NOVEMBER 2003
THE POWER OF GETTING INVOLVED
If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t been
in bed with a mosquito.
Anita Roddick
As Executive Director for the National Tile Contractors Association, I have
been blessed with the ability to positively influence our industry. A perfect
example of this is Tile Partners For Humanity (TPFH). TPFH is affiliated with
the Habitat for Humanity Project, an internationally recognized charitable
organization. I was recently honored with an appointment to the TPFH board
of directors. I pledge to do everything in my power to promote and support
this noble project.
The TPFH mission is quite simple. To have as much
ceramic tile installed in Habitat For Humanity Homes
as possible. The founders of the project, Curt Rapp
of The Tile Doctor and Gray LaFortune of Ceramic Tile
Institute of America, along with TPFH Executive Director,
Allyson Fertitta, have done an outstanding job in organizing
the program. Now it is up to our industry to lend its
support. I must say we are off to a great start.
TileLetter recently published a story on the TPFH
project in LaGrange, Georgia, where former President
Jimmy Carter was on hand to pound a few nails in some
homes. Numerous manufacturers, tile installers, and
distributors volunteered their time and materials to
aid in this worthwhile venture.
I was so impressed with the collaborative effort on
the LaGrange Project, I brought Allyson Fertitta to
Charlotte, North Carolina to our Total Solutions conference
to tell us about their vision and dreams. I only gave
her five minutes, but that’s all it took to reinforce
the message that I must do everything in my power to
help TPFH achieve its goals.
After the success of the LaGrange project, TPFH recently
completed a project in Charlotte, North Carolina. Many
manufacturers were ready to support the venture. Crossville
Tile & Stone and Dal-Tile again stepped to the
plate with materials and local support. Roy Irwin,
Crossville Tile Store Manager in Charlotte, and Kirk
Beckwith, Dal-Tile Store Manager, were both involved
in the project. “Our parent, Crossville Ceramics,
and our team at Crossville Tile & Stone are committed
to giving back to the communities in which we serve,
for those communities have given so much to us,” said
Irwin. Beckwith echoed Irwin’s comments. “Dal-Tile
always wants to do something to help out, we always
want to help grow the community,” he said.
Laticrete and North American Tile Tool Company donated
setting materials and tools to the job. Also stepping
to the plate was National Gypsum Company, with permabase
backerboard for the homes. Bonitz Flooring and Tops & Tiles
of Charlotte generously sent crews to the project to
assist in the installation. John Elliott, Floor Covering
Project Manager for Bonitz Flooring, said, “We
at Bonitz value our families and our community above
everything else. We look forward to any opportunity
to give back to communities or worthwhile charities.” Others
assisting in the installation were James Mounce, Technical
Services Representative for Laticrete, and Jamie Beck,
a customer service representative from Dal-Tile in
Charlotte. Special recognition should go to Tops & Tiles
owner John Theysohn, for bringing a crew of eight to
the jobsite, including himself.
In an age where media dwells on negativism, it is refreshing to see volunteerism
in its purest form. To witness the pride and participation in the faces of
the recipients of Habitat for Humanity Homes is a moving and exhilarating
experience. For all of you involved in our industry in some form or another,
I urge you to participate.
TileLetter will continue to follow the TPFH labor
trail and report on their success throughout the United
States. For this project personifies the true meaning
of The Power of Getting Involved.
TileLetter November 2003
This article was reprinted with permission from TileLetter, the official publication
of the National Tile Contractors Association. For more information, call (601)
939-2071; (601) 932-6117 fax; www.tile-assn.com.
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