Balfegó is the surname of a family from a small town on the Catalan coast, who for five generations, have fished red tuna in the Mediterranean. Today, Balfegó is one of the largest international producers of red tuna, and is highly regarded by the world’s most famous chefs.

For this edition, we sat down with Martin Brookes, founder of Heritage Marble & Tile, Inc. in Mill Valley, CA, a National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Five Star Contractor.

Five years ago when I began working at TILE Magazine, I remember one of the first articles I edited, which focused on “thin porcelain tile” (TPT) and “thin porcelain tile panels” (TPTP).

Stonetech®Quartz & Porcelain Tile Sealer is a premium water-based sealer by Laticrete designed to protect quartz, porcelain tile and medium to dense surfaces from oil, water and most stains, all while preserving the natural look of the surface.

The Robert D. Love Downtown YMCA in Wichita, KS, officially opened in November 2012. After almost two years of planning and designing, the architect, general contractor and tile installer all worked together to help bring the project to life, which features various types of porcelain and ceramic tile from American Olean, Daltile and Atlas Concorde.

Adjacent to the Washington Convention Center and Marriott Marquis Convention Hotel in Washington, D.C. is a newly constructed 12-story, mixed-use development, consisting of a dual-brand convention center hotel, Marriott Residence Inn and Marriott Courtyard, and residential component.

TISE is the largest North American floor covering, stone and tile industry event, which has been operating for more than 30 years. Buyers, specifiers and influencers from the U.S. and countries all over the world attend to purchase products, gain design and trend inspiration, and develop their business strategies for the upcoming year.

For this edition, we sat down with Mike Micalizzi, senior director of technical services for Custom Building Products, previous owner of a tile and stone installation company Ceramic Tile Services. He currently serves on technical committees for the TCNA, MMSA, NTCA, MIA, ANSI, and ASTM International.