The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) joined much of the surface and flooring industry at The International Surface Event (TISE) January 26-29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas – albeit with some slowdowns. Storms across the country delayed or cancelled many flights, resulting in sparse initial crowds. But as the week went on robust attendance was enjoyed by many exhibitors.
Ambassador Reception and Industry Awards
The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) kicked off the event with the NTCA Ambassador Reception Monday, January 26 before the show started.
The associations honored the NTCA Tile Setter Craftspersons of the Year. Mark Christensen of Tarkus Tile, Lehi, UT received the residential honor and Will Richardet of Richardet Floor Covering in Perryville, MO was honored with the commercial award. Mosaic award plaques were hand-crafted by NTCA Member Angie Ré of Unique Mosaics, South Salt Lake, UT.
Christensen advised installers just starting out to resist comparing themselves to others or angling for likes on social media. “All that matters is how you treat your work and your people around you when nobody’s watching.”
Richardet shared, “I feel strongly about teaching people the right way to do things and the efficient way to do things… I work till I get a goal done. I work with goals in mind.”
NTCA also named Stephen Belyea of JSG Tile and Stone in Weymouth, MA as Ambassador of the Year to honor his dedication to the industry. “It’s just my way of giving back,” he said. “Joining the NTCA 10 years ago was probably my best business decision I’ve ever made. It gave me access to all the people that are in the industry, and they helped me be a better contractor, a better business owner, a better person.”
CTEF then bestowed the Dan Hecox Service Award to ARDEX’s Terry Hall, for following in Dan’s footsteps by supporting the installation community and investing his time and energy into the lives of installers. “I really appreciate these organizations for their education,” Hall said. “What I try to do in my training classes is promote NTCA, promote CTEF. I encourage everyone to take their CTI…and to learn the right ways to do things, so they can be a better installer and give a better product to their customers.”
Education and demonstration
CTEF’s Brad Denny partnered with NTCA’s Director of Training Matt Welner to conduct demos and education centering on waterproofing and deflection. CTEF’s Scott Carothers delivered talks about managing tile installation risk without hiring additional labor, and the hidden cost of callbacks.
The powerhouse duo of Sam Robinson and Anna McCortney of Ultimate Flooring in Akron, OH presented several talks on mentorship, and how small flooring businesses can compete and win with a focus on interacting with people in their community, and underscoring the importance of training programs offered by organizations such as CTEF, NTCA and CFI.
NTCA’s Elena Grant, Assistant Executive Director Marketing and Public Relations/TileLetter Publisher presented an insightful talk on proven marketing tactics for the flooring industry.
Manufacturers like Schluter, MAPEI, Bostik, got on the education and demo bandwagon, gathering crowds around their booths, stages or the theater with essential information for the industry. And Custom Building Products celebrated the first day of the show with an evening bash at Ri Ra Irish Pub.
Preparing for Coverings
While NTCA and CTEF were in town for the show, staff and members visited the nearby University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) to meet with School of Architecture Students who are designing tile-adorned furniture which will be on display at Coverings at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 30-April 2. NTCA Five-Star Accredited Contractor Jeff Occhipinti of Columbia River Tile & Stone gave students instruction on developing designs as well as using tools like the ring saw, wet saw and various nippers and cutters. CTEF’s Denny and NTCA’s Welner conferred with students and professors about the feasibility of the design. Jamie Rich of Taffy Event Strategies visited the class to discuss the space and goals of the furniture at the Coverings show.
Certifying skills
CTEF conducted four Certified Tile Installer tests on the show floor, with Tom Cravilion of Cravillion Tile & Stone in Plymouth, Wis. evaluating the exam, and Schluter Systems sponsoring it. All four installers were from Elite Tile Setters in South Jordan, UT. Congratulations to the new CTIs:
- Mike Newbold CTI #2055
- Luis Fernando Castillo CTI #2056
- David Diaz CTI #2057
- Luis Rossi CTI #2058
Seen at the show
Those with a strong presence at the show included AHF/Crossville, which debuted its new Portland Cliff and Cleve lines, as well as the CrossValue collection of best-selling, in-stock lines for contractors and Main Street Dealers. LX Hausys showed Solea, Ocean Ridge and Midnight Ember, three new quartz countertop lines that integrate warm neutrals within the color palette. At the Daltile booth, the company focused on its Xteriors line of all-weather solutions for exterior style, artisanal looks like Daltile’s Contempee and a resurgence of terrazzo style in Marazzi’s Curation.
World-renowned mosaic artist David Arnott was on deck at the QEP booth, wielding the new Power Nippers he designed in conjunction with the company. QEP also rolled out a vast collection of new products including its GTP Vibrating Suction Cup to eliminate trapped air bubbles under tile; plus new blades and polishing pads and a sneak preview of its Katana 51” score and snap cutter.
At MB StonePro, the Clean Space UltraCST Respirator system features a lightweight self-contained power unit at the back (no dangling hoses) and a full face option for protection from biohazards, particulates and dust.
Several vendors at the Startup Station caught this reporter’s eye. Scanimate uses physically-based rendering (PBR) with 3D viewers that allow users not only to rotate the sample and view it from different angles, but also to see and feel the subtle properties of the materials, similar to a video game, but with much greater accuracy. Oregon-based Leather Floor Protectors launched their rugged, U.S.-made leather floor protectors for stools, chairs and furniture in various shapes and sizes. And CrewCam is a cloud-based business software that helps companies organize and document all work-related photos, videos, chats, and projects in one centralized app.
Plan ahead
Tise 2027 will take place February 4-7 2027, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Mark your calendars!
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.
