Eric Astrachan

By Eric Astrachan Executive director, TCNA
Founded in 1945, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) is a trade association representing North American manufacturers of ceramic tile, tile installation materials, tile equipment, raw materials and other tile-related products. Unlike most associations better known to the consumer, TCNA is not a primarily business-to-consumer association. Rather, TCNA is a business-to- business and business-to-government association serving the interests of the tile industry, including manufacturers, installers, distributors and consumers.

Standards development
Tile Council is the publisher of the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation as well as 32 ANSI (American National Standards Institute) material and installation standards for ceramic tile and related materials. TCNA studies issues important to manufacturers, contractors and end users, which gives it a unique ability to bring together all segments of the tile industry. The association also works with experts from other fields to produce national standards, reflecting the combined expertise of hundreds of participants coordinated by TCNA’s technical staff.

TCNA staff members also serve in leadership roles on the ASTM Committee on Ceramic Whitewares (C21), allowing TCNA to represent the North American tile industry in the development of ASTM standards and laboratory test methods. Furthermore, through TCNA’s ongoing leadership in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Technical Committee for Ceramic Tile (TC-189), Tile Council provides a strong voice for how international standards are created and revised.

Does this mean if you have a technical question on standards you should call TCNA? Tile Council’s staff does not interpret standards or make recommendations on which handbook detail to use for a specific project, but the members of TCNA have the sales and technical support personnel to provide that assistance. Independent, third-party consultants are also available when more in-depth assistance is needed.

Government relations
Tile Council continuously works with regulatory and trade agencies, such as the International Trade Commission (ITC), to keep the domestic tile industry strong. Additionally, we work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop regulations that protect the environment while keeping jobs and manufacturing in America. In Mexico, TCNA has a program training customs agents to recognize tiles that have been falsely labeled in an attempt to avoid paying government duty.

Education
As a founder and leading supporter of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), TCNA strives to meet two of the greater challenges facing the industry: a lack of trained installers and a way for consumers to distinguish a skilled installer from a less- skilled one.

In addition, Tile Council helped create CTEF’s Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program, which provides criteria for certification and evaluates installer skills. By providing a way for installers to verify qualifications and promote themselves to potential clients, the CTI program is helping raise the quality of tile installations by encouraging consumers to use only the best-qualified installers.

To further promote certification, an insert in the newly released 2011 handbook names the certified installers and the companies that employ them. So far, more than 500 installers have been certified through this program with another 500 planned for 2011.

In Mexico, TCNA partnered with the government for installer education and certification, building two schools with a third under way.

Porcelain tile certification
We partnered with the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) to create the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) to certify true porcelain. This program directly benefits manufacturers, distributors and end users, which are all impacted by the importation and misrepresentation of non-porcelain tile as porcelain. It also helps reduce marketplace confusion over what is and what is not porcelain and creates accountability to help prevent tile from being falsely labeled.

With 225 product lines qualifying for certification since the start of the program, and approximately 100 product lines failing, there is clearly a real need for this service.

Product testing
TCNA operates the largest tile and stone testing facility in the U.S., which offers independent, confidential testing services to the entire industry. The TCNA lab offers a wide range of tile, dimension stone and installation materials testing per ASTM, ANSI and ISO standards and can also provide green product and customized testing services.

The Tile Council’s lab has been instrumental in the development and testing of many new products found today in the marketplace. With significant research and product development capabilities, the lab works with companies across the globe in the development of innovative technologies, and new tile and installation products.

Coverings
As one of the owners of Coverings, the largest tile and stone trade show in the U.S., TCNA works to ensure the show serves the interests of a broad spectrum of attendees and exhibitors. For example, the free educational program features more than 70 educational sessions, with most offering continuing education credits. Hands-on demonstrations, tile installer certification and an installation showcase provide plenty of insights and live action on the show floor. Combined with a happy hour every afternoon, the Coverings show is both educational and fun and the single best opportunity to network and connect in the tile industry.

In summary, while Tile Council might not be on consumers’ minds when selecting ceramic tile, its work dealing with the bigger industry issues results in a healthier and more robust North American tile market, with better standards and better tile installations for the consumer.

TCNA’s Andrew Whitmire, trade data specialist, contributed to this story.