NTCA 5 Star Contractors in Canada

MAPEI Americas had the privilege to host close to 30 attendees including NTCA 5 Star Contractors and their guests in Vancouver, Canada for their annual 5 Star meeting. The tile industry's finest contractors braved long flights and incredible lines at immigration to visit the beautiful Vancouver area. Staying at The Sutton Place Hotel situated in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the group experienced luxury accommodations and exceptional service with first-class amenities. Set against an incredible backdrop of mountains and sea, the group enjoyed a welcome reception at the hotel the first night.

For those of you that are not be familiar with the NTCA (National Tile Contractors Association) 5 Star Program, let me give you a quick overview.  As part of the tile industry’s commitment to quality workmanship within the tile and stone industry, the NTCA recognizes members that reach the 5 Star level by demonstrating a record of success in the following areas:
-Be an active member in annual conventions, trade shows and meetings 
-Demonstrate adherence to proven industry methods and standards
-Provide written documentation supporting their business from vendors, customers,    peers and competitors. 
-Employ at least 10% of installers who have successfully completed the Certified Tile Installer test administered by the CTEF.

The first day of meetings were held at MAPEI’s LEED certified Delta BC plant located just South of Vancouver. Pierre Hebert, Technical Services Manager in Canada, presented an interesting program of new products.  He discussed why they were developed and the mechanics of how they work. The Canadian Technical team did a fantastic job of demonstrating the benefits of our newest products. The group toured the plant right after lunch, most seeing their first thinset and grout manufacturing facility. Calling the plant a thinset and grout plant does not accurately describe the many other products like self-levelers produced in the facilty.  After the tour, J.D. Eckmire, the Director of Sales in Western Canada for MAPEI explained the market on Vancouver which requires a very high density of people in downtown Vancouver.  This is because of the land restriction of being bordered by mountain and the sea. The tile contractors had plenty of interest in the 30+ high density residential towers currently under construction in the area, all typically requiring self-leveling previous to any floor finishes with a large percentage of those being tile and stone. The day was filled with excellent questions to the MAPEI staff about thin tile installation, curing compounds, stone backings and industry standards. The work day ended with an excellent group photo opportunity outside of the office and manufacturing facility. That evening the group was bused to Granville Island where they visited the public market and local artisans, capped off by a fantastic meal on the water at The Vancouver Fish Company.

The following day the NTCA held their 5 Star Contractors meeting at the Sutton Hotel. The weekend gave the group a few choices of local entertainment like grandola rides, cruises, and whale watching.  The tired group boarded long flights back to the US, having enjoyed 5 Star service at The Sutton Hotel. They visited Granville Island,  an enjoyable tourist attraction now considered one of the most successful urban redevelopments in North America. Learned about the local area and building techniques, welcomed the education, made fun of my left handed troweling during demos, networked with other quality tile contractors sharing their projects and how to successfully run a tile business. MAPEI Americas is honored to work with this quality group of tile contractors and host this successful meeting. See the FCI Floor Covering Installer blog post for additional information on the NTCA Five Star Meeting.