In 2021, the year of the Ox, Hector Mardueno, owner of Stonewall Creek, acquired W. Lim Corporation, one the leading distributors of high-end koi pond, swimming pool, and aquaponics pumps and filtration equipment. To celebrate the one-year anniversary, we’d like to officially reintroduce the company and its new owner to the readers of PondTrade magazine. Through the name W. Lim Corporation, Hector hopes to share the beauty of natural koi ponds and natural swimming pools in a way that is clean and safe for pets, friends, and family.
The story begins in June of 2020 in Hector’s own natural pool. His three kids went for a swim in the pool he’d built for their home, where the water was crystal clear and showed no signs of danger. But Hector and his wife, Tamara, learned quickly that clear water is not necessarily a sign of safe water when their oldest daughter came down with a terrible headache. The headache grew worse over the course of three days until finally, on Tamara’s birthday, they took her to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a bacterial infection from a species found in their natural pool. Thankfully, they were able to successfully treat the infection and the young girl was back up and running in no time.
It was evident that one could not rely upon the look of water to gauge its cleanliness and safety. Bacteria, amoebas, and parasites can hide deep in corners and crevices, especially in the sand, and all they need to strike is for the water to be disrupted by fish or a swimming child. With this scare hitting right at home, Hector was prompted to find a better way to build natural pools.
Hector Mardueno has been building ponds for 5 years and started his company, Stonewall Creek, in 2018. Although he has roots as a union electrician, he found his true calling when he contracted his home’s first pond back in 2016. His interest in the process of designing and building ponds led him to go back and rebuild that first pond himself then go on to build the backyard beach that would later prove instrumental in his journey towards acquiring W. Lim Corp. After his daughter’s infection, he researched and tested all the equipment on the market to find the tools that would withstand the Vegas heat, handle the biohazard loads of natural swim pools and koi ponds, and ultimately create ponds that were pristine in both color and safety. That’s how he discovered W. Lim Corp.
The Ox is the strongest animal of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. Also known as “the good helper”, the Ox is a symbol of dedication, honor, and prosperity. Founder William Lim, who was born in the year of the Ox, first conceived W. Lim Corp in 1980 at first as a koi wholesaler. Over the course of 30 years, he implemented the Chinese values of the Ox and grew the company into a top-tier, internationally-recognized dealer of pond building and maintenance supplies, from their trademarked and super-efficient Wave and Dragon series pumps to their patented high-output UV sterilizers. After using their equipment to build several successful ponds for Stonewall Creek, Hector, who was also born in the year of the Ox, became W. Lim’s biggest and most loyal customer. Only W. Lim Corporation produced industrial grade equipment tough enough to handle the extreme desert heat and the high-end filtration demands of building natural pools in the Southwest. After 3 months of negotiations, as good fortune would have it, Hector acquired the company in September 2021, the year of the Ox.
Hector promised to keep the company name and continue William’s legacy in the water pump and filtration industry. All that was left was to take the company to Las Vegas, NV. The entire Stonewall Creek family mobilized, working 10-12 hour days and sleeping in hotels to make multiple non-stop round-trips from El Monte, California. The entire endeavor took 10 semis, nine 40-yard dumpsters, and 3 weeks of labor all while the Stonewall Creek business was still functioning back at home. One year later, Hector looks back on the move and recalls: “It was very difficult, but it’s an experience I’m grateful for. We learned a lot about acquiring and moving businesses in those three weeks.”
In the months that followed, they continued to learn about the clients and the market and began preparing to restructure their marketing to show the efficiency and quality of their products to consumers worldwide.
Under the ownership of Hector Mardueno, the W. Lim mission is to achieve superior efficiency, quality, and performance in natural pools, koi ponds, aquaculture and aquaponics. They adhere to the traditional Chinese values of integrity, diligence, and dependability incorporated by Mr. Lim and strive to provide professional, one-stop-shop solutions for all aquatic needs while reducing operating costs. From 10-gallon aquariums to multi-million gallon lakes, W. Lim Corporation can help bring a beautiful piece of aquatic nature to your own backyard with crystal clear water you and your family can safely enjoy for years to come!
