NTCA conference delivers value,
education, networking forum
By Lesley Goddin
(Charlotte, N.C.) The official theme of the recent
National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) conference
held here earlier this month was “Total Solutions,” but
it could have just as easily been named “Passionate
Solutions” as evidenced by attendees’ enthusiastic
participation.
How enthusiastic? Even a kitchen fire that prompted
a brief hotel evacuation during the first morning’s
program didn’t distract the 110-plus attendees
from pursuing their goals: adapting to a changing
market by increasing professional excellence and
artistry in installation.
New this year was an emphasis on business issues.
Sessions on ethics and attitude, management and leadership,
employee issues, profit planning, and succession
and estate planning joined technical presentations,
tabletop exhibits by manufacturers and live product
demos.
Bart Bettiga, who took over as executive director
when longtime executive director Joe Tarver announced
his retirement, drew from his experience in distribution
to bring in the new programming to benefit contractors’ business
in their entirety. “I was hired under the premise
of bringing marketing and business information to
the level of technical information,” he said. “Contractors
are challenged in this evolving industry. Successful
contractors will focus on more than just technical
information.”
Some highlights:
Dr. Albert Bates, president of the Profit Planning
Group, presented the first contractor financial profile
survey, coaching contractors on raising median 2.5
percent pretax profit margins within five years.
Twenty-six contractors participated in the free confidential
survey.
Another first was a statistical report on the stone
industry, presented by Donato Pompo of Ceramic Tile
and Stone Consultants (www.CTaSC.com). Pompo worked
with Catalina Research to meld government data and
his own industry research into the report. Highlights
of the report showed that 47.6 percent of stone purchases
in the U.S. are made in housing. Cost per square
foot of $4.36 for stone is compared to $0.89 for
tile, and important feature to focus on in profitability
planning, Bates added.
Technical presentations included a contractor-specific
exploration of current porcelain technology and future
forecast, sponsored by Tile of Spain, and delivered
by consultant Patti Fasan. One that was especially
well received was given by Mohammed Ali, senior information
resource manager for Georgia Pacific’s Gypsum
division. He presented an educational talk on causes
of mold and ways to eliminate it.
Allyson Fertitta, executive director of Tile Partners
for Humanity (www.tpfh.com), encouraged the industry
to provide homes to low-income families with donations
of labor and materials. Industry donations helped
tile 21 homes in LaGrange, Ga., and the entryways
of 26 homes in Valdosta, Ga., during the Jimmy Carter
Work Project earlier this year.
“You’re doing something good for the
community and for your company,” Fertitta said. “Due
to enhanced IRS guidelines, you can take up to two
times off the cost of materials when they are used
in an active build.”
Then there was the NTCA Awards banquet, which paid
tribute to industry legend and NTCA founder Joe Tarver – not
just as tile person of the year, but tile person
of a generation, Bettiga said.
And let’s not forget about the networking
opportunities. “You go for education and the
friendliness of the people,” said Tom Ade,
project manager for Filling Marble and Granite in
Cologne, N.J. “You learn that everyone has
the same problems around the country.”
Yet, Dennis Hopkins, architectural representative
for Crossville Tile and Stone, the Charlotte, N.C.
distributorship that opened earlier this year, was
disappointed in the turnout of local contractors. “But
those who are here are forward thinking and progressive,” he
said. “Education is the key.”
Reprinted with permission by FCW
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