About Us

The Katchakid Original Net Pool Cover:

Keeping Generations of Children Safe

History

Before pioneering the Katch a Kid net pool cover, the Esson family was running a successful sporting supply and manufacturing company. From 1959 to 1968, the company produced goods such as tennis rackets, soccer nets, and footballs for well-known household brands.

After their close-knit community suffered a terrible tragedy, everything changed. At a family get-together, good friends lost their little boy in a drowning incident. Though everyone was poolside, nobody noticed the small child fall in, and soon it was too late. Blair Esson, President of Katchakid, Inc., was shocked to think that such a horrifyingly silent and easily preventable tragedy could have occurred. In light of the accident, and as a father of his own young children, Blair was motivated to create a solution that would prevent other families from suffering this devastating blow. The Katchakid net was born.

The Creation Of The 1st Katchakid Net Pool Cover

An expert in sports equipment manufacturing and development, Blair applied his skills to create a swimming pool barrier that was both aesthetic and easy to operate. In 1972, after testing many prototypes, Blair Esson introduced to families the first Katch a kid net pool cover. Over the past four decades the Katch a kid net has been re-defined, modified, and praised for being the very best in terms of child pool safety.

Katchakid Today

For the Esson family, pool safety is personal. Besides pioneering the Katchakid net pool cover, Blair Esson continues his commitment to drowning prevention by serving as an advisor to legislative drowning prevention committees, charities and non-profit organizations. The Esson family serve the ASTM F15 technical subcommittee that has jurisdiction of adopted statewide pool safety codes and standards. Today, Blair’s son, Brad Esson, serves as Katchakid, Inc’s Director of Operations and the Esson grandchildren spend their summers lifeguarding and advocating for pool safety. Learn more about how to make your pool area safer from the American Red Cross and American Association of Pediatrics.