MEMBER SPOTLIGHT –––––––––––––––––– sponsored by In February of 2018, Castillo Construction will complete 14 years in business as “The Tile Guys” in Silver City, located in the southwest- ern corner of New Mexico. Owner Jeff Castillo – who had begun work- ing in the construction trade at 19, and built no fewer than 30 homes from the ground up in the interven- ing years – obtained his general contractor's license in February of 2004, at age 24. The next year, he landed a very prosperous subcon- tract with a local flooring store, Finishing Touch Home Interiors. “It was then when I decided that I was not just going to be a tile guy, but instead I was going to be The Tile Guy,” he said. Around 2007, Castillo discov- ered the John Bridge Forums (JBF) and began chatting with profes- sionals from all over the world, his passion for the trade growing ever deeper. When he attended Coverings in Orlando in 2008, he was able to put names with faces of JBF members with whom he’d been conversing. Castillo was hungry for connection and education, and attended a special 2009 JBF event in Clemson, S.C., hosted by CTEF and S c h l u l e r S y s t e m s . In 2010, C a s t i l l o a t t e n d e d the JBF Mud Course in Dallas, hosted by LATICRETE. In 2011, at the Coverings held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Castillo joined the NTCA. He treasures involvement with NTCA because the association “values the knowl- edge and passion that drives our industry and it strives to give back to the members of NTCA,” he said. “Knowing the industry standards and business practices has set me apart from other tile setters who have not had the opportunity to be exposed to proper methods of installation,” he added. He also has the goal of having Certified Tile Installers on staff. At the Las Vegas Coverings in 2011, he was appointed State “The Tile Guys” combine artistry, education and excellence for custom homes and remodels in the Southwest Castillo Construction Jeff Castillo, owner of Castillo Construction 64 TileLetter | December 2017