Jackson, MS— The National Tile Contractors Association joined with more than 500 trade associations, professional societies, businesses, and employers to form the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition, established to build support for the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722 / H.R. 1477). The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Professional Certification Coalition (PCC) lead the new group.

The bipartisan, bicameral Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would expand qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include postsecondary training and credentialing, such as licenses and professional certifications. The bill would provide valuable tax-advantaged resources for families, students and workers—with or without a college degree—who pursue career growth, mid-career changes or pathways that diverge from a typical academic route.

“The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act can empower workers of any educational background, skill level or age,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE. “This pragmatic policy would support all industries and professions that rely on employees with specialized training or credentials. Our community is grateful to the Congressional champions for their commitment to supporting our current and future workforce.”

“Knowledge, skills and abilities are essential to help professionals grow their careers and for industries to grow their impact,” said Institute for Credentialing Excellence Executive Director and co-leader of the PCC Denise Roosendaal, FASAE, CAE. “It is a privilege to support the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which will help strengthen industries, professions and the broader economy.”

The bill is led by Representatives Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) in the U.S. Senate.

Training and credentialing organizations help expand industry excellence, establish and strengthen professional pathways, increase workers’ earning power, foster marketplace competition and supply consumers with the best products, services and expertise. A member roster can be found at powerofassociations.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: NTCA Executive Director Bart Bettiga (bart@tile-assn.com)

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About NTCA: Established in 1947, the NTCA is a 501c6 trade association dedicated to the professional installation of ceramic tile, natural stone, and allied products.  NTCA supports its members with technical and business training, savings and discounts, education and curriculum support, and apprenticeship.  NTCA currently has more than 1700 members and is widely recognized as the largest tile contractors association in the world.

Dirk Sullivan, founder and president of Hawthorne Tile in Portland, Ore., was recognized as Tile Person of the Year by the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) at its 75th Anniversary Reception during Coverings, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The prestigious honor is bestowed annually to a tile professional who is dedicated to supporting the non-profit trade association as it serves all segments of the tile and stone industry. 

As a respected Five Star NTCA Contractor and NTCA state director, Dirk has supported the association at every imaginable level, including two terms on the Board of Directors, as well as a longstanding role on the NTCA Technical, Membership, and Training and Education Committees. He also pioneered the effort to get approval of the first-of-its-kind, state-approved, joint apprenticeship program utilizing the online NTCA University.

These accomplishments, among many others, were cited when he was presented the award by previous recipient, Brad Denny of Nichols Tile and Terrazzo in Joelton, Tenn.

“It’s a tremendous honor to receive this prestigious award,” said Dirk Sullivan. “There is a direct correlation between my success as a tile contractor and my involvement in the NTCA. Getting involved as a member of the NTCA is for the betterment of your own business. We volunteer our time to network, which is incredibly important. When you take time to get involved, awesome stuff rubs off from other people. I’m not just a tile guy in Oregon anymore; I run a business that now people across the country know. There’s credibility to what we do here. I’m proud of the work I’ve done with the NTCA, growing membership in the Pacific Northwest. Through the NTCA, I’ve also been able to mentor other young business members, which has been very important.”

Founded in 2000, Hawthorne Tile is the Pacific Northwest’s only NTCA 5 Five Contractor.

NTCA, recognized as the largest and most respected tile contractor associations in the world, is a leading authority in the development of tile industry standards and methods.

The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) recently announced the formation of the Tom Ade Scholarship Fund. The fund would be used to support the Tom Ade Ceramic Tile Scholarship, named for the industry veteran, which was established in 2014 by the NTCA to provide educational opportunities for children and grandchildren of the association’s contractor members.

Providing aid in a scholarly fashion  

In the past 7 years, NTCA has issued scholarships totaling $150,000. Now, in 2021, according to NTCA Executive Director, Bart Bettiga, the association has established an investment fund that is solely designated for scholarships. 

“Donations to the fund can be made by NTCA members and supporters who would like to help support the program,” he said. “The more the fund grows, the more scholarships will be given.”

In 2018, LATICRETE International joined NTCA as a sponsor of the program, pledging dollars on an annual basis. Scholarship awards are announced in the spring with official presentations taking place at Coverings at NTCA Awards Night. A third party administrator is being secured to manage the process moving forward.

Ade was the NTCA Ring of Honor recipient in 2006, as well as the association’s winner of the Joe A. Tarver Award for Lifetime Service to the tile industry in 2019. He has given or pledged more than $300,000 to the NTCA to use for scholarships for deserving children and grandchildren of NTCA contractor members. 

Deserving honor for industry veteran

Ade was president of NTCA Five Star Contractor, Filling Marble and Tile in Cologne, N.J. In addition to supporting the scholarship program, Ade has been involved in many restoration projects in his hometown of Egg Harbor, N.J. He has purchased multiple buildings in the community and helped deserving local entrepreneurs establish businesses, helping to restore an area hit hard economically in recent years.

“I have been involved in the NTCA for many years, and I have personally benefitted from my involvement in the association,” Ade explained. “Supporting their efforts at providing scholarships is something I feel very fortunate to be able to do, and I am honored to have helped get this program off the ground. I hope others will join in contributing to the program.”

How to donate   

Contributions to the scholarship fund can be one-time, annual, or monthly in any increment. Donations can be made through the following link,

www.tile-assn.com/donations/donate.asp?id=11922 or https://bit.ly/3pI5teI or be mailed to the NTCA, P.O. Box 13629, Jackson, MS 39236, with checks made out to the association and earmarked for the Tom Ade Scholarship Fund. 

For more information, contact Bettiga at bart@tile-assn.com.  

Martin Brookes, NTCA President

The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), the world's largest tile contractor association, elected new officers and board members for 2021 and 2022 at its annual meeting, held virtually on December 3, 2020.

Bart Bettiga, NTCA Executive Director, explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused the cancellation of the Coverings trade show, where the new roster would have been announced.

The new leadership is made up of: Chris Walker, Chairman of the Board; Martin Brooks, President; Sam Bruce, 1st Vice President; and Rod Owen, 2nd Vice President.

Chris Walker, who had served as NTCA President for 2018 - 2020, continues to serve as the Chairman of the ANS A108 Committee, and was the NTCA Tile Person of the Year in 2018. Walker is Vice President—Northeast Region for David Allen Company: Bristow, Virginia.

“I am proud of my 20-year association with NTCA,” Walker said. “NTCA is a 74-year-old organization with some really fine people. It is recognized as one of the finest trade associations of its kind,” Walker stated.

NTCA presidents move up through the chairs in two-year term increments, from 2^nd Vice President to 1^st Vice President to President, and then serve two years as Chairman of the Board, and afterwards as Advisory Board members.

Former Chairman, Martin Howard of David Allen Company, Raleigh, North Carolina, will now become an advisor to the Executive Committee.

The new President, Martin Brookes is a principal at Heritage Marble and Tile, Mill Valley, California. Sam Bruce is President/Operations Director of Visalia Ceramic Tile, Visalia, California. Rod Owen is president of C.C. Owen Tile Company, Jonesboro, Georgia.

“With the goal in mind to diversify NTCA, directors are chosen from large and small companies as well as from businesses from regions around the country,” explained Jim Olson, NTCA Assistant Executive Director.

Outgoing directors include Robert Showers, Region 2; Paige Smith, Region 3; Michael Weaver, Region 4; Dirk Sullivan, Region 9 and Stan Platt, Region 10.

Incoming directors include Mike Corona – Corona Marble & Tile, Region 2; Matt Welner, Blue Ridge Tile & Stone, Region 3; Josh Hogeboom, Spectra Contract Flooring, Region 4; Trask Bergerson, Bergerson Tile, Region 9; and Elizabeth Lambert, Lambert Tile, Region 10

NTCA’s PartnerShip shipping provider FedEx is offering $1 million in grants to small businesses. Small businesses strengthen the economy and make the world more vibrant, creating jobs, as well as unique products, services and spaces. Communities depend on small businesses, especially in these trying times.

Many small businesses are hurting right now. Whether you’re making the move to selling and shipping online or you’re ramping up your safety and cleanliness measures to keep customers and employees safe, you’re putting your all into not just surviving but becoming more creative and resilient than ever.

To honor that spirit, FedEx is committing to provide $1 million in grants for small businesses in the U.S. Each grant recipient will receive $5,000, plus a $500 credit from FedEx Office that can be used for printing banners, posters, floor graphics, custom branded boxes, and more.

The application window opened May 25, 2020 and runs through June 12, 2020. NTCA members can apply at http://fedex.com/supportsmallgrants. But first, make sure you’re signed up for FedEx discounts through the NTCA PartnerShip Program at https://www.partnership.com/. If you’re not already taking advantage of this free benefit, enroll today.

A layout can make or break the finished appearance of a tile installation. The Ins and Outs of Layout reviews the basics of layout including squaring a room and how to determine the focal point of the room to properly center and balance the tile installation. Many contractors today have not used grid patterns so the course reviews how grid patterns are created and the importance of them in the tile installation process.

NTCA’s Ins and Outs of Layout presentation introduces the audience to a variety of layout situations. It features techniques to analyze a room for shape and dimensions, determine if the walls are square to each other and the effect this will have on the tile layout and finished appearance of the tile installation.

This topic will be presented at live in-person and virtual online workshops. Following the live in-person workshop presentation, NTCA trainers will facilitate audience participation with hands-on demonstrations and layout challenges involving a typical tile shower, fireplace and bathroom. After the virtual online workshop presentation, NTCA trainers will share video demonstrations of the tips and techniques explained during the presentation. During both, the live and virtual presentations, attendees are given an opportunity to ask questions.

This workshop is open to union and open-shop contractors, architects, designers, specifiers and other industry members. Attendees may register at the Free Educational Workshops/CEU link under the Education & Certification tab at www.tile-assn.com.

NTCA has developed a system of online workshops that will start on Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Conducted by NTCA technical trainers, these virtual workshops will be offered free in a live webinar format, followed by a prerecorded video demonstrations and an opportunity for questions and answers. Attendees can register for the 90-minute workshops by going to the workshop link under the Education & Certification tab on the NTCA home page (www.tile-assn.com). Contractors and industry members are advised to sign up now for these online workshops. As COVID-19 restrictions ease, NTCA will assess the situation and return to its regular in-person workshop schedule when it is safe for all to do so.

The page opens with an overview of relief legislation that has been recently passed and clarifying details, and has links broken down into the following categories:

•   Health and Safety

•   Business/HR Resources

•   Insurance/Legal

•   General Resources

•   Fraud During the Coronavirus 

The NTCA Five-Star Contractor 2019 Project of the Year awards recognizes NTCA Five-Star Contractor members for installation excellence. The awards feature both residential and commercial projects that include ceramic tile, natural stone, mosaics and/or glass tile. Though this is the seventh year for the Project of the Year awards, 2019 is the first year that social media was used as part of judging criteria. This year, NTCA Five-Star Program Director Amber Fox added a People’s Choice Award to the list of categories.

“We added the People’s Choice Award to give our membership and our social media followers a chance to take part in the judging process,” said Fox. “It also gave the entrants an additional opportunity to promote their work and engage their social media followers. In the end, we received over 1,500 votes.” 

The online voting portion accounted for 10% of the judging criteria. Projects were also judged based upon the size of the project, the challenges involved, technical soundness, and the project’s overall appearance, symmetry, layout, and creativity.

Fox said the People’s Choice Award wasn’t the only change this year. “This award is an opportunity to showcase craftsmanship, therefore we changed the judging criteria to increase the value of technical merit compared to last year.”

The NTCA Five-Star Contractor 2019 Project of the Year recipients are as follows:

●        People’s Choice: Grazzini Brothers for the Milwaukee Bucks New Arena Fiserv Forum

●        Residential Achievement of Excellence Award: Boatman and Magnani, Inc. for Modern Mid-Atlantic Oceanfront Residence

●        Residential Project of the Year: Hawthorne Tile for “His & Hers” Bathroom

●        Commercial Achievement of Excellence: Artcraft Granite, Marble & Tile Co. for Phoenician Women’s Spa

●        Commercial Achievement of Excellence Award: David Allen Company for the Columbia Hotel

●        Commercial Project of the Year: Northern California Tile and Stone Corp. for the Cache Creek Casino Resort

●        Commercial Elite Achievement of Excellence (projects over $1M): Rheinschmidt Tile & Marble for Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall

  ●        Commercial Elite Project of the Year (projects over $1M): Superior Tile & Stone for the Palms Sky Villas in Las Vegas

David Gobis of David M. Gobis Ceramic Tile Consultant, LLC served as one of the three Project of the Year judges. Though only eight of the 22 entries could be acknowledged, he thought all of them were worthy of recognition. “Judging was extremely difficult. This was easily the most challenging set of nominees I have ever had the pleasure to review. The vision and craftsmanship that went into each of these projects was of the highest level and every person, group, or organization that was a part of the process should be proud, and is deserving of respect from their industry peers for their accomplishment.” 

During the ceremony, NTCA named Dale Kempster of Schluter Systems its 2019 Tile Person of the Year. This award recognizes a NTCA contractor, distributor or manufacturer member who has demonstrated a strong commitment to the tile industry and has supported the mission and goals of the National Tile Contractors Association. Kempster has served as a member of the NTCA Technical Committee for many years, has participated in two groundbreaking international labor summits, and was instrumental in the development of a Canadian version of the NTCA Reference Manual. He is also the first Canadian to be honored with award.

The final award of the evening was the prestigious Joe A. Tarver Award for service to the tile industry given to Tom Ade, owner of Filling Marble and Tile in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. Ade is a long-time member of the NTCA, a former NTCA Regional Director and board member, and recipient of both NTCA's Ring of Honor and Tile Person of the Year Awards. He also made the NTCA Tom Ade Ceramic Tile Scholarship program possible by bestowing a generous donation to the association earmarked to support children and grandchildren of NTCA members who wish to continue their education. Over the past four years, the program has given students over $150,000 in scholarship funds.

 NTCA Executive Director Bart Bettiga described Ade as being humble and quiet, and as a leader known for his toughness and fairness, and for being thankful. Bettiga said the leader’s accomplishments and generosity are just a few of the reasons Ade was this year’s recipient. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving for the Joe Tarver Award. Always supportive of the association, this man is everything that is right about our industry.”

The distinguished award was named for Joe Tarver who was the NTCA’s executive director from 1972-2002 and dedicated his career to the growth of the tile and stone industry. The award recognizes individuals who have also demonstrated lifetime achievement in the support and growth of the industry.

During the ceremony, the NTCA Tom Ade Ceramic Tile Scholarship recipients were also recognized. Each recipient was awarded $5,000 and an expense-paid trip to the Coverings trade show.

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The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is a non-profit trade association serving every segment of the industry, spearheading education for the professional installation of ceramic tile, natural stone and allied products.  For more information, please contact NTCA Executive Director Bart Bettiga at bart@tile-assn.com, via telephone at 601-939-2071, or visit www.tile-assn.com. 

to address construction issues

In late September, NTCA Technical Trainer Luis Bautista took part in a Summit of the National Hispanic Construction  Association (NHCA) in Washington, D.C. The NHCA is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership organization, representing over 4,500 companies across the country that are directly affiliated with  NHCA chapters. Collectively these chapters reach over 35,000 Hispanic-owned construction firms through marketing, newsletters and social media networks.

For two days, NHCA representatives  and attendees met with federal lawmakers and staffers from offices of various representatives and Congressmen to express concerns and request support with several issues,  including labor shortages,  qualified labor training and education, as well as construction safety,  funding and issues regarding small business and immigration.

Bautista, along with other Summit attendees, met with the offices of U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, Senior U.S. Senator from Texas John Cornyn, U.S.  Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, U.S. Representative from Colorado Jared Polis, and U.S. Representative  Diane DeGette of Colorado.
Those attending the legislative luncheon were updated on construction industry issues by representatives from the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), among others.

“We learned of the possibility of higher education scholarship funds being permitted for vocational  training,” Bautista said. “We learned that the top three states for construction accidents and fatalities are Texas,  California and Florida -- in that order. They are also the top states with Hispanic workers and are in need of safety and qualified labor training.”

NTCA is assessing the possibility of conducting trainings through various local state chapters of the NHCA in Dallas/ Fort Worth, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Colorado and California, Bautista said. “Those local chapters in the various states could promote workshops in their area to their Hispanic contractor members,” he added.

In addition, NTCA may partner in future legislative summits and NHCA events to brainstorm with other construction industry players (i.e. roofing) regarding apprenticeship, training and education strategies “We plan to contact the NHCA president who lives in Dallas when we return to discuss further how the NTCA may be able to work with the in NHCA,” Bautista said. 

Recently, the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) hosted its Five Star Contractor Summer meeting in Nashville, Tenn. The meeting, sponsored by Daltile, and co-sponsored by Custom Building Products and LATICRETE International, attracted over 100 NTCA Five Star Contractor members and sponsor representatives, and centered on education and networking. The three-day agenda featured a seminar from Ron Meler of RW Meler Consulting, networking opportunities, sponsored programs, and education sessions that focused on contract clauses/risk, scheduling and change order processes.

The last day of the seminar also featured a tour of Daltile’s 1.8-million square-foot manufacturing plant. “It was a great honor to showcase and tour our Dickson tile plant with the elite Five Star members of the NTCA,” said John Cousins, senior vice president, Dal-Tile Corporation. “The NTCA membership feedback was phenomenal, reinforcing the industry support of high-quality and innovative domestic manufacturing for application in both the residential and commercial business. As the industry leader, Daltile is committed to expanding domestic manufacturing, tile and countertops, aligning with and supporting the needs and opportunities of our customers and industry.”

NTCA Five Star Contractors got to tour Dal-Tile’s 1.8 million sq. ft. Dickson, Tenn., manufacturing plant as part of the summer meeting in Nashville.

NTCA’s Five Star Contractor group is composed of dedicated residential and commercial tile contractor professionals that assemble to identify tile contractor challenges, provide best practices, consensus processes and create business opportunities. They work to develop training initiatives and best practices in business and in the field. NTCA members must go through a rigorous application process in order to obtain Five Star Contractor certification. 

“Our application process is based on integrity, professionalism and craftsmanship,” said NTCA Five Star Program Director Amber Fox. “This process only certifies companies that continually invest in themselves and have proven commitment to service, quality, safety and superior job performance.”

If you are a NTCA member and interested in gaining Five Star Contractor certification, contact Five Star Program Director Amber Fox at amber@tile-assn.com. 

What do Legal Sea Foods of Boston and tile contracting have in common? Stephen Belyea, owner of JSG Tile and Stone LLC in Weymouth, Mass. (jsgtileandstone.com) is the common thread in both scenarios. Belyea gave up his career as head chef at Legal Sea Foods and pursued commercial flooring work with a small company while he was contemplating his next move in the restaurant business.

“When I realized how much better life could be not working 12-15 hours a day, I stuck to learning as much as I could about flooring,” Belyea said. “I worked my way up to a lead installer and enjoyed the work I was doing” – work that included installing carpet, wood, vinyl, rubber and turf in the gyms at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.

Belyea gravitated towards tile, captivated by the rewarding technical aspects of the installations, and eventually focused solely on tile. Pursuing his passion for tile the same way he pursued his passion for food, he made excellence his goal. “I wanted to be as good as I could be,” he said. “I attended any and all events I could to network, meet people and learn as much as I could.”

The Tile Geeks Madison Fields Project in 2017  was one of the most rewarding personal and  professional projects in which Belyea ever participated.

Brad Denny (L) signed Stephen Belyea to NTCA membership in Coverings 16 in Chicago.

In 2014, he discovered Tile Geeks on Facebook – only 500 strong at that time. “I realized from that page that there was a hell of a lot of knowledge about tile I did not have.” Belyea said. “So I made a point to learn about all the new/different techniques and tools there were. I have attended Coverings in Las Vegas, Chicago, Orlando, and Atlanta.” Belyea met Salvatore DiBlasi through Tile Geeks and in person at the Journal of Light Construction show in 2015 and the two have been great friends since.

In Chicago 2016, Belyea met NTCA member Bradford Denny, who signed him up as a NTCA member. “Joining the NTCA has been a great choice for me,” Belyea explained. “It has given me access to some of the best and brightest in the business. I know that I have access to people like Mark Heinlein – who is a great friend and resource – to turn to when I have questions about an installation method I might not be well versed in. A year after joining, I became a State Ambassador for the NTCA. I attend workshops all over New England giving support to the NTCA at their events.”

In December 2016, Belyea and DiBlasi took a road trip to the CTEF in South Carolina to attend a Tile Love/Schluter/CTI event. Belyea also took the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test and passed as CTI #1274.

Today Belyea is cooking with gas, bringing artistry and excellence to high-end residential custom tile projects, from new construction on summer houses in Cape Cod to renovations on multi-million dollar residences in downtown Boston.

“I take great joy and pride in what I do,” he said. “I compare the finished tile project to a prepared meal. The customer’s approval of the finished project is very rewarding to me.”

Another rewarding experience – one of the highlights of both his life and his career – was to be part of the Tile Geeks Project last year in Dickerson, Md., for the Madison Fields Autism Foundation (see TileLetter, January 2018 issue). “It was nine grueling days of work,” he said. “But I am so glad I did it. I got to meet and work with great people, installers and now friends.”

JSG Tile and Stone LLC project work

On September 11, Pavlo (aka Pasha) Starykov of Star Tile & Stone, LLC reported on the “NTCA Members Only” Facebook group that his good friend and NTCA member 39-year old Andrey Zelenko suffered a terrible tragedy. Zelenko went on a boat trip on the Columbia River with his wife, 41-year old Natalia (aka Natasha), on Sunday, September 2. Unfortunately their boat collided with another boat beneath the Camas Slough bridge and Natasha was killed. Andrey sustained serious injuries.   (https://youtu.be/QwfNeQGaqJk).

Starykov said that currently, Andrey is in stable condition as he is slowly recovering, and has learned of the loss of his wife, who “who was his best friend on earth.” Starykov said, “He doesn't know yet how he will live without her. His friends and relatives are with him all the time at the hospital. The full physical recovery will take at least 3-4 months. If you could say a few words of support, I will read it to Andrey.”

Andrey's friends and relatives have set up a fundraiser to aid with funeral costs, and all the costs that will incur with medical treatment and time away from work for him, Starykov said. Monetary gifts are very much appreciated but they are asking for everyone to please pray for Andrey to recover and for God to carry him through this the most difficult time in his life. To donate to the fundraiser, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/memorial-fund-for-natasha-zelenko

Andrey is the owner of Evergreen Tile & Stone, LLC (Gladstone, Ore.), with wife Natasha. The company joined NTCA this year during a workshop hosted by Robb Roderick in Portland. He has been considering taking the CTI test.