- “Don’t do business with people who yell, scream, and curse. Life is too short for that.”
- “Training and education is not an expense; it is an investment.”
- “Thank your mentors on a regular basis. They were willing to share their knowledge.”
- “Picture it in your mind before you tile it with your hands.”
- – From Point Up: Points to Ponder for the Tile Contractor, Volume I by Jim Isaminger
Welcome to the month of pumpkin spice, ghosts and goblins…and Tile Solutions Plus (TSP)! NTCA President Rod Owen’s letter gives a brief overview of this all-industry event taking place in Miami, Fla., Nov. 1-3 this year. Check it out, scan the QR code for more information and sign up. We want to see you there!
TSP gives you a great opportunity to learn and enhance your technical and business skills. And so does TileLetter! This month, former NTCA Training Director Mark Heinlein shares wisdom about substrates and substructures in a residential remodel where a bedroom was demo’d and replaced with a bathroom and shower. And in Ask the Experts, discover the do’s and don’ts of installing tile over existing tile.
Joy Gomez, Founder of Field Promax, has authored our business story about how focusing on scheduling efficiency—before marketing your company—can boost your productivity instead of promising and not having the crew or schedule to deliver results.
Our Artisan story this month is an epic tale of restoration, innovation, and collaboration in Lincoln, Neb. Luke Holle and his company, Superboy Construction, took on the relocation and reinstallation of a beloved mural, and invented two machines to help orient the 80,000 original tiles and prepare them for their new home.
In this issue, you’ll also meet Harry Burgos, Owner of CNB Renovations in Ladson, S.C. Get inspired by his love for learning—and for sharing what he knows. He does this with and for fellow contractors, homeowners, and next month, he’ll take it up another level by serving as a Regional Director for NTCA. He’s also part of the Comunidad Latino team of Spanish-language contractors working with NTCA to make materials relevant for this population and help them advance from craftspeople to business owners.
Want to learn more about this effort? Check out TileLetter Publisher Elena Grant’s story about this initiative, which she has been heading up, to support education, mentorship, representation, connection, and growth for Hispanic contractors, who make up a third of the contractor universe.
In August, the industry lost one of its greats: Jim Isaminger, former NTCA President and Owner of DMI Tile and Marble in Birmingham, Ala. He made many significant inroads in the industry, and the work he and his wife Marilyn did in their business became the model for various NTCA programs, including the Five-Star Accredited Contractor Program and the NTCA Apprenticeship Program. We include a tribute to this well-loved pillar of the industry in this issue.
Putting something or someone on a pedestal can be folly—unless it’s the luxury outdoor spaces of a new premier waterfront residential community in North Carolina and you’re using LATICRETE’s NXT® Pedestal System to support porcelain tiles to enhance exterior spaces while water flows below. Learn how this system simplified installation and achieved architectural goals for this outdoor oasis.
Wishing you a wonderful beginning of fall, and reminding you to do your civic duty and vote in the midterm elections this November 3. Your choice and your voice help shape the country. Use them wisely.
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.
