Dr. Jay Lehr
Futurist, Economist, Researcher and Scientist


Sponsored by Tile Of Spain, Patti Fasan, considered by many to be the leading passionate voice of professional speakers in the tile industry around the world, followed up Dr. Lehr’s message with strategies that could be implemented to sell the value of tile as a luxury product as a solid investment and design pleasing choice.

CHANDLER, AZ - Organizers of the recently held Total Solutions Plus, November 8-10 in Chandler, AZ, have deemed the event a success not only for the hundreds of attendees, but also for the caliber of the events presented, and how those events were received by all.

The second annual event, presented by the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), began with an optimistic prediction about the future of the tile industry, and it ended with a thought-provoking and emotional recount of heroism in the line of duty on Veterans Day. “Everything in between was just what the leaders of the tile industry needed as they came together to participate in Total Solutions Plus,” the associations noted.

Nationally recognized speaker Dr. Jay Lehr energized the crowd of more than 300 in his opening keynote presentation on the future of the global economy and the role the ceramic tile industry will play in it. Dr. Lehr echoed what many of us in the tile industry have been promoting for some time; the future of tile in the United States is extremely positive. He compared per capita consumption of ceramic tile with other leading countries around the world, and he challenged industry professionals to partner together with one clear and concise message to promote the product over competitive alternatives.

LATICRETE's Ed Metcalf, with awardees from previous years behind him, accepts the 2011 Ceramic Tile Distributors Association's (CTDA) Hall of Fame Award.



Artcraft Granite, Marble and Tile Co.'s James Woelfel accepts the National Tile Contractors Association's (NTCA) 2011 Tile Person of the Year award from NTCA president Nyle Wadford (right).

Donato Grosser, sponsored by Ceramic Tiles of Italy, shared his channels of distribution and took a glimpse at the U.S. Economy and its roles in the tile industry.

Technical Presentations included several contributions from the NTCA, with Gerald Sloan partnering with NTCA member Greg Andrews on glass tile installations, and with fellow NTCA trainer Michael Whistler on Large Format tile installations. Sloan also worked with representatives from the Materials, Methods and Standards Association (MMSA) on the evolution of grout technology. Live Demonstrations were a highlight of the technical programs.

NTCA member Josh Levinson of Artistic Tile and Recognized Consultant Gregory Mowat delivered an excellent program on stone tile installations.

Closing keynote speaker, Marcus Luttrell, recounts his story of courage, honor and patriotism during his presentation. He is the author of Lone Survivor.

The conference culminated with a tearful reminiscence of his life in the military and his experience in Afghanistan by former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. Luttrell is the author of the book “Lone Survivor,” and recounts how he survived in the Afghan wilderness for several days and the loss of several of his fellow Seals as they died fighting for our freedom. The book will soon be available in a motion picture.

For the full story of all the events and educational sessions presented during Total Solutions, make sure to check out the upcoming January/February issue ofTILE Magazine.