b'NTCA MEMBER SPOTLIGHTWarrior spirit puts Blue Tool Box ahead of the competitionNorth Carolina tilesetter puts the focus on constant improvementBy Lesley A. Goddin, EditorCarlos Castaneda said The dif- Hesaidhiscompanyembodies ference between an ordinary manthe Carlos Castaneda quote, add-and a warrior is that a warrior takesing, The more everything as a challenge, while anchallengeswe ordinary man takes everything as aovercome,the blessing or a curse.smallerour Whyisthisimportanttoatilecompetition contractor?Well,toKennethlooksinthe LambertofCharlotte,N.C.sBluerear view.Tool Box, its his companys motto,L a m b e r t s its raison detre or reason for being.careerinthe Anditspeakstothecompanystilebusiness constant drive to increase its qual- wasborninKenneth Lambertity,fromimprovingdustcontrolchallenge.In duringdemolition,refiningits2010,inthe timeline,improvingturn-aroundthroes of the recession, he had just timeonestimatesandfollowingbeenlaidofffromhisjoband up after the job is complete. his wife moved out four days later, Infact,itswhatLambertsaysleaving him with no income and a iswhatsetsthecompanyapartson to care for. from the competition. ConstantlyInthebeginning,Iwasdoing improvingintileworkissoveryoddjobsandanythingIcouldto important,butconstantlyimprov- putbreadonthetable,Lambert ing in all areas of the job is whatsaid. I remember the first tile job I reallysetsusapartandwhatissold, I took a small deposit, bought going to push us light years aheada7RYOBItilesawfromHome of everyone else in the days ahead.Depot, a trowel and a how-to-tile 54TileLetter | February 2020'