Tile of Spain, the international brand representing 200 ceramic tile manufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), offered a number of new introductions including:

• TAU’s new S3 Technical Ceramic Wall, is a system where any technology can be seamlessly hidden behind a beautifully tiled wall. The Technical Ceramic Wall is a vertical extension of a removable floor behind which all wiring and fittings for domestic appliances, devices and electrical equipment is concealed.

 

• APAVISA showcased Archconcept, a new indoor/outdoor ceramic collection that provides new volumes to vertical surfaces, including hexagons with volume in its core and square panels with raised and folded corners.  The tiles are created with stone, metal and cement finishes that have revolutionized traditional porcelain finishes.

 

• APARICI introduced its Neutral series, available in eight colors featuring several different relief patterns, and its Jungle collection, tiles that imitate a mosaic of different types of wood.

 

Everyone knows tile is green. So why is the new Green Squared standard and certification program launching at Coverings so important to the industry? How did it come together, who took part in the development process, and what is likely to be its impact over time? TileDealer is excited to preview this new program and share some important basics with you.

Why it’s important

The tile industry has long recognized that its products are inherently sustainable, says Bill Griese, manager of standards development and green initiatives for the Anderson, SC-based Tile Council of North America (TCNA). Tile is selected in building and remodeling projects because it endures and is made from natural materials, which is “the very definition of green,” he asserts.

“But we wanted to take it to the next level, and continue to improve from a manufacturing standpoint, a material and resource standpoint, and an energy standpoint,” he adds. “We also wanted to look beyond the environment and focus on social issues. What it came down to is we are really an industry rooted in standards. That’s how we set expectations for ourselves. We have a long history of very good standards for both products and installation.”

There were other reasons for pursuing the establishment of a standard, says Tom Bruursema, sustainability director for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based NSF International, one of three certifying bodies for the standard. “This initiative around building materials and sustainability has been ongoing for a number of years,” he says. “Standards for flooring materials like carpet and resilient flooring have been around for some time, so it’s only natural for the tile industry to have its own standard . . . You often hear sustainability referred to as the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. These standards are comprehensive in that sense. They look at product and corporate initiatives as well.”

Dan Marvin, director of quality assurance and technical service at Florida Tile in Lexington, Ky., who served as the chairman of the Green Initiative Committee, worked closely with Griese to put together the standard and ensure stakeholders from architects, manufacturers and the green community would be represented. Creating a standard was essential to give tile a voice, he says.

“There were a number of single-attribute green accreditations, such as GreenGuard, but none that addressed manufacturing or corporate governance or some of the other big picture aspects,” Marvin reports.

The multi-attribute quality of Green Squared is also emphasized by Noah Chitty, the Crossville, Tenn.-based technical services director for StonePeak Ceramics. “The standard was important for the tile industry to undertake,” he says. “It’s clear green rating systems in the U.S. are going away from a single-attribute criterion and toward multi-attribute criteria. We’ve put together a pretty comprehensive standard for the industry that goes beyond just criteria of products, and also addresses corporate strategies and facility strategies.”

In addition, it’s important to understand that had the tile industry not created Green Squared, two things would have likely occurred, Chitty adds. One is that some certifying company would have written a standard for green tile, without seeking the input of the tile industry. Second, in the absence of a standard set forth by the tile industry, other industries that did have standards would look increasingly enticing to those involved in green building projects.

Asked if the standard and Green Squared certification will most impress architects and the U.S. Green Building Council, Atlanta-based U.S. Gypsum field marketing and technical services manager Steve Rausch responded in the negative. “Absolutely not,” says Rausch, who sat on the TCNA Green Initiative Committee. “You have stakeholders, people who need to understand how to interpret and validate products. You have consumers demanding that, home builders, remodelers, as well as the architectural community.”

Creating the standard

The first meetings concerning what would result in the standard’s creation and the Green Squared program were convened in 2008, and grew exceptionally intensive in 2011 as efforts were made to “get people to buy in,” says Marvin, who adds “Florida Tile is the first to go through the process.“

Industry representatives were assembled to discuss and define what it meant to be a green product, Griese adds. The result was the establishment of the standard, ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials, covering not just tile, but everything in a tiling system. That includes mortars and grouts, liquids and paste goods, sheet goods like membranes and panel goods like backer boards, as well as tile. The consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five performance categories: Product characteristics, manufacturing, corporate governance, innovation and end-of-life.

The standard was created by the ANSI ASCA 108 committee, comprised of representatives from manufacturers, designers, the green building community, architects, and distributors. “It was a consensus process that included all stakeholders, and was approved unanimously,” Griese says.

*To Be Continued in March/April TileDealer Issue

New Rapid-Setting Mortar from MAPEI

In response to ceramic contractors’ needs for time-saving products, MAPEI has introduced Ultraflex™ LFT Rapid mortar to its line of fast-setting tile and stone installation systems. This mortar sets quickly, allowing grouting in three to four hours. Ultraflex LFT Rapid has a high content of a unique dry polymer, resulting in excellent adhesion to the substrate and tile. Its nonsag medium-bed and thin-set mortar characteristics are ideal for installing large-format tile and stone on interior and exterior floors, walls and countertops. Ultraflex LFT Rapid directly answers the need for quick-turnaround on installation of larger-format tile residentially and commercially in a variety of environments. MAPEI began developing rapid-setting mortars and grouts more than 20 years ago with the introduction of Granirapid® mortar, a faster-setting version of its premium Kerabond/Keralastic™ mortar system for indoor and outdoor applications. Another rapid-setting product, Ultracontact™ RS mortar, allows installers to “drop and go” without back-buttering tiles, a huge time-saving asset for large projects such as shopping malls and airports. MAPEI chemists also developed Planiprep™ RS, a rapid-set patching compound for fast-track concrete repairs to substrates before installers begin setting the tile or stone. When it comes to grouting the joints, MAPEI provides Ultracolor® Plus rapid-setting sanded grout to finish the job quickly. “In terms of commercial renovation projects, the time savings from these rapid-setting products allow the owners to re-open the floors sooner to their customers, or maybe not close the spaces at all,” said Brian Pistulka, Business Development Manager for MAPEI’s Tile & Stone Installation Systems. “We see the need for speed as a key requirement for flooring contractors today, and MAPEI products play an important role in helping them get the job done on time and on budget.”
www.mapei.com

Sustainable Tiles and Installation Material Manufacturers Can Now Earn Green Squared Certification through NSF International

NSF International, an independent global organization that writes public health standards and certifies products for food, water and consumer goods, now offers Green Squared Certification for sustainable ceramic tiles, glass tiles and installation materials. NSF’s Sustainability division is a leading developer of sustainable standards and certification programs for building and furnishing products such as furniture, wallcoverings, and furnishing fabrics, carpets and flooring.

Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Green Squared certification provides accurate, third-party verified information on the environmental impacts of certified tile products. Green Squared certification through NSF Sustainability helps manufacturers and suppliers of tiles and installation materials distinguish their products from competitors, earn preferred vendor status by environmentally-minded consumers and companies, and demonstrate compliance to state and federal purchasing requirements.

The NSF certification process includes a comprehensive documentation review and onsite facility audit to verify conformance to the standard upon which the Green Squared certification program is based, ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials. This consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five categories of performance: Product Characteristics, Manufacturing, Corporate Governance, Innovation, and End-of-Life.

“Green Squared provides a standard of excellence in sustainability for the entire industry as it covers not just tile products but also the materials required for their installation,” said Bill Griese, TCNA Standards Development and Green Initiative Manager. “We are pleased that the certification bodies we have participating in Green Squared are leaders in the realm of developing sustainability standards and certification programs for interior furnishing products, and these organizations have the expertise and industry experience necessary to provide high quality certifications under the Green Squared program.”
“Green Squared and NSF Sustainability certification programs are the most credible certifications available in the marketplace,” said NSF Sustainability Director Tom Bruursema. “Architects, designers and consumers can now easily identify products carrying the Green Squared and NSF Sustainability marks. NSF certified sustainable products such as furniture, carpets, flooring, wallcoverings, furnishing fabrics, and now tiles and tile installation materials, help companies and consumers meet their sustainability goals and demonstrate their commitment to the environment.”

Tiles covered by the Green Squared program may include mosaic, quarry, pressed floor, glazed wall, porcelain, specialty, cast glass, fused glass and low-temperature coated glass tiles. Installation materials may include mortar adhesives, mastic adhesives, reactive resin adhesives, grouts, tile backer units, crack isolation membranes, waterproofing membranes, water containment membranes and sound reduction membranes.
www.nsfsustainability.org

Florida Tile Sets Recycled Content Bar

All domestically produced Florida Tile porcelain products have been certified to contain at least 40% recycled content, thus setting a new standard in an industry eager for valid environmental initiatives. The certification was made by the independent Bureau Veritas, a third-party world leader in conformity assessment and certification services, established 1828 with the stated mission… “to seek out the truth and tell it without fear or favor.”

“This achievement is just the latest step in Florida Tile’s ongoing CARES (Creating A Responsible Environmental Strategy) program,” said company President Michael Franceschelli. “In early 2011 we contracted with Bureau Veritas which conducted a painstaking assessment of our claims and our processes. In September, we were awarded certification verifying that ALL of the porcelain product lines manufactured in our Lawrenceburg, KY factory incorporate AT LEAST 40% pre-consumer recycled content,” he added.

“The certification is not only a great achievement for Florida Tile but also an industry first,” according to Franceschelli. “Other US manufacturers have successfully achieved high recycled content with certain colors or among some series, but not across the board in porcelain and definitely not to this extent.”

How did Florida Tile do it? According to President Franceschelli, “We’ve been working at it for a long time, consistently incorporating increasing amounts of recycled content into our domestically produced tiles. Starting in 2007 with a major upgrade of our facility in Lawrenceburg, we created a system allowing us to recycle and re-use the byproducts of our manufacturing process, including water used in production, clay, unfired tile, dust and unfired ceramic tile. We built on that initiative by sourcing raw materials close to the manufacturing facility, including some with high levels of post-industrial recycled content. Then last year we went on line with a proprietary system which allowed us to regrind fired porcelain and to reintroduce it into the body of new tile.”

“We knew all along that our CARES initiative is the right thing to do, but with green washing so prevalent in every industry, including our flooring and interior coverings marketplaces, Florida Tile felt the need to prove its claims via independent validation for the sake of the industry and our own credibility,” Franceschelli added. “Now our customers, whether they be designers, architects, builders or the end customer, will have the satisfaction of knowing that their US-made product not only meets current GREENGUARD guidelines but in fact leads all brands with an across-the-board recycled content.” For more on sustainable attributes of Florida Tile products, visit floridatile.ecoscorecard.com or www.floridatile.com

Hydro Ban™ System includes Pre-Sloped Shower Pans, Pre-Formed Seats & Niches LATICRETE has brought to market Hydro Ban™ Pre-Sloped Shower Pans, Pre-Formed Seats and Pre-Formed Niches. These are components of the expanded Hydro Ban line of waterproofing products that allow for top quality, highly expedient shower installations. Constructed of lightweight high-density polystyrene, each component is equipped with a code-approved waterproof coating, which may be tiled over immediately upon installation. Hydro Ban Pre-Sloped Shower Pans eliminate the need for traditional “mud bed installations” and come equipped with a factory-installed drain assembly saving contractors valuable time during installation. Additionally, these drains can easily be modified on-site to adjust for any measurement variations. Lightweight, durable and code-approved, the LATICRETE Hydro Ban Shower System is backed by an available lifetime warranty providing both peace of mind and insurance of installation. “Waterproofing is becoming more and more of a focal issue within the tile installation process,” stated Sean Boyle, LATICRETE Marketing and Product Development Director. “We’ve successfully addressed that issue with LATICRETE Hydro Ban Waterproofing membrane. Now, we’re taking this process to the next level with our waterproof shower pans, seats and niches. The end-user no longer has to worry about water problems after his or her shower tile installation. Now, that same person can have a comfortable and beautiful spa-like shower complete with built-in seating and a recessed soap & shower niche.”
www.laticrete.com

Crossville introduces Origins glass mosaics and Structure Porcelain Stone ® tile Crossville® introduced Origins Glass™ mosaics, a new take on Old-World craftsmanship. Made of post-consumer recycled glass, Origins Glass requires a minimal amount of materials for production, yet its textured, swirled and iridized surfaces create great visual depth and give the appearance of hand-made glass. The line comprises 20 colors in five groupings: Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Universe – all inspired by nature. Designed by one of the industry’s most respected color forecasters, Barbara Schirmeister, ASID, DC, CAUS, the line has a clear, luminescent quality, which is extraordinary for recycled glass. “Specifiers and homeowners alike may mix, match and blend these hues to create colorful and dramatic installations, while knowing that they are using a product that is good for the planet,” says Schirmeister. Face-mounted on 12″x12″ sheets, Origins Glass mosaics are available in 1″ x 1″ and 2″ x 2″ sizes, as well as an offset mosaic featuring 1″ x 2″ tile. Also offered are 1″ x 1″ blends, as well as custom blends, which may be designed with Crossville’s Mosaic Blender Tool @ www.CrossvilleInc.com.

Inspired by concrete and refined stone, Crossville’s new Structure™ is a U.S.-made Porcelain Stone® tile that serves as the canvas upon which you can create your vision. Clean and fresh, this unpolished contemporary line provides an understated backdrop for bold, minimalist design statements. Designed for both commercial and residential installations, Structure contains a minimum of 20=percent pre-consumer recycled content and is manufactured by Crossville® using recycling processes that have been certified by Scientific Certification Systems.* Offered in five colorways – Gypsum, Sandstone, Shale, Timber and Basalt – and in rectified, large format and plank-shaped sizes: 24″ x 24″, 12″ x 24″, 6″ x 24″ and 6″ x 6″, Structure is part of Crossville’s Get Planked® program, whereby additional plank shapes may be cut with no minimum order and a short lead time. Coordinating trim is available as a 4″ x 24″ Single Bullnose and a 6″ x 12″ Cove Base. “Because Structure is Porcelain Stone® tile, it has unsurpassed durability, resists staining and scratching and will remain virtually maintenance free on interior floors, walls and countertops,” says Lindsey Ann Waldrep, Crossville’s vice president of marketing. “It will never need sealing or waxing; plus, Structure is also highly recommended for exterior walls and cladding.” Barbara Schirmeister, ASID, DC, CAUS, who is color and design consultant to Crossville, Inc., adds, “The subtle textural appearance of Structure represents an emerging design movement toward a new, more interesting minimalism.

Crossville’s offering of five pivotal neutrals were carefully developed by Crossville’s R&D team to harmonize with current interior palettes. These select hues will afford the architect and designer unlimited color solutions when used as a foil in creating both monolithic and contrasting schemes with soft or bright colorations.”
www.CrossvilleInc.com

As a child growing up in Scotland, Sheila A. Menzies was entertained by the stunning floral tiles that surrounded her grandmother’s best room fireplace.

Across the Atlantic in Rochester, New York, Joseph A. Taylor was spending an early childhood in front of a Tiffany tile fireplace at his family’s home.

Inspired by the beauty of tile at very early ages, it was only natural that Menzies and Taylor would join forces to create the Tile Heritage Foundation in Healdsburg, California in 1987. The foundation has since come to be seen as the singular authority on art tile heritage in the United States.

In the One-on-One interview that follows, Taylor and Menzies trace the evolution of their foundation, share their philosophy  on the importance art tile preservation, divulge some  secrets of their research methodology, and share insights about the future  of their organization.

 

 TileDealer: Why is tile preservation important?

Taylor: It’s kind of fundamental, because the tiles that the Tile Heritage Foundation focuses upon are a decorative art form. They would fall into the same category as any other decorative art. When installations of decorative art are part of public places, they become an integral part of the cultural fabric. People identify with this decorative art form on the buildings in their own cities and towns. So in a sense, it’s very definitely part of the cultural fabric, and that’s definitely worth preserving.

Even the glazed tiles that became part of storefront decoration after World War II, with glossy black, maroon, and diagonal patterns or a combination of patterns and designs to attract attention to the store, fall into the decorative art category. They are commercial tiles, produced primarily for their function, but become decorative art because of the design of their installation.

Menzies: A great deal of literature has been dedicated to art pottery, and tiles are no different, but are considered something of a step-child. That’s why we began exploring the questions of what they are, where they come from, and who made them. That’s why we started the Tile Heritage Foundation.

 

TD:  How and when did you start the Tile Heritage Foundation?

Menzies: It was started in 1987 when we were returning from a winter trip.  Joe had thought it would be a great idea to write a book about tile history in California, then broadening the book to cover the history of tile across the nation.

It became a larger and larger project. So we agreed, let’s start a non-profit. Let’s ingather, based on who has knowledge.

Taylor: We have a whole slew of taped interviews from those early days.  Both Sheila and I interviewed many of the old-timers. I’d been involved with the McIntyre Tile Co. here in Healdsburg, and from my experience was increasingly aware of other companies making tiles. I also met other people who comprised the older generation. So even before the foundation started, I was interviewing people, and many people told me, ‘If there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.’ We felt we had established a base of interest for an organization. We stopped in a bookstore and purchased Anthony Mancuso’s book titled How to Start a Non-profit. Six months later, in July 1987, we got our status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization through the federal government and State of California.

 

TD: What skills did you bring from the start to the operation? 

Taylor:  I had worked at a tile company from 1973 to 1985, so I had tile in my blood. Twelve years got me oriented in the tile world, in charge of sales and marketing for what was basically a small company where we not only made our tiles by hand but also made all the machinery we used to make the tiles. My college degree was in English, and I taught in the Peace Corps, and I had taught remedial English at UCLA, and in order to get the message out for the Tile Heritage Foundation, we started with a quarterly newsletter, ‘Flash Point.’

Those skills came in handy. And my family is very artistic, I have two sisters who are professional artists. My mother was an artist, and my dad was active in nonprofit organizations. It was all right there.

Menzies: One of the things that’s always been very important is that Joe and I are kind of a meld. He is a detail person and I’m a big picture person. My background is in art, but not in ceramics. I have a lot of very practical skills, and also write very well. We were on the same page. I grew up in Scotland, surrounded by tiles. My whole focus was easily directed into another kind of artistic and creative outlet. The nuts and bolts of what we do, whether answering questions, researching, archiving or publishing, we have those abilities.

There’s a lot of crossover of skills, and we bring different attributes to the table.

 

TD: How do you identify tile worth preserving?

Taylor:  The installations we deal with aren’t always public. In fact, more than half the time, when we get an inquiry, it’s regarding a private home. Someone wants to identify the tiles on the fireplace. We will get a call in which someone describes their fireplace, and we say that’s like doing a root canal over the phone. You need a picture. Digital photography has made this whole arena so simple for us. Not a week goes by without us responding to someone wanting to know about the tile in their home. Compared to 25 years ago, we now have direct access to all kinds of books on historic tile, and many tile catalogs from manufacturing companies and tile studios operating during the last 150 years. So we have the resources to research what’s found in the home.

Out in the public arena, it’s a different story, because normally the Tile Heritage Foundation is contacted when an installation somewhere in the U.S. is being threatened with demolition. We’re called upon by concerned community members to identify and authenticate an installation in its setting. That’s where our knowledge and writing skills come in, because we’re writing to an architect, a school board, or a government agency to provide our opinion as to the historic importance of the installation. In the case of some installations we’ve been involved in saving, we’re not out there on the front lines. We’re just the information providers. It’s the community citizens who have gotten together and decided they have to find out what this is. When they find out from us that it has significance, they go to bat for these tile installations themselves.

For instance, there were architects who used decorative tiles in fireplaces installed in schools to provide an environment to teach kids how to read. This phenomenon was particularly seen in kindergartens built in the 1910s and ‘20s.

Menzies: Fireplace tiles in schools were used to help teach children how to read. Not only did the artwork on the tile often reflect a nursery rhyme, but the teacher would sit before the fireplace because it was a home-like environment.

Many county courthouses went up across this country in the 18^th and 19^th centuries where encaustic tiles were used on the floors. Encaustic or geometric tiles are colored clay tiles cut in shapes that make up larger designs. Instead of having a glaze on the top of them, the entire body of the tile was made up of one color of clay creating a very enduring product. However, after 100 years of wear, you do see an impact on that floor.

Many municipalities try to find out where that original tile was made and if it’s available for replacement purposes. That’s an important thing to document.   And that information makes a restoration more possible.

 

PT: What kind of research is involved?

Taylor: In many cases, the Tile Heritage Foundation, meaning either Sheila or myself, have been collaborators in writing tile books that are out there. Or we’ve provided our editorial skills.

What’s important here is that over these 25 years, one of the principal things that Tile Heritage has done is serve as a receptacle for information about the output of companies producing tile over the last 150 years. We estimate we have between 30,000 and 40,000 individual documents about the manufacture of specific tiles.

Menzies: Today, companies and studios sending us new material for the archives will provide sell sheets and other current advertising.  We also receive weblinks and digital images of current products and installations. We have over 35,000 images of tiles and installations that have now been digitized, many from slide originals taken by us. It’s a huge body of work available as a resource.

 

TD: Do you document what you’ve found? If so, how?

Taylor: If you walk into the Tile Heritage Library, which is open to the public by appointment, you find file cabinets and the file drawers are manila folders representing the materials we have on different companies. The files are alphabetized, from A to Z, on all companies producing tiles in the United States, from the middle of the 19^th Century on. In addition to these files, we have information on contemporary tile makers organized in the same way. .

Menzies: The information represented in these physical resources will eventually be accessible via a digital card catalog system. Ultimately our files will be able to be researched that way on line. This is one of the priorities we anticipate getting under way soon. We’ve embarked on that with all of our photography, transforming it digitally and documenting the sources.

Currently our ephemeral materials are in physical files; they will remain that way but will be enhanced, kept alive for use with a finding aid or digital card catalog online at our website that would be used to find specific articles, for instance, on a specific tile.

 

TD: Do you have inquiries/requests from other preservationists?

Taylor:  Yes, both in terms of the public installations about which we are approached by people concerned about preserving those installations, and also by private individuals wanting the installations in their homes identified. Preservationists want information on installations in their own communities. They’re concerned about preserving what they have. But they first want to know if it’s worth expending time, energy and money to preserve.

We say no it’s not, or yes it is, and then back up our position with information. There are a handful of very skilled people around the country who are able to remove tiles without breaking them, when preserving the tile is required before a building in which the tile is installed is demolished.

 

Menzies: What shouldn’t be forgotten is the role of the tile dealer in all this.  Dealers will call us because someone has come to them and said ‘I have a really beautiful installation in my home built in the 1920s. I need to have my bathroom tile matched, because I need new piping behind the existing tile installation and part of it has to be removed.’  They don’t know what to do next.

Taylor: What we can do is simply steer the dealers to sources where old tiles are stockpiled for sale, and there are a number of these places around the U.S. We can also direct their attention to contemporary tile makers who are able to skillfully replicate historic art tile.

 

TD: How’ve you spread the word about the Tile Heritage Foundation?

Taylor: When the foundation first started, we published a newsletter called Flash Point was printed and mailed out quarterly for 15 years: it varied in length from 8 to 16 pages. In the early 1990s, we launched Tile Heritage: A Review of American Tile History. We still sell back issues of these magazines. Today, our comparable publication “E-News” is available online. Starting in 1991, we presented an annual tile symposium that we presented in different cities around the U.S., which were three- to five-day events. We had lectures on historic and contemporary tiles, tours of the city’s tile installations, tile-making workshops, and a sale of art tiles. We did this for 13 years, and it really got to the point where it was too much work, and the community that the events were designed to serve did not fully utilize them.

Menzies: As the web developed over the last 20 years, the way people connected with information changed dramatically. Fewer and fewer people wanted to gather in one place to take part in such symposiums.

Taylor: At Coverings, in the early days, art tiles were presented haphazardly on the convention floor. But the organizers have now highlighted art tile in the American area of Coverings. This is where people gravitate because of the art. It’s a marvelous aspect and really speaks very well of the support of the various tile organizations representing the United States at this international event. This annual convention has had a direct, positive effect on communications within the tile industry. Artists and others know they can go to Coverings, talk to other artists, and experience tile artistry firsthand.

Menzies: This is another place where dealers come into play. We have many dealers who are members of the Tile Heritage Foundation. One of the things they do that helps promote the foundation is display our attractive brochure or a sign that says they are a member of the foundation. They can assist in promoting what the foundation is about.

Tiles being made anywhere today are historic tomorrow. The dealers have catalogs and samples from multiple tile makers. In fact, dealers are archivists — they just don’t realize they are.

 

TD: Has the foundation developed as expected, or has it morphed a bit with time?

Menzies: The mission of Tile Heritage has not changed.

Our mission going forward has always been the same, preserving, protecting and documenting tiles and other ceramic surfacing materials. Technology has actually enhanced our ability to do that.

Taylor: Technology has greatly assisted communication. People throughout the U.S. have this organization, the Tile Heritage Foundation. They can contact us by sitting down at their computer or contacting us on their iPad.

 

Menzies: If people don’t know of a particular tile maker, we have a printed directory soon to be available as a PDF online, and we also have resources right on our website, the Member Tile Gallery, with thumbnails taking you to all these members‘ websites. It’s a super resource for dealers, architects and designers. See http://www.tileheritage.org.

 

TD: What are some of the interesting tile preservation projects you’ve been involved in?

Taylor: Within the last two years, we have been directly involved in saving two historic mantels in elementary schools, one in Royal Oak, Michigan, and the other in Cranford, New Jersey. Both fireplaces were adorned with Flint Faience tiles from the 1920s, both slated to go down with the buildings. In both cases we were contacted by community members, former alumni, who were concerned—desperate is a better term—that “their” tiles were going to be destroyed when their school buildings were demolished. We were able to supply the proper documentation authenticating the historic importance of the tiles and recommend a tile contractor with the expertise necessary to remove the tiles without damage. In Royal Oak the tiles were reinstalled in a new school; in Cranford the tiles are waiting for a new home.

Menzies: Similarly, when the old East High in Erie, Pennsylvania was on the block for demolition, a team recommended by Tile Heritage successfully removed the American Encaustic tile panels from twelve water fountains on the walls of the old school, and these were ultimately reinstalled as a permanent display in the corridors of the new East High School in Erie, not as water fountains but as decorative tile art.

TD: Do you sense tile preservation is gaining more support?

Menzies: In America, it used to be ‘tear it to the ground and ask questions later.’ Now there’s much more awareness and sensitivity.

In communities like Los Angeles, for example, you can’t destroy a building if it has an art element on it, and that may actually be true of buildings without art on them. You may not raze that building without special permits.

Taylor: I’m sure you’re familiar with the Antiques Road Show. Never is a show aired without a piece of pottery or an artistic tile being appraised, because people want to know what those art items are worth. It shows that people in the United States are becoming increasingly conscious of their art history.

It has to do with our age, not our personal age but the age of our country.  I think citizens of the United States are getting more and more into the idea that their country’s history is important, and that’s where the Tile Heritage Foundation becomes important to them, in assisting the validation of that history.

 

TD: Where do you see the Tile Heritage Foundation going next?

Taylor: In addition to the information we have talked about, we also have a collection of tiles donated to the foundation over the last 25 years. These are historic artifacts that date back 125 years. Our intention is to get these in a virtual museum-like setting.

Menzies: These tiles are already photographed; it’s a matter of setting up a portion of our website so those tile images are available. Tile Heritage is not a museum, but we will create one virtually. Getting the tiles in the collections in the public eye is an important thing. And that’s definitely in the works.

Taylor: It will feel like walking into a gallery with art tile on display.

 

TD: Any final thoughts?

Menzies: None of what we do would be possible without support, and it’s important that the TileDealer readership support Tile Heritage. For more information see http://www.tileheritage.org.

 

SOURCES:

Joseph Taylor, Sheila Menzies, co-founders

Tile Heritage Foundation, Healdsburg, CA

707-431-8453

foundation@tileheritage.org

 
With the dawning of a new year, it’s only natural for businesses to engage in reappraisal.  The last few years have been among the toughest on record for the tile industry, and that fact has many companies taking stock of the recent past, and looking ahead to what will hopefully be a brighter tomorrow.

With this in mind, TileDealer has brought together some of the industry’s brightest minds to give us a sense of where the industry is now, and where it may be going.  While none of them possess crystal balls, the wisdom they’ve gained through long industry experience makes them among the best prognosticators around.   In the pages that follow they assess the economic damage of the recent recession, lay out reasons for optimism and, importantly, consider  how dealers should position themselves for the near future.

The construction field has clearly been the most decimated segment of the entire economy, and that has had profound impact on the entire tile industry, says Al Bates, president and CEO of Boulder, Col.-based Profit Planning Group, a profitability research firm that also prepares CTDA’s Profit Analysis Report. .

“The people in the construction segment have had to work harder than anyone else to be successful,” Bates says, noting tile, like other construction-related industries, has seen revenues plunge 20 to 25 percent since 2008.

The tile industry has recovered slightly since 2010, he adds.  One of the reasons it has is that many tile industry companies no longer exist.  “That’s not a recovery in terms of an entire industry,” he says.  “But it’s a recovery in terms of those businesses who are still there trying to make a profit.”

Steve Rausch, Atlanta-based field marketing and technical services manager for Chicago-based U.S. Gypsum, agrees.  “We’ve flushed out a lot of people — manufacturers, distributors, dealers — who needed to be flushed out,” he opines.  “There were a lot of people who in better times found the business easy.  They made money, but didn’t know what they were doing, or didn’t care.  There were manufacturers who expanded into areas where they didn‘t have any expertise, and they weren‘t legitimate, and now they’re gone.”

For Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, the whole malaise can be traced back to the decade of overbuilding in the housing market that occurred prior to 2007.  “A lot of units we didn’t really need we’re still discovering.  And five years in, we’re dealing with it,” he says.

“There are estimates we have an additional three million vacant housing units, above and beyond typical rates.  We’re dealing with an industry overhang.”

The Great Recession has “obviously been pretty devastating for our industry, as the new housing market fell off the face of the earth,” adds Donato Pompo, president of San Diego-based Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants, an international team of consultants performing forensic investigations, providing architectural specifications and quality control, marketing and training services.

“When people buy new homes or purchase used homes and do remodeling, they select ceramic, glass or stone tile for the project.  Lack of confidence and discretionary income has kept folks from spending.

“That’s had a huge impact on our industry.”

 

Signs of hope

Despite the drumbeat of negative news advanced by media, there are signs of improvement, Baker says.  The basic building blocks are household formations, he observes, adding that in the 1990s, 1.1 to 1.2 million households were being formed every year, and that number grew to more than 1.3 million a year in the first five years of the millennial decade.  For the past four years, household formations have averaged perhaps half a million annually, he adds.

But Baker believes that by the time 2011 has been fully tallied, it will be found the country added close to 1 million new households:  an encouraging rebound.

“We need to start eroding that excess inventory” of homes, he says.

“We need to work that off, and start seeing new housing units being built.”

Pompo also cites encouraging signs.  In third quarter 2011, housing permits nationwide increased by 6.5 percent, and existing home sales grew by 17.8 percent nationwide, he says, quoting statistics from Stuart Hirschhorn at Catalina Research.  It’s also been reported that floor covering store sales have increased as well.  They were down 7.9 percent in the first half of 2011, but increased 1.2 percent in the third quarter, again per Catalina Research.

What may be driving home sales increases, Pompo adds, is consumers’ belief that depreciation has finally left home prices at levels they can afford.  They also may be reacting to historically low mortgage rates and slightly rising employment levels.

Share of household delinquencies on mortgage payments fell to their lowest levels since the fourth quarter of 2008, Pompo says, again referring to Catalina Research numbers.  “So the question is how sustainable are these trends?” he observes.  “Catalina Research forecasts are that we may see stronger floor covering sales for 2012, but all bets are off for 2013.”

Mitch Dancik, chairman of the board of Cary, NC-based Dancik International, Inc., reports that while the tile and flooring markets are off 40 percent from their highs, the key story is that tile distributors and dealers managed this downturn more effectively than expected, and more effectively than in past downturns.  That could suggest they’re positioned to rebound well.

Rausch also sees signs of hope, but his indicators are far more anecdotal. “In the past month, I’ve flown into Toronto, Canada, and on final approach into the airport, I counted more than 50 cranes,” he says.

“That level goes back to 2006, when there was a lot of construction demand in that city.  The conditions today are different than they were back then.  Someone’s actually paying for the construction rather than financing it through a construction loan, which speaks to the confidence they have.”

When he was in Phoenix, a city with well-publicized economic woes, in November, Rausch saw notable levels of construction.  In conversations with folks in Atlanta and Miami, he has heard business is not setting records, but it’s better than it has been.  “People are saying I’ve got some extra money this year, and I’m going to remodel my kitchen and bathroom,” he says.  “The remodeling business is going to come back, but it will be different.  It’s not going to be six months same as cash, it’s going to be you have the money and you’ll spend it.”

Baker also seems to feel remodeling may ignite sales.  “[Remodeling is] much closer to its long-term trend than housing is,” he says.  “Tile tends to be in the discretionary category, and it could take a little longer for that to snap back.  But on the other hand, indications are the discretionary projects are seeing some signs of life.  Again, however, the comeback has been a slow one.”

Still, there are other observers who find it difficult to be upbeat at all.  Tom Carr, president of Pan-American Ceramics, a City of Industry, Cal.-based tile distributor, says the last year has been the same as the year before.  “And going forward, I don’t see a difference,” he adds.

“Everyone talks about the economy improving, but we heard that in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Without the foreclosure situation being rectified, I’m not expecting the next 12 months to be different from the last.

“The only good news is it doesn’t appear to be getting worse.  But if our legislators have any way about it, they will make it worse.”

Particularly discouraging is the environment on his home turf in the Golden State, where unemployment rates stand at 12 percent, vis-à-vis 9 percent nationwide.  “The foreclosure situation is worse, where the rate of new home growth was greatest, in states like Arizona, Nevada and California,” Carr adds.  “Those states were more dependent than others on new home building.”
For his part, Bates says the only reason for optimism in the tile industry specifically is that homeowners have postponed remodeling for some time, and may have no choice but to remodel.  This phenomenon is clearly more evident on the upper end.  “But even at the lower end, when things have become so shopworn you can’t stand it any more, and tile is falling off walls, you remodel,”  he says.  “There’s some demand there that will be in evidence because people have to remodel.  But I see no optimism in the area of new housing starts.”

How should tile dealers be positioned?

Looking ahead, dealers and distributors will surely benefit from the fact that tile is positioned to be a preferred wall and floor covering among consumers, Dancik says.  “However, the tile industry will need to use technology more effectively in order to meet consumer expectations,” he adds.

“Tile distributors and dealers used yesterday’s technology effectively to survive this recession.  They must now embrace today’s technology to stay competitive.”

Without overall growth, tile dealers will be faced with the fact they can only grow their businesses by taking share from their competitors, Bates reports.

“This gets back to really just running the business better,” he adds.  “When things are really good, you don’t look at pricing and say, ’Did I get all I could have from that sale?’  You ignore those things and go with the flow.  And right now, you have to look at all those things really closely.  It’s running the business the way we should have all along.  When things are good, you don’t look at things with the precision you must at times like right now.”

It’s also the time to be consistent, Bates says.  If you are an upper-end dealer, you should be an upper-end dealer now as well as when times are good.  Moreover, dealers can’t cut back their presence in the market.  “When things get better, as they surely will, folks have to know who you are,” he says.  “If you maintain visibility now, you will have an advantage when things get better.”

Rausch agrees.  Tile dealers must offer value, not just low price.  “A lot of people have ducked their heads under their wings, and have tried to survive just by offering low prices, rather than the value the customer is seeking,” he says.

“I was at Total Solutions, and one of the major speakers spoke of tile as art.  Big boxes have been beating the tile dealer because no one is going to beat the big boxes on price.  But what the boxes can’t do is give you a custom tile job.

“They can’t give you any sort of artistic project.  For the most part, their installers are not qualified to go in and do custom layouts and installations.

“That’s where the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation and the CTDA work so well together.  They support each other on the craftsman and artistic end of the business, not just putting in tile.”

Rausch notes only a handful of dealers and distributors are creating blogs aimed at consumers.  There should be hundreds, he says.  “Century Tile in Chicago is out every week putting decorating ideas out to consumers.  D & B Tile in Miami is going to the architectural community for commercial work with some of those same kinds of ideas.  Neuse Tile Service in Raleigh is going to the consumers with the message of quality tile.  Welsh Tile in Grand Rapids, Mich. is doing the same thing, with a blog to commercial and residential markets.”

Baker notes that a couple of arenas within the remodeling sector are stronger than others.  One is the area of green retrofits, which tile dealers should leverage to the hilt, he says.  The other area showing even greater robustness is the rehabilitation of distressed properties.  In the nation’s tidal wave of distressed homes, there has been little incentive for occupants to remodel, until now.

“These homes have been in the same situation for years, where very little money has been reinvested in even basic maintenance,” Baker says.  “If a household purchases that home for 50 or 60 cents on the dollar, the buyers have to go in and do some improvement to areas of the home not maintained in years.

“That provides some opportunity.”

If any additional proof is needed, Baker says the average distressed home is absorbing $4,000 in improvements as it is prepared for sale, about 50 percent more than would be spent by the average homeowner on home improvements over the course of a year, according to figures from Fannie Mae.

For his part, Noah Chitty, the Crossville, Tenn.-based technical services director for Chicago-based Stonepeak Ceramics, says dealers and distributors must make themselves a resource to the end user.

“They need to be the place that offers the education, and has the training,” he asserts.  “If the dealer can be that resource, it heads off the thought of buying from the Internet or from someone who doesn’t really know tile.  I think tile is still something you need to touch and feel to understand the beauty and physical properties.  If you’re buying tile for a residential application, you may not need all the physical properties we build into commercial tile.  But it takes an educated distributor to explain the important differences between the two.”

Pompo agrees.  Dealers must focus on service, he argues, realizing a limited market exists for their products and the one way to grow their shares right now may be to differentiate themselves by providing heightened service.  “That’s always been their advantage over the big box stores,” he says.

Like Bates and Rausch, he argues tile dealers can’t cut their prices overall, because doing so will only make them busier, in turn leading them to compromise their levels of service or be forced to spend more money to keep the quality of service high.

One of the mathematical truths in marketing, he says, is that if a business decreases its prices by 10 percent and its costs remain the same, it has to increase sales volume by 43 percent just to break even.

One way to improve service is by investing in employee training, Pompo adds.  “We provide the CTDA . . . the online training courses for selling ceramic tile and for selling stone,” he says.  “These courses give employees more confidence and credibility, making them more effective salespeople.  Training provides a return on investment that never ends.”

Tile dealers also should make sure their showrooms are up to date and showcase both a good product representation and the features and benefits of the products.  Today’s consumer wants information, the kind provided in detailed features and benefits, Pompo says.

Because the hot button these days is sustainability, tile dealers should also demonstrate a commitment to that objective by featuring recycling containers in the showroom and aligning their business with green-oriented manufacturers that are certified in product sustainability.

Finally, Pompo says, they must ensure they have a presence on the Internet.  “Today’s consumer is so much more inclined to go to the Internet first,” Pompo says.  “Your website should be an extension of your showroom, and a reflection of who you are as a business.”

Above all, it makes good business sense to understand depressed times can’t last forever.  Rausch believes dealers must position themselves for a recovery, whenever it arrives.  “In the past year, USG has again spent money on new product innovation and development,” he says.  “We’ve been doing that consistently, and the reason we have is we want to be prepared for the growth and prosperity that’s coming.  The crystal ball gets cloudy as to whether it’s going to happen this year or next year, but our business is cyclical, and if you don’t invest now, in these times, you’re going to be left behind in the others.”

SOURCES:

Kermit Baker, director

Remodeling Futures Program, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Cambridge, MA

617-495-8879

 

Al Bates, president/CEO

Profit Planning Group, Boulder

303-444-6121

 

Tom Carr, president

Pan American Ceramics, City of Industry, CA

626-961-0051

 

Noah Chitty, Crossville-based technical services director

Stonepeak Ceramics, Chicago

931-210-7500

 

Mitch Dancik, chairman of the board,

Dancik International, Ltd., Cary, NC

919-379-3733

 

Donato Pompo, president and consultant

Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants, San Diego

619-669-2967

 

Steve Rausch, Atlanta-based field marketing and technical services manager

U.S. Gypsum, Chicago

404-281-2218

 

 

 

Atlanta (Jan- 2012) – Tile Doctor Shield™, the first non-toxic antimicrobial product approved for hard surfaces that has no potential for legacy environmental concerns, has been named as a finalist by the Robison College of Business at Georgia State University, in association with the Atlanta Business Chronicle.  Each year the MAX Awards recognizes outstanding marketing innovations introduced in Georgia in the previous year with the Marketing Award of Excellence – the MAX Awards. Entries are judged by members of the Georgia State University RoundTable in terms of degree of innovation, great marketing and marketplace success.  For information about the MAX Awards, visit www.MaxAwards.com

“We are extremely honored to be a finalist for such a reputable award, we feel Shield is a game changer in the household cleaning space and this recognition reinforces our hard work and commitment to create a product that is not only effective but is also non-toxic and 100 percent safe to use in the home,” said Curt Rapp, founder and CEO of The Tile Doctor.  “At The Tile Doctor our goal is to provide continuous innovation and environmentally-friendly products, and it’s truly humbling for Shield to be recognized for just that.”

In April of 2011 Tile Doctor Shield was also named as Best New Product in the Consumer Packaged Goods Category by the internationally recognized Edison Awards

The distinguished Edison Awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain in the forefront of innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy.

“This year’s Awards recognize a broad array of innovations including far-reaching products, services and technologies that impact daily life,” said Edison Awards Steering Committee chair Sarah Miller Caldicott, a great grandniece of Thomas Edison.  “The Awards applaud the forward-thinking innovations for which Thomas Edison remains internationally admired.  It’s exciting to see companies like The Tile Doctor continuing his legacy of challenging conventional thinking.”For more information about the Edison Award, please visit www.edisonawards.com.

About The Tile Doctor®

Founded in 1999 by tile industry veteran Curt Rapp, The Tile Doctor, TheTileDoctor.com and its line of advanced products focus on meeting needs of consumers and tile professionals. With tens of millions of unique visitors, The Tile Doctor website features a line of how-to information and an advanced collection of products, solutions for consumers and pros.

The company is incorporated as Tile Media Properties, a nod to the company’s informational origins. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company is an active member of all major industry associations and is the founding member of Tile Partners for Humanity (www.tpfh.com).

About Tile Doctor Shield™

Shield is the first antimicrobial product approved for hard surfaces that is non-toxic and has no potential for legacy environmental concerns. Shield’s active ingredients are common organic materials, carbon, nitrogen and silica or sand. Available in a three part system (Prepare, Shield, Maintain), these products enable consumers to have the benefits of bacteria, mold, fungi, mildew and algae free surfaces without the harmful effects of outdated, toxic chemicals and cleaners.

Shield Will Be Recognized at the 20^th Annual MAX Awards Ceremony on February 24^th 2012 in Atlanta Georgia

Imagine this scenario:

You’ve just contracted for one of the biggest tile jobs your company has ever tackled. Papers have been signed and plans drawn. You’ve stored some materials while waiting for others to arrive before work can begin.

And then it happens. A storm hits, downing trees, flooding homes and workplaces, and cutting off electricity to many businesses in your area.

It happened to Mosaic Tile Company’s location in Raleigh, N.C.—one of 10 design centers the company owns throughout North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia—when violent tornadoes roared through the state April 16.

“It tore the roof liner and some of the middle roof off, sucked the garage door into the space next door, and pulled the concrete block demising walls over so they were hanging by the roof trusses,” Chris Hughes, regional sales manager, recalls. The walls separated Mosaic Tile from Agricultural Granite & Marble’s (AG&M’s) space next door.

“The tornado sucked up tiles, and hit the sprinkler system and gas pipes,” Hughes continues. “One of the air conditioning units on the roof was thrown off, others were rolling around, and gas was leaking. It was a bad day here.”

Hughes’s story is one of myriad that have been told as tornados, hurricanes, floods and fires have wreaked havoc nationwide. Yet while these disasters have made headlines, most businesses have no plan in place to ensure they can continue operating if disaster strikes.

Do you have a plan that will keep your company afloat?

“Catastrophes are not selective about who they affect. They affect homeowners and business owners alike,” says Gail Moraton, business resiliency manager at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). “But when a business is shut down by a storm, the owner loses his or her livelihood and the community loses a business. Taking steps now to prepare will improve a business’ chance of not just re-opening, but also remaining open.”

And it isn’t only major, news-making disasters like the North Carolina tornados, Hurricane Irene or Hurricane Katrina that cause chaos. Even a local, short-lived power outage or flood could disrupt your business significantly and irreparably damage not only your workplace but also your bottom line.

 

Creating a plan

Being unprepared to cope with disaster is the biggest error companies commit, industry experts say.

“One of the most common mistakes we’ve seen companies make is not having a contingency plan—not creating a list of emergency contacts for business services such as the utility company, a restoration contractor, electronics/computer services and insurance [claims],” Pete Duncanson, director of training at ServiceMaster Clean, says.

Numbers for the police and fire departments also should be included, the IBHS notes.

Making lists, however, isn’t enough, Moraton stresses. “If those lists are in the building that’s been damaged, how are you going to get it? Have copies of your key contact lists at home, in the trunk of your car, or on a thumb drive you keep somewhere safe—that is the best thing you can do for your business,” she says.

Keeping customers informed about what is happening with the products or services they’ve ordered is another important step. “Put your status on your website and leave a call-in number where you can receive recorded messages,” Moraton suggest.

You also should know if you have business interruption insurance (which helps replace the income your business would have generated if it hadn’t been temporarily shut down by the disaster), and fully understand the coverage before disaster strikes. If your insurance plan includes a business interruption clause, prepare a list of steps required for your business to promptly resume operations on a full or even partial basis. Financial considerations should include payroll and debt needs and obligations, the IBHS explains.

Hughes admits he had no protocol in place to deal with such devastation. However, Mosaic Tile was fortunate to have not only insurance, but also staff from the company’s corporate office in Chantilly, Va. to help from almost the moment the storm subsided.

“Of course no situation like this is ever ideal, but the crisis team was able to keep us functioning and open throughout the reconstruction process,” Hughes says. “They came out and videotaped the site for insurance purposes. Insurance covered some of the loss, and the building owner’s insurance paid for some of the damage…but it’s a never-ending battle.”

“Think about what equipment you have, what your ordering process is,” Moraton says. “You need a business continuity plan. Your business might have burned or been flooded out, but perhaps you could partner with another like business. Whatever you decide, create and then save the plan now because you’re not thinking straight in the middle of a disaster!”

 

Clean-up and recovery

Once the initial shock of the disaster has subsided, the clean-up process can begin. One mistake many business owners make? “They think they can handle the situation themselves, causing more damage and delaying the restoration process,” Duncanson says.

Water damage can be especially problematic if not dealt with promptly.

“Do not wait to call for professional help. Damage from the water and bacteria growth can begin within hours,” Duncanson says. “After flooding, the potential for mold is there, and you have other bacteria that enter the building as the waters rise.”

Duncanson suggest drying or discarding wet items within 24 to 48 hours to avoid mold.

“Even after wet items are removed, mold may remain hidden in drywall, carpeting and HVAC systems. While bleach may be used to control mold, it does not kill it,” he says. “Removing mold requires cutting away damp drywall and sanding wood. The sooner a remediation expert can get to those things covered in mold the less long-term damage.”

Mosaic Tile did not make the mistake of proceeding without professional help. The company hired Cary Reconstruction Company to clean up and move undamaged materials to a temporary showroom, where the team will remain until the original space is gutted and rebuilt to ensure structural stability.

“Ironically, there was an empty location right next to us in a neighboring building owned by the same people who owned our building,” Hughes explains. We have been able to set up a temporary showroom and warehousing facility that has enabled us to maintain some sense of normalcy throughout the ordeal.”

Ultimately being prepared for a crisis, then reacting quickly and decisively when a loss occurs, is vital to surviving when catastrophe strikes. As Duncanson cautions, “Every day a business is closed from a disaster is an opportunity for a customer to go to a competitor.”

Having dedicated employees is another antidote to disaster.

“We are happy to have a team of people dedicated to their jobs…people who go above and beyond every day. Seeing everyone pull together during this natural disaster was a true testament to their commitment,” Hughes concludes.

 

POSSIBLE SIDEBAR/BOX:

Business continuity basics

Want to create a business continuity plan but don’t know where to start? The Open for Business® Basic guide from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) includes 13 forms that provide small and mid-sized businesses with the basics needed to create a customized business continuity plan. To download a free copy, visit www.disastersafety.org/ofbInfo?execution=e2s1&&type=ofb_basic.

POSSIBLE SIDEBAR/BOX:

According to IBHS, every emergency preparedness plan should include four elements:

• Pre-disaster actions to protect people, facilities and contents.

• Emergency evacuation procedures and assignments.

• Essential facility operations (or shut down) procedures.

• Off-site storage (back-up) of information.

 

POSSIBLE SIDEBAR/BOX:

Identify your risks!

Just because you don’t live in Hurricane Alley, a wildfire zone or floodplains doesn’t mean your company is disaster-proof. As the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) notes, natural hazards that could significantly damage or even destroy your business exist no matter your location.

To help you identify and prepare for possible problems, IBHS offers an online “Knowing Your Risks” tool that lets you enter your zip code to obtain a list of the natural hazards that may affect your area. In addition to natural hazards, it also covers man-made risks such as interior water-related losses.

 

POSSIBLE SIDEBAR:

A disaster preparedness checklist

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offered businesses the following checklist before Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast. The steps listed below can also be a guide to help you prepare for other weather-related disasters.

1.Take pictures of your property/office.

2.Get updated contact information from all employees. Find out where your employees plan on going if evacuated.

3. Know where you will temporarily be located if unable to return to your place of business and how you will communicate the relocation to employees, customers and vendors.

4. Have a plan in place to communicate with your customers.

5. Have your key vendors’ contact information and if time allows, find out their plans to continue servicing you during and after the hurricane.

6. Have a battery-operated radio and spare batteries to ensure you can receive emergency information.

7. Obtain enough flashlights and other battery-powered lights to do essential work if a power outage occurs.

8. Decide what critical items that must be removed from your business.

9. Identify essential business records that should be removed from the property and determine where you plan to take them. Check your backup process to make sure everything is backed up correctly. Protect the backup copy along with your other essential records.

10. With possible power loss, unplug non-crucial electrical equipment being left behind to avoid shock and surges when power is restored. Move them to a well-protected interior room on floors above the level of potential flooding.

11. Fill vehicle fuel tanks. Fuel may not be available during hurricane evacuation activities.

12. Identify outside equipment and furnishings which could blow loose and cause damage.

13. Ensure that backup personnel know how to turn off electrical power, water, gas and other utility services within your building at main switches.

QR Codes – those little black & white squares – are a tech-savvy way to deliver product information to customers, here, there and just about everywhere.

By William & Patti Feldman

Here’s a winning equation finding traction in the tile industry (and beyond): Smartphone +2D code scanning = detailed product information on the spot. The small two- or four-tone squares are printed on ads in most every trade magazine (including Tile Dealer), on product packaging, on in-store displays, and on all manner of marketing materials. The most popular 2D codes are QR codes (abbreviated from Quick Response codes) and Microsoft Tags, aka MS Tags.

QR codes are open-source and can be generated by a number of different code generators, while Microsoft Tags are proprietary. There are some differences.

MS Tag provides built-in analytics and enables the barcode targets to be changed on-the-fly without having to recreate the barcode. With QR codes, changing the barcode target requires additional software on the server-side or the “hiring” of a third party provider to manage the server-side software.

Differences aside, the phrase “QR code” is actually becoming the generic term for 2D codes (but not in this article). And you may also hear the technology talked about as “mobile tagging.”

Both the software to generate the codes (QR codes and MS Tags) and the scanning apps to access them are available free over the Internet.

Here’s how it works: Scanning a 2D barcode with the camera of a Web-enabled smartphone running a compatible scanning app launches a link digital data attached to the code. The link can be to a website, a web page with specific product details, installation instructions or promotional offer, a warranty, YouTube how-to or other video, or to other digital content the manufacturer, retailer, or other business wants to share at that time.

Some manufacturers have already launched special mobile websites configured for optimal viewing of the digital information on a smartphone screen.

Smartphone users can even email on the linked data to themselves or others, for later reference or printing.

According to ScanBuy, a leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions, about 25 million people in the U.S. already have barcode scanning capability on their smartphones – all that is needed is a phone with a camera and an Internet connection. Manufacturers and service providers of all types are taking advantage.

Several early adopting tile and grout manufacturers are using QR codes or Microsoft Tags in a variety of ways.

As of mid-October, 2011, Dal-Tile had QR codes on about 800,000 pieces of marketing materials – tile boards that go into displays and out to customers, notes David Warren, digital marketing manager, Dal-Tile Corporation, a manufacturer of tile products.

Currently, Dal-Tile’s two brands, Daltile and American Olean, each use one code per product line. The code links the phone holder to a specific application attached to it for a period of time rather than to the company website. In this way, “the QR code does not ever become extinct. It is always active and up to date in terms of the material we want to present,” explained Warren. “We can change the information the code links to at any time without having to change the website page or code for that line.”

For example, on the American Olean’s Torre Venato line of glazed porcelain, one QR code on the tile board in a display represents the whole line. The tile board displays the tile and all the colors available in the line in the same way all the color options are represented on the website, Warren said. “If someone scans the code on the board displayed at a dealer, that person can view product imagery and more detailed information and order a physical sample of any selected tiles.” So far, Warren noted, feedback from dealers on this is “overwhelmingly positive.”

Between Daltile and American Olean, “about 10,500 of our top dealers have QR-coded tile boards in place,” Warren said.

According to Sean P. Boyle, director, marketing and product management, Laticrete International, a manufacturer of installation systems for ceramic tile and stone, Laticrete has been printing Microsoft tags on its packaging since 2008. “When we added codes to our packaging, we used the opportunity to rearrange some of the elements on our packaging to enable prominent placement of the code in two places, for easy spotting and easy scanning.”

“For consumers walking down an aisle in a retail setting, having the code positioned on the front of the bag maximizes the opportunity for scanning for more information geared to consumers. A different code, with information geared to contractors, is conveniently located on the back of the packaging, near the instructions. This dual placement of codes enables us to route both consumers and contractors to appropriate enhanced information,” he explained. Other Microsoft tags are printed on Laticrete’s sample boards and in print ads.

“Each tag code is really specific as to where we direct the customer to go,” Boyle explained. “Depending upon the product and on the focus of strategy, the code can link to a specific landing page for that product, to a video, or even to a material safety data sheet.” (Laticrete uses its existing website, already configured for reading via smartphones and with specific landing pages for different products, without any modification, as the sources of information linked to the codes.)

For example, for the company’s SpectraLock Pro Premium Grout, Laticrete generated a new page of information to which consumers are directed when they scan the 2D code on the packaging. At that page, consumers can view a video, learn about key features, get warranty information, MSDSs and sell sheets and find installation instructions.

The company can track how many people clicked each, what time they clicked, and how long they stayed – data that can go a long way to ensuring Laticrete is providing information customers find useful, Boyle said. Based on that information and other feedback, Laticrete can change the location of where the code leads, for example switching away from the product data sheet if that proves not especially effective and to a how-to video, to see if that is more effective, he added.

“If we see that a lot of people using the code are looking for more installation instructions, maybe that tells us we need to add more details to the instructions on the packages. We analyze the data every month to see how many snaps are happening, what products and where they’re going where people are looking to read.”

Early on, Boyle reserved about 200 unique codes so new codes are ready whenever he wants to create a new link. Laticrete is currently using about 80 codes, which appear on the great majority of its marketing tools. Laticrete’s use of codes has been extremely successful and very well received by end users, split about evenly between contractors and consumers, Boyle noted.

For contractors, the codes offer a lot of information right on the spot which the physical limitations of the packaging do not allow. For example, if the package is already on the jobsite, a contractor can scan the code and immediately have the ability to download the material datasheet, product instructions, and even Laticrete’s Green Guard certificate, Boyle said.

The benefits to retail

Some retailers are very excited about the possibilities created by mobile codes and in some cases encourage manufacturers to use them because they give customers in the store the ability to get product information themselves that can help with the purchasing decision. And, he added, “If a member of the sales staff scans the code, the information can augment his or her knowledge of the product and help with the sale.”

Crossville, a manufacturer of porcelain stone tile, introduced its new Q2R app in January 2011. The app works with QR codes and is available on any smartphone. The “Quick to Request, Quick to Respond” app is used to  scan QR (Quick Response) codes on all Crossville sample materials, allowing users to immediately get product details, request samples in real time or share links to products through social networks.

Q2R by Crossville allows anyone selecting tile products to create personal portfolios of favorite products right on their smartphones. When users create their individual Q2R accounts, they will be able to revisit their portfolios online anytime for easy viewing of product lists and more.

Crossville Q2R was created as part of Crossville, Inc.‘s Sustainable Samples program, an approach to tile product sampling that lets interior designers, architects and specifiers get all the information they need immediately and quickly request “only the samples they really want just by using the smartphone app,” noted the company.

To get a free QR reader for your phone, you can go to www.mobile-barcodes.com and click on QR Code Readers or just search for “QR reader” + the make and model of your phone. To get a free MS Tag reader, go to www.tag.microsoft.com. To download a free 2D code generator (to create 2D codes for use in your own ads and marketing materials), search for QR code generator or MS tag generator.

###

For Further Information

American Olean

www.americanolean.com

Crossville

www.crossvilleinc.com

Daltile

www.dal-tile.com

Laticrete

www.laticrete.com

Looking behind the launch of Primo Tools.

by

Jeffrey Steele

When we report Rich Maggio has literally spent almost an entire lifetime in the tile tool field, it’s no exaggeration.  As he likes to say, tools are in his blood.

The Maggio tool-making lineage had its genesis near the end of World War II, when his grandfather launched Superior Featherweight Tool Company in Los Angeles.  As a student, Rich worked in the factory, sweeping floors and packaging product. After graduation, he handled sales and later traveled extensively to source products in Asia.

Together with other family members, Maggio helped build Superior Featherweight into one of the most recognizable and respected tool manufacturers in the tile, masonry, cement and drywall industries.  In 1999 when market conditions were favorable, the family-owned business was sold to Custom Building Products.  Initially, Maggio spent a few years working for CBP, assisting in the transition and learning how the tile tool business is conducted in larger organizations.

But Maggio’s heart wasn’t in the corporate world, it was in entrepreneurial ventures.  He left CBP and headed out on his own, working with his one-time trading partner in China to build a new company from the ground up offering tools built to his own exacting specifications.  For the last nine years, he has worked as an OEM supplier to many domestic tool suppliers.

“It became clear to me that many of the tool suppliers, particularly in the tile industry, were simply doing things the same way they have been done for years, with very little innovation,” Maggio has written.  “The only significant change is that tile tools are becoming cheaper . . . in many cases, both in terms of price and quality.  I saw that as an opportunity to truly differentiate my tools.”

Maggio teamed up with Rick Baldini, another veteran of the tile and stone industry, who knew tile industry distributors, and knew how to grow the company.  Because both are Italian, they chose the name Primo Tools, to denote the number one slot they hope to someday occupy.

They decided to keep the private label operation, but branch out under the Primo Tool name, giving distributors the option of offering their own branded tools, Primo Tools, or both.

Recognizing changing old buying habits can be a challenge, Maggio and Baldini developed a merchandising system to help launch Primo Tools.  With the help of Atlanta-based merchandising specialist Retail One, Primo Tools created the “Innovation Station” display system, which puts actual working products, such as Primo Tools’ new Bucket Brush and WringMaster tools on display.

 

In September, Rich Maggio sat down with TileDealer to discuss his new initiative.

Tiledealer:  Why did you believe the tile and stone industry was in need of another tool company?

I really gave it a lot of thought before I decided to start Primo Tool Company.  I did it for two primary reasons.  First, I believe there is a huge opportunity in today’s marketplace to do something innovative and different with tools, and second, I can’t help myself, tools are in my blood.

Tiledealer:  How do Chinese-made tools compare to American made?

For the most part, Chinese tools are substantially different than American made tools.  But our product is the exception.

We manufactured tools for 60 years, so when I went to China to have tools made, I didn’t go in with the idea of ordering tools they were already making.  I went in with the specs I wanted for the specific tool, and they made it to my specs.   So our Chinese made tools are of at least the same quality as our American-made tools, because they’re made to our specifications.

Tiledealer:  How are you countering the perception that imports are not always the same quality?

We’ve overcome the perception by telling our story, and by giving our customers and their customers samples of our tools so they can see firsthand the quality, and compare it to tools they‘re used to buying in the United States.

Tiledealer:  How are you managing the manufacturing process there?

Besides traveling over there several times a year, I have an office in Taiwan with English-speaking employees who spend weeks in the factories monitoring the quality of the manufacturing.  I have spent almost 20 years working with these Chinese representatives, and when I’m not there, they have the ability to monitor the quality themselves.

They are veterans of the tool business for decades, and I’ve trained them myself to understand the difference between an ordinary and a quality tool.

Tiledealer:  Can you walk us through the product launch process?

The “official” kickoff will take place November 1.  We are already selling some of the new products like Bucket Brush and Wringmaster in select areas.  In the initial launch, we will have more than 100 new products available.  To get them in the marketplace, we have a network of independent sales reps that will be calling on the wholesale and tile distributors.

In conjunction with our sales reps, we will be attending the contractor events put on regularly at our distributors’ facilities.  We will continue to exhibit at industry shows like Coverings and Total Solution Plus.  And we will be giving samples out for the contractors to use and test.  This effort will be supported by extensive advertising. 

Another key component will be our packaging and the way we are simplifying the tool selection process, specifically in the price-quality relationship.  We know that the marketplace wants tools in varying performance levels — typically good, better and best.  So we have assigned our Primo P1 to the “best” quality, P2 to the “better” quality and P3 to the “good” quality.

The majority of our products are P1 “best,” but there are offerings of P2 “better” and P3 “good” quality to meet market demands.  We think the result is an attractive, effective and innovative package, especially for the tool industry.  This packaging makes it easy for the contractors and distributor counter sales people to identify the relationship between price and quality.

We will continue to offer a private-label tile tool program for the larger distributors that recognize the value of having their company names on quality tools.    We have put a fair amount of effort into our website, www.primo-tools.com, to help tell our story, especially [by means of] the product videos.

We still have a lot of work to do, but we are already getting people contacting [Primo Tools] to find out where they can buy products like Wringmaster and Bucket Brush.

Tiledealer:  Where has it been smooth, and where has it been rough?

Great question.  It has been smooth getting input from distributor and contractor “friends” on things like product offerings, packaging layout and display design.  Having been in the industry so long, we know a lot of very smart, helpful people willing to take the time to give us constructive feedback.

It’s been rough in the length of time it takes to get it all done.  Sort of like the old adage when you start something new, you take your original estimate of time and expense, and double it. It has not been quite that bad, but pretty close.

Tiledealer:  What would you do differently next time?

There are always things you can do differently.  But I’m pretty happy with how things are turning out, though I wish it could have happened faster.

I’ve been fortunate to have the background of a family business that has been sustained for 60 years.  I grew up in the business, working in the shop floor sweeping and packaging at the age of 13. By the time I was out of school, I started selling to customers, and grew that in the late 1980s into traveling overseas and starting to source products in Asia.  I’ve had 25-plus years to really build that side of the business. So deep down, I knew it would take as long as it did.  But I guess I just did not want to admit it to myself.

Tiledealer:  How big is the marketplace for tools?

There are various estimates of its size. A couple of issues make it difficult to arrive at an accurate number.  Unlike some other industries, we do not have an independent agency [to which] all manufacturers confidentially report their sales, so an aggregate number is available.

And second, there are really several different channels to market for tile tools: home centers, online sales and wholesale distribution.

At Primo Tools, we are only focusing on the wholesale distribution.  So if we can get the same share wholesale distribution we had with Superior Featherweight, I will be very happy.
Tiledealer:  How expendable are tools?

It depends on the tool.  For the most part, contractors are looking for tools that will last them a long time.  They’re not looking for tools that will wear out easily or fall apart.  They’re willing to spend a little more for a tool that will last and ours will do that.

I would say the true contractors are looking for quality more than ever.  They want to stretch their dollar farther than they did before.

But your question speaks directly to our rationale for developing the “good, better and best” product offering

Tiledealer:  Can you give a few examples of your line?

Our tagline is “Innovative Tools, Professional Results.”  Because of my history in this industry, I’ve had contractors on a regular basis contact me with ideas they’ve come up with for “better mousetraps.”  I’ve helped them develop, manufacture, and market those tools.  That’s a point of differentiation for our company versus others.

One example is our Bucket Brush.  The product was invented by Grant Jones, a successful Californie tile and stone contractor, who wanted a faster and better way to clean mixing buckets.  This product will truly revolutionize bucket cleaning.  With just a few inches of water and a variable speed drill, the Bucket Brush eliminates the tedious and time-consuming hand-cleaning process.

WringMaster is another innovative product developed to make cleanup of newly installed grout faster and easier.  Steve Putnik, an Australian stone installer, is the inventor.  He came up with a fast and efficient system to rinse and clean grout sponge floats.  While there are mop-and-bucket grout cleanup systems on the market, there is nothing like Wringmaster.

The wringing system attaches to virtually any three-gallon or five-gallon bucket with a few twists of the handles.  That’s one of the Wringmaster differences.  Contractors can line up several buckets with clean rinse water and simply transfer the wringing system to another bucket when the water gets dirty.  This saves a tremendous amount of time.  The other really cool thing is that the opposing rollers get the sponges much cleaner and drier than other roller systems, and much, much drier than does hand wringing.

Tiledealer:   In today’s economy, is the tool marketplace faring any better than tile or than other tools?

That question I really can’t answer.

But with tile tools, even if it is not necessarily a good idea, a contractor can possibly “stretch” the use of a worn tool until he replaces it.  So in today’s difficult economy, I would say, overall, tools may be doing a little worse than tile.   That said, I believe the tile tool marketplace is healthier than the market for other construction-oriented tools.  I believe 100 percent that right now there is a greater market for rehabbing and remodeling than there is for new construction, and that the rehab and remodeling market is growing.

Tiledealer:  So you have already rolled out the private-labeled idea to customers?

Yes, we have.  We started going to some of the larger distributors in the U.S. that we’ve known for years, and talked to them about a tile tool program.

Tiledealer:  How has it been received?

That’s been fairly well received.  With the flexibility we have in our factory, we can produce tile tools with the distributors’ logos either molded into the soft grip handles of the trowels and floats, or the logos can simply be on packaging and labeling.  That’s how we started.  There was something of a test of the concept before we rolled out with our own line of Primo Tools.

Tiledealer:  Are there other private-label related products in the marketplace?

There are not other private-label companies doing it the way we do it, at least to the best of my knowledge.

Tiledealer:  Where would you like Primo Tools to be in five years?

Well, as stated in our name Primo, we would like to be in the number one position in the wholesale distribution channel.  And I would base that on both tool sales volume and reputation.

Relationships in the industry are very important, and both my partner and I value and enjoy the relationships we have developed over the years.  So five years from now, I would expect to see us working hard, being very successful and having fun working with our distributor and contractor friends. ###

 

SOURCE:

Rich Maggio, co-founder with

Primo Tools, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

949-709-5270