Louisville, KY, July 27--Louisville Tile Distributors recently celebrated its 50th year in business with simultaneous birthday parties at each of the company’s eight locations. The events included festivities for employees and customers, birthday cakes and giveaways to commemorate the milestone year for the company.
"We have enjoyed 50 years of success thanks to the dedication of our people," explains Jud Wilcox, Founder and CEO of Louisville Tile Distributors, Inc. "The Louisville Tile family has reached this half-century mark together."
Louisville Tile currently has eight locations, employing 140 people, throughout the mid-east region. The company is a multi-million dollar business with diverse product offerings, longstanding customer relationships and the buying power of eight branches. Today, Louisville Tile is poised for additional expansion, having proven to be an evolutionary distributor able to change and grow with the times for long-term success.
Jud Wilcox founded Louisville Tile Distributors, Inc. in 1955. As a tile setter in Louisville, Wilcox had seen firsthand the need for an effective tile distributorship in the area. The business was born of Wilcox’s vision to offer the products and service he himself had very much needed as an installer. Early on, word about Louisville Tile spread amongst local tile contractors, and customers flocked.
"We earned the trust of tile contractors," recalls Wilcox. "I started the company based on what I wanted as a customer: quick service and respect."
Additionally, Wilcox had a strong commitment to treating suppliers respectfully. Wilcox knew maintaining positive relationships with vendors would be mutually beneficial for not only for his company and the suppliers, but ultimately customers.
With such a strong emphasis on respect and service, Louisville Tile today enjoys numerous long-term relationships with manufacturers, customers and employees. For example, the company began selling Florida Tile products in June of 1960, and the relationship continues to this day. Also, some customers have been with Louisville Tile for more than 35 years.
Likewise, Louisville Tile has many employees with decades of service to the company. Wilcox highlights the company’s promise to provide competitive salaries and benefits, career advancement and educational support (including a generous, merit-based college tuition program) as reasons for such dedication.
"A company that cares about its employees will have employees who care about their customers," Wilcox states.
With this positive approach, Louisville Tile has consistently grown over its 50-year history, eventually expanding beyond Kentucky to open locations in Tennessee (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville), Ohio (Cincinnati), Indiana (Evansville, Indianapolis), and Kentucky (Lexington, Louisville).
