Garden State Koi – Awards, Credentials, Media, and Industry Highlights

Awards and Recognitions

• Aquascape "Distributor of the Year" (2020): Owner Thomas Smith was awarded Distributor of the Year at Aquascape's 2020 Pondemonium – the pond industry's premier annual event. This honor reflected Garden State Koi's top performance as an Aquascape products distributor in the U.S. Read more in West Milford Messenger | View Aquascape's announcement
• Aquascape "Businessman of the Year" (2015): Thomas Smith also earned Aquascape's Businessman of the Year award at Pondemonium 2015, recognizing his leadership in growing Garden State Koi into an industry leader. Read the full recap
• Garden Show Exhibit Awards: Garden State Koi's display gardens have won public accolades. Notably, their water feature exhibit won 1st Place (People's Choice Award) at the 2016 Springfest Garden Show in New Jersey, beating out other landscape companies. This award highlighted the company's ability to create inspiring showcase ponds and waterfalls. View announcement on Facebook
• Industry Recognition: Within the pond industry, Garden State Koi is widely regarded as a top-tier firm. A 2014 industry blog described GSK as "a prominent company within the industry" offering a broad array of pond services. The company is frequently cited among Aquascape's elite "Top Frog" contractors (highest-performing pond companies) at annual events. Read the industry profile
• Water Artisan of the Year - Best Pondless (2020): Tim Dille, Garden State Koi's lead designer and installation foreman, won the prestigious Water Artisan of the Year award in the Best Pondless category at POND Trade Magazine's 5th Annual contest. His award-winning 60-foot pondless waterfall in the Bronx, dubbed the "Fairytale Forest," showcased exceptional craftsmanship and naturalistic design, proving that even urban settings can be transformed into magical water features. View the winning projects

Certifications and Credentials

• Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC) Training Center: Garden State Koi serves as a premier training facility for contractors pursuing Certified Aquascape Contractor status, the principal certification in the water feature industry. GSK's experienced water feature professionals mentor and train other contractors, teaching them the skills needed to design naturalistic, low-maintenance ponds and waterfalls and helping them achieve CAC certification. Learn about our contractor training program
• AquascapePRO Distributor: The company is the #1 full-service AquascapePRO pond product distributor in the U.S. Garden State Koi proudly supplies Aquascape equipment wholesale to contractors across NY, NJ, PA, and CT, ensuring they "get what they need, where they need it, and when they need it". (This achievement was underscored by the 2020 Aquascape Distributor of the Year award.) View our wholesale services
• Airmax Certified Dealer: Garden State Koi is also an authorized Airmax Aeration distributor, providing professional aeration systems for ponds and lakes. The team's expertise with aeration and water quality solutions further establishes their credentials in aquatic management.
• Experience and Licensing: Backed by 30+ years of experience (founded 1991), Garden State Koi is fully licensed and insured to design, build, and maintain water features in the Tri-State area. Tom Smith's background and the team's specialized focus on ponds (not general landscaping) underscore their professional credibility. GSK is also a member of the Aquascape Foundation and abides by pond industry best practices and ethics. Meet our team

Media Features and Publications

Garden State Koi's projects and personnel have been featured in multiple industry publications and media:

• POND Trade Magazine – Feature Articles: GSK staff have contributed expert content to POND Trade, the leading trade journal for pond professionals. For example, Tom Smith authored a Jan 2021 POND Trade article about Garden State Koi's annual "Pond Camp" training event, describing how 120 contractors built water features over a 3-day retreat. More recently, lead designer Tim Dille wrote a June 2023 POND Trade article on exceeding client expectations in pond design. Tim's case study detailed a major pond makeover in PA and noted his role as GSK's installation foreman with 15+ years' experience and 500+ water features installed. (That article went on to win POND Trade's Contractor's Corner contest for Q2 2023, an award sponsored by Pondliner.)
• Industry Blogs and Podcasts: Garden State Koi has garnered positive coverage on pond industry blogs. Mike Gannon of Full Service Aquatics profiled GSK in 2014, calling them "a prominent company" with a unique perspective on the pond business. GSK has also been mentioned on Greg Wittstock "The Pond Guy"'s popular YouTube channel – e.g. a video tour of Tom Smith's own recreational koi pond and other GSK projects in New York City (highlighting the "Aquascape lifestyle"). Such appearances introduce GSK's work to a broad online audience of pond enthusiasts.
• Local Press and Interviews: The company's expertise has been featured in local media. In March 2025, the Warwick Advertiser ran a story on the trend of swimmable ponds, prominently quoting Tom Smith. "Orange County residents are lucky if they get three months out of a pool… more are turning to us to install recreational, swimmable ponds," Smith explained, noting he's had a swim pond in his own yard for over a decade. Garden State Koi also uses its platform to educate the public through its own YouTube channel and social media (tutorials, project showcases, etc.).

Community Involvement and Philanthropy

Visitors enjoy a swimmable koi pond during Garden State Koi's "Swim with the Fish" charity pond tour in June 2025. Garden State Koi actively engages with the community and supports charitable causes through its events. Each year, the company hosts public pond tours or open houses to share the beauty of water gardens and give back: in June 2025, GSK held a "Water Feature & Pond Open House" at Tom Smith's Sussex, NJ home, featuring five showcase ponds (including a full swimmable recreational pond). All ticket proceeds ($10 per guest) were donated to the Catch the Cure Foundation to assist local cancer patients. Attendees were invited to "swim with the fish" and experience pond life firsthand, while supporting a worthy cause. Read about the 2025 pond tour event

Beyond fundraising events, Garden State Koi is a proud supporter of the Aquascape Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds clean water systems in underserved communities worldwide. GSK contributes to the foundation's mission of bringing safe drinking water to those in need, often through the installation of rainwater harvesting systems. Several GSK team members have volunteered on international clean-water projects organized by Aquascape (e.g. helping install rainwater filtration ponds in Central America and Africa). This global outreach aligns with the company's belief in water as our most precious resource. Learn about our foundation work

Locally, Garden State Koi frequently participates in community programs such as school career days, environmental fairs, and public seminars on pond-building. They have donated materials and expertise to nature centers and veterans' organizations to construct therapeutic water gardens. The company's display pond at the Warwick Valley Gardeners' annual showcase, for instance, was provided as an educational feature for the public. In all these efforts, Garden State Koi demonstrates a commitment to community enrichment and environmental stewardship.

Trade Shows and Speaking Engagements

Garden State Koi has a strong presence at industry trade shows, conferences, and educational events – both as attendees and featured presenters:

• Aquascape Pondemonium (Speaker): Tom Smith has been an invited speaker at Pondemonium, Aquascape's flagship contractor conference. In 2015, he led a "Pond Retailer Profiles" class at Pondemonium, sharing insights from Garden State Koi's success as a pond retail/design center. He joined other experts and Aquascape executives in teaching business development sessions at this event, which draws hundreds of pond professionals from around the world. Tom's speaking topics often include building a loyal customer base and running a full-service pond retail operation. The GSK team continues to attend Pondemonium annually, and Tom/Nancy Smith are regularly honored on stage during the awards ceremony for their achievements. Read about GSK at Pondemonium
• "Pond Camp" Training Events (Host): Since 2019, Garden State Koi has hosted an annual CAC Pond Camp – a multi-day hands-on training retreat for Certified Aquascape Contractors. Held at outdoor camps in the Poconos or Catskills, Pond Camp brings together 100+ contractors from across the country to network and build water features as a team. For example, at the 2020 Pond Camp, about 120 contractors split into groups to construct three elaborate pond and waterfall installations over two days. GSK organizes and leads these events (now an anticipated annual tradition), providing education on advanced installation techniques by day and camp-style camaraderie by night. Industry leaders – including Aquascape's "Artist of the Year" winners – have been brought in as guest instructors (e.g. 2013 Artist of the Year John Adams taught at Pond Camp 2021). This event underscores Garden State Koi's role in educating and mentoring the next generation of pond builders. Read Tom Smith's POND Trade article on Pond Camp | View Pond Camp on Facebook
• Trade Show Exhibitor: Garden State Koi regularly exhibits at home and garden shows in the region. Their award-winning displays at the Springfest Garden Show (NJ) are a prime example – featuring live koi ponds and lush landscaping, which earned them the People's Choice Award in 2016. They have also showcased at the Warwick Home & Garden Show and the Sussex County Fair, often installing temporary pondless waterfalls or fountain displays to wow show-goers. Such exhibits help introduce water gardening to the public, and GSK staff are on hand to answer questions (some years Tom Smith himself gives a seminar on "Pond Building 101" on the demo stage).
• Conferences and Clubs: GSK team members have spoken at pond and landscape conferences beyond Aquascape events. Timothy Dille and Luke Sattler (wholesale manager) have led contractor training workshops on topics like efficient pond maintenance and business growth at regional pond club meetings. Garden State Koi has also been featured at Water Garden Expo (Shawnee, OK) and Atlantic-OASE's conferences, where they share their design portfolio and retailing strategies. In 2022, Tom Smith was a panelist in a Pond Retailers Roundtable webinar discussing supply chain challenges and customer service best practices.

Additionally, Garden State Koi's crew often participates in high-profile collaborative builds at industry events. For instance, in February 2021 Aquascape organized a massive week-long build in St. Augustine, Florida (installing a recreational pond for the director of the Alligator Farm Zoological Park, plus an exhibit pond at the zoo). Tom Smith and several GSK crew members were part of the 100+ CAC team on-site, working alongside Aquascape's Ed Beaulieu and Greg Wittstock. These "pond community" builds not only create showcase water features at public venues, but also allow GSK to exchange knowledge with top builders from around the country. Read about the Alligator Farm project

Notable Projects and Showcase Builds

Garden State Koi's portfolio includes many noteworthy projects that have garnered attention in the pond and landscape industry:

• Logan Paul's Koi Pond (Los Angeles, 2017): Garden State Koi was selected to help build a high-profile koi pond for YouTube celebrity Logan Paul at his Hollywood home. Aquascape's CEO Greg Wittstock invited a "who's who" of CACs to collaborate on this showcase project. In the first week of December 2017, a team of about 20 contractors (including GSK, Tussey Landscaping, Atlantis Water Gardens, etc.) descended on Logan's property and, in just two days, transformed his backyard with a stunning ecosystem pond and waterfalls. The finished pond featured a bridge and bubbling urn fountains integrated into the design. Logan Paul filmed the process for his vlog, and the reveal was covered on Greg Wittstock's channel. Garden State Koi's involvement in this celebrity project showcased their expertise on a national stage. (GSK is credited among the participating companies in Tussey Landscaping's recap of the build.)
• "Fairytale Forest" Waterfall (Bronx, NY): One of GSK's most celebrated local projects is a 60-foot Pondless Waterfall built in a wooded Bronx backyard, affectionately dubbed the "Fairytale Forest" by the homeowners. This cascading waterfall, complete with mossy boulders and multiple stream drops, was featured in Aquascape's "Hands of the Artist" coffee-table book – a publication showcasing the world's best water feature artistry. The project exemplifies Garden State Koi's ability to create large-scale, natural-looking waterfalls even in urban settings. Photos of the Bronx waterfall were also shared by Aquascape's social media as an inspiration for others.
• Recreational Swim Pond (Sussex, NJ): At Tom and Nancy Smith's own residence in Sussex, NJ, the company has its flagship recreational pond – a large swimmable koi pond that doubles as a showpiece. This pond (approximately 50' long with a beach entry and waterfalls) has been running for over a decade and is used to demonstrate the concept of "swim ponds" to clients. It has been featured in local news articles and was one stop on Garden State Koi's 2025 pond tour event. The existence of this personal project underscores Tom's commitment to the lifestyle he sells – "if anyone knows the benefits of recreational ponds, it's Tom Smith," noted the Warwick Advertiser.
• Public & Institutional Projects: Garden State Koi has also contributed to public projects. They have installed water features at places like Camp Timber Tops in PA (as part of Pond Camp 2020, leaving the camp with new waterfalls and koi ponds), and assisted Aquascape in renovating the koi pond at the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in MD (an Aquascape Foundation project). GSK often teams up on "Build for a Cause" projects – for example, helping create a pond for a local children's hospital healing garden in 2019 (donating labor and materials). These notable builds illustrate GSK's range from residential backyards to educational and ecological installations.
• Hawkins Pond at SUNY Plattsburgh (2015): Garden State Koi was part of an elite group of pond builders selected to renovate the iconic Hawkins Pond at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh campus. This major institutional project involved replacing the pond bedding and lining, installing Lake Champlain rocks along the shoreline for natural seating, and creating a stunning waterfall that cascades through three ponds before flowing into the main body of water. The renovated pond, which officially reopened in 2015, has become a beloved campus landmark where students and visitors gather to enjoy the tranquil water feature. This high-profile educational institution project demonstrated GSK's ability to handle large-scale public installations requiring precise coordination and expertise. View NBC5 coverage | Read about the build