering products and resources, this facility and our longstanding relationships continue to help us advance durability, functionality and innovation across the aquatics industry,” said Andy Pedersen, commercial national sales at Fluidra.
"Commercial projects like Madison Aquatic Club are exactly why we do this work," said Steve Gutai, vice president general manager commercial at Fluidra. "Seeing it come together from the equipment room to the pool deck has been incredibly rewarding. It's a great example of what we can accomplish with great partners like Shane and Matt."
Ryan has been a swim coach for more than 25 years, serving YMCA programs and private clubs. He has coached swimmers of all levels, from recreational youth athletes to swimmers competing for places at the U.S. Olympic Trials. His passion project with MAC is truly one of a kind.
“We’re a bit unique,” he says. “As a club-owned team, most teams are parent-board or organizationally owned, so we are one of maybe a dozen clubs in the country that are coach-owned. And then, for having a facility that is owned by the same group, we are one of maybe six that I know of.”
Ryan and partner Janis Katz founded MAC in 2015. In 2020, their dream of owning and operating their own facility, rather than renting local pools, took shape. “We broke ground in 2023 and the project was completed in February 2025. We opened it in phases, so we got occupancy for the pool first, then we could operate the swim team and swim lessons out of there,” he says. “We fully opened to memberships in January 2026.”
Carrico Aquatic Resources was there every step of the way. Both Ryan and Carrico identified Fluidra as an ideal supplier early in the planning process. “We had conversations about the equipment that we were having success with, things that we weren’t having success with, trying to come up with a package,” explains Carrico. “We already worked with Fluidra, that was who we were using for most of our equipment at the jobs we did. The pool tank and filters brought everything together.”
While selecting one company to outfit the entire MAC facility provided obvious benefits in streamlining service that Ryan and his team appreciate, Ryan notes that swimmers and members are quick to point out the facility’s fantastic air quality. He credits Fluidra with that, as well.
“Our air quality is really good. I think Matt taught me that your water quality, due to the filters and how you use chemicals, will dictate your air quality,” he says. “No matter how great of an HVAC system you have, if your water isn’t clear and clean, your air quality will suffer. The one thing you feel when you come in is the air quality. That is noticeable.”
Ryan also fields endless compliments on the facility’s starting blocks. The S.R.Smith Legacy brand block from Fluidra features a fiberglass fin to prepare swimmers for professional-level facilities and competition.
Carrico agrees with Ryan that installing Fluidra’s products at MAC was the best decision he could have made. “I would suggest anyone who is operating a facility to look beyond your initial price and consider long-term reliability, system compatibility, product quality, service and support,” Ryan says. “Fluidra has been exceptional in all areas, and we’re very happy with the partnership.”