b'TECHNICAL FEATURE (continued) thatcontributetothisdilemma,andweneedtocollec- installthemproperlythefirsttime.Wehavedeveloped tively work together to minimize this trend from continu- programsthatcanhelpustoachievethis.Oneofthe ing. Failures can result because of workmanship and lackmostimportantinitiativeswecurrentlyarepromotingis of proper training by the installerthat is for sure. Failuresindustry certification. I am convinced we must certify and can also occur because the proper materials and productstrain more people than ever before, and a lot faster than were not selected in the first place, which can result in thewe have done for the past decade. This is why the NTCA is customers expectations not being met.investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in new training vehicles, in hiring additional trainers, and in supporting the How product and installationeffortsoftheCeramicTileEducationFoundation(CTEF). standards benefit the consumer Many manufacturers and distributors have recognized this Our industry has worked hard to develop product andneed as well and have made commitments to host training installationstandards.Manyofourcompetitorshaventand certification programs, and provide support in the field done this, and it leaves them vulnerable if we take advan- with training and technical expertise. They have also made tage of this opportunity. I can assure you that manufactur- significant financial contributions that are necessary for us ers in other industries view our work in standards develop- to expand our efforts to meet this glaring need. ment as a strength and are working to try to quickly followI am calling on everyone in the tile industry to commit suit.Itissoimportantthatweusethisinformationtoto making this happen. To this end, I am chairing a panel realistically set expectations, and to ensure that qualifieddiscussion at Qualicer in Spain next year that will address and trained installers are selected to perform the installa- these issues. We have witnessed firsthand how much of tion. The biggest problem our industry faces is not the costan impact we can make to this trade when manufactur-of a ceramic tile installation the first time. It is the cost ofers, distributors and installers work together in a collective the replacement of a tile installation failure when it occurs.effort. If each and every one of us that has a passion for our The tile industry must work harder than ever to instillindustry is willing to commit to this effort, we can not only consumer confidence in our products and in our ability tosurvive in a competitive landscape, we will thrive in it. Ceramic High Quality Metal Trims andTool Pre-Molded Expansion Jointsfor all of Your Flooring NeedsCarpet/Vinyl Trim Reducers Reverse TrimDesigners and manufacturers of superior quality anodized aluminumflooring transitions & custom stainless steel productsCall or click today!800.236.5230 www.ceramictool.com MADE IN USA182019|TECH'