b"EDITORS LETTER Every once in a while, a new technology, A T nolo gy land t C por H ean old problem, and a big idea turn intotech onal E Con rend t sr re Ass t from thNati Ti etrac o sociationan innovation.Dean Kamen Production: Bart A. Bettiga, Publisher bart@tile-assn.comLesley A. Goddin, Editor lesley@tile-assn.comMichelle Chapman, Art Director,Lesley Goddin michelle@tile-assn.comMary Shaw-Olson, Advertising Sales Every fall, as the leaves start to change and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING startsmary@tile-assn.comto appear in all the stores, its also time for the TECH issue of TileLetter. Its hard to believe we are in the fifth year for this annual issue, bringing you news ofMailing Address: Ptechnological trends in setting materials, tools, accessories and related productsO. Box 13629 The backbone of this issue is our product sections that explore emergingJackson, MS 39236 U.S.A.trends in technology from industry experts and present products that meet theShipping Address: demands of todays tiles, and the contractors that install them. Interspersed in626 Lakeland East Drive these sections are perspectives from contractors who work in the trenches withJackson, MS 39232 these products every dayAshley Andrews, Pavlo Starkov and Tom Cravillion.Tel: 601-939-2071 Inaddition,weofferseveralstoriesforyourconsideration.NTCATechnicalFax: 601-932-6117Director Stephanie Samulski gives you a guided tour through whats involved inWebsite:developing a product or installation standard. Do you ever wonder how a stan- www.tile-assn.comdard gets proposed, debated, and adopted? Samulski gives you the lowdown onwww.tileletter.comthis process and suggests ways you can get involved to have your voice heard and influence the outcome. Then NTCA President Chris Walker adds his perspective on the rise of technology, as well as the standards process, in his President's Letter.NTCA would not be possible without the dedicated service NTCA Executive Director Bart Bettiga issues a Call to Arms concerning theof our board and committee members, and regional and state directors. Meet these dedicated volunteers by visiting growth of plastic-based materials (PBM) such as luxury vinyl tile (LVT) in thewww.tile-assn.com and clicking on About Us. You can also find information and a continually-updated list of Five Star hard surface market. He posits the fact that customers are often choosing theseContractors at www.tile-assn.comclick on Find a Tile Con-products due to misperceptions about performance and longevity they believetractor or Consultant.these products offer, but which manufacturers dont stand behind. Take a lookTRENDSANDTECHEDITORIALPOLICY:TRENDSandTECH at this story and arm yourself with knowledge as this battle heats up in theareofficialpublicationsoftheNationalTileContractors Association,Inc.(NTCA).TRENDSprovidesamediumfor marketplace. expressing views and opinions without approving, disapprov-ing, or guaranteeing the validity or accuracy of any data, Yours truly offers an article about the effect tariffsmostly against Chinaareclaim or opinion appearing under a byline, or obtained or having on our industry from the perspective of some of our top distributors.quoted from an acknowledged source. Statements of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the authors With tile from China comprising increasing amounts of imports in recent years,alone, and do not imply an opinion or reflect the official how are distributors dealing with the monthly increase in tariffs and what is theirposition of NTCA.strategy going into 2020? Read and find out! TheNational TileContractorsAssociation,Inc.isanequal Once again, a big shout out to Contributing Editor Lou Iannoco, who gatheredopportunity association and seeks to include qualified individu-als and businesses in all phases of its activities. The National Tile much of the trend and product information in the materials categories. Its aContractors Association, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national monumental job to compile all this data into a coherent, cohesive format fororigin, veteran status, or disability. The National Tile Contractors your reading pleasure and edification, and we would be hard-pressed to do itAssociation, Inc. seeks opportunities to include these groups in without him.its programs and activities.So, pull up a comfy chair, grab a pumpkin spice latte, curl up with this issue of TECH, and arm yourself with knowledge for the year ahead. God bless,Lesley Goddinlesley@tile-assn.com Lou Iannoco42019|TECH"