William Kent, CEO

Bill Kent, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Business Administration from Xavier University. After graduating from U. C., Bill worked in Ohio for 6 years at General Electric, designing and manufacturing rocket motor components and cases, including work on attack missiles and Saturn 5 moon rocket. Bill has three grown children, all college graduates. In 1972, Bill moved with his family to South Florida area, and, identifying the swimming pool business as a growing industry, started a pool service company.

Shortly thereafter, he bought a part ownership position in a then-fledging wholesale distribution company in our industry, HornerXpress, started by Mr. Earl Horner. Earl sold his share of business to Bill in 1975, and Bill has been sole owner ever since. Bill has been extremely active in the industry trade association, the NSPI, including as past President in 1996.

Jeff Tawney, Vice President - AquaCal AutoPilot Manufacturing

Since 1981, as an employee and part owner of AquaCal, Jeff, with his experience and training in the HVAC industry, has been one of the pioneers of the pool heat pump industry. With the acquisition of AquaCal by Team Horner in 1992, Jeff was appointed Vice President, AquaCal.

Working at every level from the production floor to the VP’s office, Jeff has an in-depth understanding of the products as well as the marketplace Team Horner serves. He is committed to providing the highest quality product backed by a level of service that is known as the industry standard.

Jeff continues to work in a leadership role in the emerging markets that represent AquaCal and AutoPilot products. Jeff believes that your ability to learn faster than your competition is key to winning in business today. True to that belief, he has remained actively involved in the learning and teaching of “new” business practices and the re-assessment of “old” business knowledge. He is involved in ongoing Continuous Education training and the development of qualified Service technicians and Sales representatives in our industry.

Jeff has a very strong commitment to the Culture that marks all Team Horner companies as something special and unique in the business community. This commitment shows itself in the Team based approach that always looks for a win-win solution to all business issues.

He couples this commitment to smart work, high quality and fair play with a “we’re going to have fun doing it as well” attitude.

Don Detwiler, Vice President - AquaCal AutoPilot Inc. Sales

Don joined Team Horner as the Eastern Region Sales Manager for AquaCal and AutoPilot in August of 2003. He was promoted to National Sales Manager in July of 2005 and then to Vice President in December of 2005. Previous to Team Horner Don was the Pool Market Manager for A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company.

Don is originally from the Philadelphia area. He holds his B.A. in Communication Arts from Villanova University and his M.B.A. in Marketing from St. Joseph's University.

Don most enjoys team culture at Team Horner and recognizes that team's real strength is in its people. For this reason Don relishes his role in recruiting new teammates and helping current teammates develop.