4 2018 | TRENDS rchitects and desi ners ha e yo e er e perienced a pro ect here the le installa on didn t meet yo r e pecta ons I yo ha e, and the iss e as an installa on ail re or poor ality appearance, I ha e ood ne s. o can reatly red ce the chances o a repeat per ormance y selec n and or in ith alified and cer fied pro es sional installers. It is a act that to e amon the most s ccess l sales pro essionals, e tensi e no led e o the prod ct and ho it is est sed is essen al. Since yo desi n ea l ildin s and assem le meless pale es o color and te t re to enhance the spaces in hich e li e and or , I’d like to recommend that you seek o t the tr e sales pro essional one ho has achie ed er fied eramic ile Specialist or S or short. The individuals who have invested in this cer fica on esta lished y the eramic ile istri tors ssocia on ha e ta en their role in the ceramic le ind s try ery serio sly and ha e dis n ished themsel es amon their peers. his cer fica on re ires e tensi e no led e, not only o the rich history o le, t the c r rent methods o man act rin the di erent types o les alon ith their physical and per ormance proper es. thoro h nderstand in o all the applica le man act r in and installa on ind stry stan dards is also re ired to ain S. he created and administers this cer fica on to meet a cri cal need in our industry: the need or those sellin and ser icin the desi n and architect ral comm nity to e thoro hly no led ea le o the di erent types o le and their recommended se and proper installa on. hey also sho ld nder stand all the industry standards that determine the ality o prod ct and the allo a le man act rin tolerances, so they can assist you in ma in the est in ormed choices or yo r pro ects. o one ants the nen ia le e perience o selec n the per ect color, si e and finish le only to see it installed and H learn that it does not have the proper slip resistance or a rasi e resistance needed. s an installa on pro essional, I m al ays s rprised at ho o en I meet sales representa es ho ha e e perience in sales, t no no led e o le or the ind stry at lar e. his is hy the created this m ch needed cer fica on. It is important that the person yo rely on or ad ice a o t le no s eno h to i e yo pro essional advice about more than what colors and si es are a aila le in any par c lar series. I stron ly recommend that distri utors make a commitment to train their sales and sho room personnel to prepare to ta e the S e am. his in estment in their employees ill ndo tedly impro e company per ormance and profit. he no l ed e they ain rom ta in the test ill posi ely impact the installer, the cons mer and the ind stry. I enco ra e the desi n comm nity to insist on or in ith S pro essionals and I enco ra e all PRESIDENT'S LETTER Martin Howard Look to qualified sales staff and installers for stellar projects