Jackson, MS, October 9, 2006--Tom Ade of Filling Marble and Tile in Cologne, N.J. and Harvey Powell, formerly of the Noble Company, have received the NTCA Third Annual Ring of Honor.
A handsome ring, emblazoned with the NTCA logo, is given to a deserving contractor and affiliate member who has served the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) throughout their careers. Presentations were made at an awards banquet during the association’s Total Solutions conference at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Ade began his career in the tile industry at 16, and ascended through the ranks to eventually become head of operations of Filling Marble and Tile today. In the 70’s, he helped the company go from near-bankruptcy to being a profitable enterprise. The family-owned company now focuses on casino work in Atlantic City as well as supplying fabricated marble and waterjet work to other casinos across the country.
Ade’s emphasis on training derives partly from being a union shop – part of BAC Local 52 New York/New Jersey, as well as from involvement with NTCA back in early 70’s, when NTCA was Southern Tile, Terrazzo, Marble Contractors Association (STTMCA). He continued his emphasis
on training for his workers. Ade served a term on the NTCA board of directors, and was named NTCA Tile Person of the Year in 2000.
Harvey Powell, of Lake Lanier, Ga., held numerous positions at Noble Company, starting as sales manager in 1977, and functioning in marketing, advertising and product development. He retired as president from Noble Company in 1996 and again in July 2006 as president of Noble Holding Company. Currently Powell is president of Powell Group Ltd., a consulting firm involved in developing an inherently waterproof, lightweight, inorganic backerboard made from post-consumer nylon carpeting.
Powell was instrumental in developing numerous products for the Noble Company, including NobleSeal TS waterproofing sheet membrane, NobleBond proprietary adhesive and NobleDeck waterproofing and crack isolation membrane for exterior settings. He originated the concept of crack isolation and with single component sound control for ceramic tile and stone thin-set installations with NobleSeal CIS and NobleSeal SIS.
Powell served for 15 years as president of the Materials and Methods Standards Association (MMSA). During his tenure, which began in 1990, MMSA developed a standards committee and wrote ANSI standards for backer boards, thin-bed liquid and sheet waterproofing membranes and sound control membranes.
He became involved with NTCA in the early 90’s, serving on the board of directors and technical committee, traveling with then-executive-director Joe Tarver to workshops. Through his strong advocacy of training and education, and working with NTCA, the then-Tile Council of America and the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Powell helped develop a training program that evolved into the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation.
Powell was well acquainted with last year’s NTCA Ring of Honor recipient, Paul Dinkel, co-inventor of Wonderboard tile backer. The tile industry icons conferred about the development of sound control membranes and later, at MMSA, worked together to develop standards for various tile installation products.
Powell also served four two-year terms as director of the Marble Institute of America and has served for over a decade on the Tile Council of North America board and Handbook committee.
Powell was awarded the CTDA Jerry Fisher Service to the Industry Award in 2002.
