Russell Laird, of A+ Tile & Stone in Sacramento, Calif., (aplustileandstone.thebluebook.com) has made a name for himself in the tiling world, aiming for excellence in his typically commercial, public works projects. “Quality is what sets me apart from my competition,” Laird said. “I personally oversee every project and train my employees to do an excel- lent job so we don’t ever have any patch work or callbacks.”Though his company considers itself a commer- cial contractor, it applies this same level of quality to residential work for friends and family. It wasn’t an easy start. When the recession forced the company Laird was working for to close, he decided to go out on his own. “It was slow going at first,” he explained. “I had to bid very low to land work, but managed to grow each year. Now I am doing large commercial projects for the big reputable contractors like Turner and pricing has bounced back to a respectable level. I hope it stabilizes for a while.” Laird’s firm foundation allowed him to springboard into his own company in 2010. “I starting doing tile in 1989 for Custom Tile in Oroville where I learned residen- tial (mud work) and some com- mercial,” he said. “Around 1994 I started working for companies in Sacramento, where I learned larger commercial, which I prefer, and have found my niche today.” About six years ago, Laird chose to join NTCA, “to be associated with like-minded people who con- stantly strive to improve and learn. The greatest value from being a member is meeting and learning from other members.” After three years of association membership, Laird decided to pur- sue NTCA Five-Star Contractor status. “What led me to seek Five-Star is striving to be the best in my NTCA FIVE-STAR CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT — sponsored by Sacramento contractor strikes out on his own after recession; invests in certification By Lesley Goddin 52 TileLetter | January 2019