The tile industry has a unique way of bringing together unlikely partners who share a common vision. Such is the case with Best of Everything (BOE), a company born from the convergence of two distinct career paths: Rick Baldini’s Fortune 500 expertise and Rich Maggio’s deep family roots in tool manufacturing.
A legacy spanning decades
Rich Maggio’s story begins with his grandfather, who founded Superior Featherweight Tools in 1944. What makes this origin story particularly compelling is the ingenuity behind the company’s name and early success.
During World War II, Maggio’s grandfather discovered a source of scrap aluminum from Lockheed Aircraft in the Long Beach area. This innovative material allowed him to manufacture lightweight trowels, hawks, and other tools—hence the “Featherweight” designation. The company pioneered tools for five trades: cement, masonry, drywall, plastering, and tile. Maggio’s father and uncle took over the company after their father died in 1969.
Rich Maggio joined the family business at a very young age, taking on increasingly diverse and demanding roles, including sales, product development, design, and both domestic and international manufacturing. His contributions not only bolstered his family’s business but also garnered significant brand recognition within the contractor community, leading to an advantageous acquisition by a strategic industry buyer.
Rick Baldini’s journey through building products
Rick Baldini’s career followed a different trajectory, beginning with positions at Fortune 500 building products companies including United States Gypsum and Masonite. His career progressed to TEC, where he ran the company’s West Coast manufacturing and sales operations.
During this time, Baldini identified Aqua Mix, a privately held care and maintenance company, as a potential acquisition target. Though corporate obstacles prevented the deal, his entrepreneurial instincts led him to approach the owners directly with a partnership proposal, and Baldini became an equity earn-in partner and President/CEO of Aqua Mix. Over his 12-year tenure, he helped grow the company into the most recognized brand of care and maintenance products, culminating in its favorable sale to a strategic industry buyer.
A non-compete agreement then kept him out of the sealer business for five years—a period that would ultimately lead him and Rich Maggio to form a partnership supplying installation accessories to the tile and stone industry.
The partnership takes shape
Both men had connections to Custom Building Products through prior sales, and they had known each other through the industry for years. When Baldini’s non-compete ended and Maggio had already departed Custom, the two decided to explore a “what if” conversation that would change the trajectory of both their careers.
Best of Everything (BOE) was founded around 2007, with the concept of offering “most every installation accessory short of setting materials.” The partnership represented a natural marriage of complementary skills: Baldini brought corporate structure, distributor relationships, and operational expertise, while Maggio contributed his deep knowledge of tool manufacturing, sourcing capabilities, decades of family business experience, and of course, sales.
Building a unique business model
Rather than pursuing direct-to-contractor sales like many competitors, BOE strategically focused on the distributor channel. The company’s philosophy is straightforward: nothing is sold to a distributor until it’s sold through the distributor. This commitment extends to the return policy—if a product doesn’t sell in one market, the company will take it back with no questions asked, knowing it will find success elsewhere.
Maggio’s approach to manufacturing also set the company apart. Rather than simply buying products from overseas factories, he initially partnered with machine shops in Taiwan and China, teaching them his family’s proprietary methods. This hands-on approach ensured quality and prevented the company from becoming “just another overseas tool supplier.”
The TrueBlue Grout Float exemplifies this commitment to excellence. Developed over 10 years, this flagship product has become the industry standard. Contractors report quicker clean-up, reduced fatigue, fewer carpal tunnel symptoms, even when using epoxy grout; and TrueBlue Float is frequently featured in demonstrations by major grout manufacturers.
Innovation through contractor collaboration
A unique aspect of BOE is the company’s openness to contractor innovations. Continuing a tradition started by Maggio’s grandfather, contractors who develop new tool ideas often reach out to the company. Maggio personally evaluates each proposal, offering honest feedback about patenting, manufacturing, and distribution options. Some arrangements involve the company manufacturing products for contractors to sell themselves, while others result in BOE becoming the exclusive manufacturer/distributor.
A comprehensive product portfolio
Under the Primo brand (a name derived from the Italian word for “number one”) BOE offers tile cutters, diamond blades, sponges, gloves, painter’s tape, and practical items like contractor-grade trash bags—products that contractors consistently purchase but typically source from big-box retailers.
The company also created OMNI, a care and maintenance product line that evolved from Baldini’s experience with Aqua Mix. This line has adapted to changes in tile and grout technology, particularly the rise of porcelain tiles that reduced demand for stone sealing products.
BOE’s current top sellers include leveling systems like The Level Best, Vortex, and Lippage Eliminator, which includes a handy usage calculator that helps contractors and distributor personnel determine the number of leveling system pieces needed per job.
Distribution and operations
BOE operates through independent sales agents across the nation, most with long-standing relationships with BOE and the distributors in their territories. The company consolidated operations in Henderson, Nev., in 2021.
Looking forward
Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, BOE has achieved impressive results. The company posted double-digit growth last year and again in the first quarter of the current year. With its focus on serving distributors and supporting the contractors who depend on its products, the success of Best of Everything (BOE) demonstrates that in the tile industry, relationships, reputation, and genuine commitment to quality ultimately drive success.
Bart Bettiga is the Executive Director of the National Tile Contractors Association. Bettiga is a member of the Board of Governors of Coverings, one the largest tradeshows in North America. He has over 30 years of experience in the tile and stone industry and has served as the NTCA Executive Director since 2002. He is a well known speaker and author on ceramic tile and natural stone distribution and installation. He oversees the financial operations of the NTCA, TileLetter and the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation.
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