How hard could it be?: Why qualified labor matters.

By Chris Walker
August 07, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor
, By Chris Walker
August 07, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor

    I’ve been finishing my basement $200 dollars at a time for the last few years. It’s more of a stress reliever than a dedicated project. For the benefit of all humanity, I have been able to confirm two absolute truths: Practice makes perfect.
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Tariffs help who?

By Chris Walker
July 10, 2019
President's Letter, Business
, By Chris Walker
July 10, 2019
President's Letter, Business

    As of this writing, it appears that in addition to tariffs already imposed on ceramic tile from China, an action filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) alleging dumping and unfair trade practices is moving forward as well....
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Exterior weather tile installations

By Chris Walker
June 12, 2019
President's Letter

  Let it rain, snow, freeze, thaw... Mother Nature is very unforgiving. She will almost certainly exploit any error or omission incorporated into an exterior installation. Doing it right is always important; for exterior installations, it’s...
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How to be prepared in case a project goes sideways

By Chris Walker
May 22, 2019
President's Letter, Business
, By Chris Walker
May 22, 2019
President's Letter, Business

    Many commercial projects start with pre-construction meetings at the job site. The general contractor and tile contractor’s project manager, field manager and a variety of other players usually are there. These meetings typically occur months...
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Knowing what to charge. How much is enough?

By Chris Walker
April 17, 2019
President's Letter, Business
, By Chris Walker
April 17, 2019
President's Letter, Business

    If you spend any time on tile-related social media sites, you’ll notice that the question, “How much should I charge?” is a common topic. People are frequently asking for affirmation or information on how to price their work.
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The need for skilled artisans is back – or on its way

By Chris Walker
March 20, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor
, By Chris Walker
March 20, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor

    Recently, while waiting to be loaded at our local Daltile, I was speaking to a gentleman who had been in the tile industry for almost 40 years. I asked him what the most significant change he’s seen in the tile world was. His response...
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Why qualified labor?

By Chris Walker
March 06, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor
, By Chris Walker
March 06, 2019
President's Letter, Qualified Labor

    If you are excited about the many new trends in tile, you know that gauged porcelain tile (GPT) and gauged porcelain tile panels (GPTPs) are here to stay. Porcelain panels are being produced at a multitude of thicknesses, sizes, and finishes...
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It’s lonely on the soap box

By Chris Walker
February 05, 2019
President's Letter

You may have heard the expression, “standing on your soap box.” The phrase goes way back to when every street corner in a city had someone barking out their opinion/product/position standing on a sturdy box, like a soap box.
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Professional craftspeople are made, not born!

By Chris Walker
December 24, 2018
President's Letter

  If you’re reading this, you are already ahead of the game. Why? Because as a professional in your trade, you belong to one of the nation’s largest independent industry trade associations dedicated to training and professional development. I am...
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