One of the defining characteristics of NTCA is its training and education programs, over 300 strong in 2025. It’s NTCA’s mission to provide standards-based education to tile setters, installers and contractors, expanding skills, competencies and opportunities for growth.
NTCA couldn’t accomplish this goal without its stable of sponsors and partners – just take a look at the Training and Education page in every issue of TileLetter to see all the companies who believe in the power of training and education as much as we do, and want to support YOU in your career.
Because, as Ross Donnelly and Marco Raimondi of Raimondi USA so aptly put it: “We like to say that just as the finest fabrics will never become beautiful dresses without skilled tailors, even the most beautiful and technically-advanced tiles will never become stunning floors without the support of excellent tilers.”
Tile+tilers, educators+partners – it’s what makes training possible and elevates the trade. We talked to a few of our newer supporters to dig into why collaboration with NTCA is so valuable. We learned how participation can enhance the goal of high-quality installations for customers, equip tile installers and contractors with what’s needed for a profitable, successful livelihood, and provide an avenue for suppliers to familiarize customers with their products and how to best use them.
Connecting with contractors
Clearly, NTCA gives partners a prime opportunity to connect with contractors.
“Collaborating with NTCA provides us the opportunity to meaningfully engage contractors and tradespeople who believe in Hardie® Backer Board products and installation best practices to produce the finest tile work in the industry,” said Bryan Whitlock, National Account Manager – Lowe’s for James Hardie. “NTCA gives us a front-row seat to market trends and installation best practices that we would not get anywhere else.”
Added the Raimondi USA team, “NTCA divulging installation knowledge combined with Raimondi expertise in developing state-of-the-art innovative tools can’t be anything else than a high-added-value collaboration.”
Raimondi’s Italian headquarters has a long history of full commitment to training tile installers in Europe through its founding membership in ASSOPOSA (Italian Tiler Association) and participation in EUF (European Union of Tilers Association). For years in the USA, Donnelly Distribution – the former official importer of Raimondi in the USA – was involved in training domestically. Now the newly-formed Raimondi USA continues the philosophy of the Italian headquarters and is proud to “actively support NTCA programs.”
U.S. manufacturing; upholding innovation
For Dave Godlewski, Director of Sales for Wonder Porcelain, based in Lebanon, Tenn., promotion of 100% USA-made product is paramount.
“Wonder Porcelain wants to align with the NTCA to play an integral role in the education, promotion, and emphasis on the important role of USA manufacturing, now more than ever.” he said. Wonder is a large manufacturer of 24″ x 48″ tiles – a format that is getting more popular every day. So participating in training with contractors and alongside setting material companies that focus on installing these larger formats is important to the company.
Godlewski also values the role NTCA has in “representing the U.S. tile industry with regards to legislation and protecting U.S. manufacturing from inferior products being dumped in the U.S. from non-conforming countries.”
At Paramount Global Services (PGS) – the parent company of Happy Floors and Stone Source – CEO Kory Bowling heralded the company’s commitment to “supporting educational initiatives that enhance installer training, promote industry best practices, and drive innovation.”
And those educational initiatives include the training-in-print offered each month by TileLetter magazine.
“Platforms like the TileLetter, both in print and digital formats, play a crucial role in spreading knowledge and keeping professionals informed about emerging trends and techniques,” Bowling said. “We are excited to contribute to these efforts and look forward to making a meaningful impact within the NTCA community.”
Brand promotion
And TileLetter got another shout out from Wonder Porcelain’s Godlewski as he called it a “great way to reach the relevant key personnel in the industry, for brand awareness and new collections” – a perfect opportunity for manufacturers and suppliers to promote their products.
James Hardie also touts its Made in the USA status with Hardie® Backer Board. This 1/4″ and 1/2″ fiber cement board has been a leader in strength, water resistance, and tile adhesion, for decades, Whitlock said, adding that NTCA collaboration connects James Hardie with key customers, builds mindshare for Hardie Backer Board products and helps retain market share in the tile underlayment category.
“These trainings provide us the opportunity to showcase just how important choosing Hardie® Backer Board underlayment products, along with the correct setting and waterproofing materials, is to completing a high-quality tile installation,” he said. “Learning and putting best practices to work in the field supports our collective end game – a high-quality flooring, kitchen or bath tile project that will last a lifetime.”
PGS’ Bowling added, “Our partnership with the NTCA allows us to strengthen our connection with the national contractor network, expanding awareness of all Paramount Global Surfaces brands: Happy Floors and Stone Source. Through this collaboration, we gain the opportunity to directly engage with skilled contractors and installers across various regions, ensuring they have access to high-quality tile and stone solutions. Additionally, by supporting NTCA’s educational initiatives, we help promote best practices for installation, leading to better results and long-term success for our products in the field.”
Favorite programs: GPTP wins out!
Do collaborators have a “favorite” NTCA training program or topic?
At Raimondi USA, “while all installation phases (and related products) are very important to us, we believe that the Gauged Porcelain Panel Tile education program by NTCA is arguably the most significant. As a matter of fact, this is the category we have invested most in research and development to provide a wide and complete range of products featuring superior performances.”
Bowling at PGS echoed Raimondi USA’s choice – saying it is “investing heavily in large-format porcelain panels, recognizing them as a fast-growing product segment in our industry. We believe that contractor and installer education is essential for the successful adoption and proper installation of these panels. By partnering with NTCA, we can provide the necessary training and support to ensure best practices are followed, ultimately enhancing the quality, durability, and appeal of large-format installations.”
At Wonder, the company’s new 24″ x 48″ CONNECTILE Collection with continuous veining was just launched at Coverings last month. Making the most of the continuous veining effect requires a simple but important installation requirement to attain this look. Therefore, Wonder Porcelain is enthusiastic about aligning with NTCA “to reach the installation community in the most trusted and supported manner possible.”
Attend a training program today!
Industry leaders have confidence in NTCA training programs and initiatives to elevate installation, drive innovation, uphold U.S. manufacturing, provide education for on-trend formats and products, and offer exposure to products. Have you attended an NTCA training program lately? Visit www.NTCATraining.com and find an upcoming program near you!
Lesley Goddin has been writing and journaling since her first diary at age 11. Her journey has taken her through a career in publishing and publicity, landing her the editor position of TileLetter and its special publications in 2006. Her goal is to educate, inspire, recognize and encourage those in the tile industry -- especially the tile and stone contractor.
