“Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
– William Arthur Ward
Welcome to this season of thanksgiving, where we are called to recollect the many areas of our lives that ignite gratitude: home, family, friends, health, work, creativity, colleagues, and more. We at TileLetter are also super grateful for all of our readers – and our supporters – that inspire and allow us to bring you training and education in print (and in digital!) each month. We do it for you, and we wouldn’t be here without you!
Speaking of supporting you, one of the pieces in this TileLetter issueis a story by Elena Grant about our new Tile Pro Network Community, an exclusive online space designed just for our valued members. It’s a dedicated place where tile professionals can connect, share, learn, and grow together, without the distraction that other social media platforms can create. It launched live on October 15 – and members should have received an email invite to join us.
Sam Bruce has passionately and creatively served the last two years as NTCA President. In this issue, he reflects on the past and looks to the future, as he passes the presidential torch to Rod Owen. We’re grateful to Sam for all the support, wisdom and guidance he has provided to the association and TileLetter readers over the last two years.
There are important changes afoot in our NTCA Five-Star Accredited Contractors group, and NTCA’s Becky Serbin details them for you in our Member Spotlight story this month. Our Five-Star Case Study elevates the work that Lippert Flooring and Tile did at Milwaukee’s Trade Hotel. It earned the company an NTCA Five-Star Large Commercial Achievement of Excellence award at Coverings this year.
Also, check out our Technical story by James Woelfel, NTCA Technical Committee chair, who demystifies the work of the Technical Committee, and gives an example of the Committee’s work with an explanation of how ANSI standard A108.01-5.0 Visual Inspection of Tilework was conceived and developed. This is the first in a series of Technical Committee-centric stories that will roll out in 2025.
In our Training and Education section, CTEF’s Brad Denny offers an update on changes and opportunities taking place at the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, complete with a recap of activities in 2024 and an outlook for what’s coming in 2025.
Our cover story features a luxury home in Wichita, Kan., and how ARDEX’s Exterior Systems enhance the project.
From all of us at NTCA and TileLetter, we wish you a beautiful beginning to the holiday season and are looking forward to great things in 2025.
God bless,
Lesley
Editorial Director and Senior Writer for TileLetter and TileLetter ARTISAN
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.
