NTCA Marks 60th Anniversary

Jackson, MS, April 11, 2007--This year marks the 60th anniversary of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA). To commemorate this milestone event – and to provide ongoing value to its membership – NTCA has the instituted the following initiatives and planned these upcoming events. More detailed information on many of these initiatives is available on the NTCA Coverings press kit CD, which will be available at Coverings 2007, April 17-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago: A new logo -- The new design positions three dimensional NTCA initials atop a three-dimensional tile, signifying the association is based in tile. The logo is rendered in red, white and blue, all set inside a circular crest that contains the name of the association. Brazilian firm Opera Designs developed the design, with the assistance of Davis Leichsenring, owner of Holland Tile, a Rockville, Md., tile contractor and NTCA member. TileLetter and Cornerstone Awards – the 4th Annual TileLetter Awards recognize installation excellence in commercial and residential installations. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to winners during a special ceremony on beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 19 in room S101AB at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., during Coverings. In addition there will be a special presentation celebrating the history of TileLetter magazine. And the 6th Annual Joe A. Tarver Cornerstone Award for service to the industry will be awarded to Henry Rothberg, founder of Laticrete International. Harley Motorcycle Giveaway at Coverings – One attendee at Coverings 2007 will be the lucky winner of a 2007 Harley-Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy motorcycle. The giveaway is sponsored by NTCA and Alibaba.com, a web portal for global trade. Attendees need only complete an entry form when picking up badge holders at McCormick place and drop it in one of the designated bins on the show floor or NTCA booth 4036 near the installation stage. The winner (must be a U.S. resident) will be announced Friday, April 20 at noon, next to the registration area. The winner must be an attendee, but need not be present to win. Contractor Survey – NTCA is partnering with Clear Seas Research, a division of BNP Media, on a groundbreaking survey to study parameters that are important to tile and stone contractors and the installation segment of the tile and stone industry. Survey content will examine five different areas: general business activity and growth; product-specific installation activity; brand usage and preferences of setting materials and tools; emerging industry trends, such as the emergence of green/environmentally friendly products and materials; and general respondent information such as location, employees, etc. Results should available by the end of April. Profit Planning Survey – This annual survey is conducted free for members in strict confidence by Dr. Albert Bates of The Profit Planning Group, who provides a similar service to the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association and the National Wood Flooring Association. The survey provides invaluable analysis and strategic planning for member tile contracting businesses. Deadline for the survey, which takes less than an hour to complete, is June 30. Partnering for Success -- The NTCA board of directors has extended a 2006 membership recruitment program for 2007. Contractor members who join NTCA this year will receive $500 in redeemable vouchers. This enables tile contractors the ability to experience all that NTCA has to offer, free for the first year. In addition, second-year NTCA contractor members will also receive $250 worth of vouchers to offset their second-year dues as well. NTCA 60th Anniversary TileLetter issue – In August, readers will enjoy a special commemorative issue of TileLetter, celebrating the association’s 60 years of training, education and participation in elevating excellence in the tile industry. Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide – This fall NTCA will publish a 14th first-ever TileLetter issue. This Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide will provide a complete list of all NTCA members and a complete resource for products and services pertinent to tile setting. “Point Up: Points to Ponder for the Tile Contractor”: This130-page book, sponsored by NTCA, is an enjoyable and educational list of wise observations, suggestions and business insights for the tile contractor, intended to stimulate thought and to foster the exchange of ideas. For volume II of the book, NTCA will pay NTCA members $10 for ideas, comments and insights about both commercial and residential tile installation that are approved an used in the book. The customizable book sells for $10 plus $3 handling and shipping on the NTCA website or at trade shows. Total Solutions – NTCA’s annual conference will take place at Tradewinds Island Resort (www.tradewindsresort.com) at St. Pete Beach, Fla., October 11-13, 2007. The event offers contractors the opportunity to learn about new products, methods, processes, while networking in a relaxed, conducive environment with fellow contractors and other industry personnel. Total Solutions includes high-profile industry technical and business speakers and hands-on demonstrations and participation. This year’s keynote speaker will be Frank Bucaro, CSP, CPAE whose program on business ethics, entitled, ““Good Company: Be the Organization That People Want To Work For, Partner With, Invest In and Buy From!” promises to be an informative, practical and entertaining address. Attendees at the sponsors’ reception, which features tabletop displays, have a chance to win prizes like a Playstation or iPod player. Other activities include an awards banquet on Friday, October 12 and the opportunity to participate in a golf tournament or fishing tournament on Saturday, October 13, with prizes awarded for both events. Free registration. NTCA Workshop Program – Currently, NTCA has 49 educational, hands-on workshops scheduled at manufacturer and distributor sites around the country and at the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation at Clemson, S.C. For a complete and up-to-date list of the workshops, led by NTCA training director Gerald Sloan as well as other industry professionals, visit the NTCA website. For details on the programs or more information about NTCA, visit www.tile-assn.com on the Web, phone (602) 939-2071 or email NTCA executive director Bart Bettiga at bart@tile-assn.com, membership director Bob Brown at bob@tile-assn.com or training director Gerald Sloan at gerald@tile-assn.com. Or stop by NTCA booths 4718 or 4036 or booths 4104 or 4138 located by the installation stages at Coverings.