“I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”
– The Greatest Love of All by Linda Creed / Michael Masser
The children are our future, even more so in an industry that needs 546,000 new workers in 2023 to meet the demands of construction, according to ABC.
So, how to attract – and inspire – young people to consider tile setting for a career? Well, in our Training and Education story, we meet a couple of tile contractors who are working with local schools, organizations and one-to-one with young people to introduce them to the world of tile, and help them cultivate a sense of creativity and pride in working with this medium.
And how do you ensure that engaged employees will join your team when it is time to hire new people to your company? Check out our Hot Topics story this month, which explores the hiring practices of three NTCA Five-Star Contractors, and how they evaluate mindset and fit within the company culture alongside assessing skills to determine if a candidate will add value to their team.
Carly Fiorina talks to us in our Business story about how to get your digital message across in a wild and churning sea of competing messages and impressions. It’s not enough to just have a message – there are steps you can take to maximize its reception and help cut through the competition.
CTEF’s Scott Carothers writes in our Technical section about a timeless topic – the critical importance of movement joints. This isn’t the sexiest topic, but it sure is an essential one if you want your projects to withstand thermal expansion and contraction, and prevent tenting or worse, tiles violently launching from the floor to the ceiling when unrelieved pressure is allowed to build in the absence of movement joints. Make sure these are part of every tile job you install!
In our Member Spotlight, we meet Lee Aviv, his company Colorado Springs-based Aviv Tile and Remodeling, and its dedication to installing according to the standards. It also touches on Aviv’s participation each fall in the local Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival and how he incorporates tile into his race entry.
Finally, our cover feature details how Schluter Systems made a 1,000-shower job at the Choctaw Casino and Resort expansion in Durant, Okla., a winning venture, and helped the installation team complete the job with lightning speed.
One change you’ll note in this issue is the absence of our One-to-One interview of industry leaders by Bart Bettiga. This feature is now a digital-only feature to allow expanded content and links to video. So be sure to look for it online. May’s interview will be with MAPEI’s Real Bourdage, recent recipient of the Joe A. Tarver Service to the Industry Award.
Thanks for reading and making TileLetter part of your ongoing education!
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.
