installation of these wonderful new products, there is no formula for success. Getting new people trained and engaged in the craft IS the path to success. Without qualified labor, the best marketing plans in the world will be for nothing. While we are fortunate to have a diverse manufacturing commu- nity producing the most unique and beautiful tiles ever made, these diverse materials demand a return to a highly trained and skilled work force to properly install these prod- ucts. The growing shortage of quali- fied labor with the proper skill set dominates the conversations of large and small companies alike. Many industry concerns are work- ing independently and with third party groups to provide additional training, but we are already lag- ging behind the need the market is demanding. CTEF, NTCA, IMI and many manufacturers and other asso- ciations are providing training in var- ious forms. These are good efforts, but we must work to make them complementary with formal appren- ticeship and craft training. The NTCA and others have invested heavily in developing training and apprentice programs and we will continue to strive towards industry solutions. How do we work together to over- come these shortages? I’d like to hear from manufacturers of tile and allied products and those invested in the labor pool – what do you think our non-proprietary industry objectives should be? My goal is to assemble a plan we can all implement and invest in. This is an industry problem and no single segment can solve it alone – we must work together with clear and focused efforts. If you are interested in joining the conversation, please email me at mhoward@davidallen.com. Keep on tiling! Martin Howard, President NTCA Committee Member, ANSI A108 mhoward@davidallen.com PRESIDENT'S LETTER ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 18 TileLetter | August 2017