CTIOA is headed up by my tile industry mentor, Mr. Gray LaFortune who started out in the tile business as an ‘apprentice helper’ in 1980.
Gray worked with Mercury Tile for a couple of years, just prior to his 8 year journey at ‘Venetian Tile’ where both he and his fellow project manager and estimator Greg Games generated some of the largest projects in the company’s history.
In 1991 Venetian Tile’s owner Art Pizzanat decided to retire and dissolve the family’s 68 year old enterprise, shortly thereafter in 1993 Greg Games transformed the nuclease of Venetian Tile into ‘Premier Tile and Marble’ as it is known today.
1991 was also the same year Gray was offered the helm of the Ceramic Tile Institute of America as its director.
Sixteen years at CTIOA has provided Gray with a tremendous amount of experience in all facets of the tile industry, including:
Developing and conducting educational, informational and promotional programs.
Contributing to technical and promotional publications.
Generating the revenue necessary to support programs and mission.
Promoting cooperation with other industry organizations.
Tile project detailing and developing specifications.
Third party inspections and forensics (Including; expert witness services).
Instructional and technical video.
Technical reports.
Gray LaFortune providing training for a very worthy group - ‘Habitat for Humanity’ of Orange County, California
When it comes to the tile industry, Gray and his staff at CTIOA do it all.
About CTIOA
Ceramic Tile Institute of America’s goal is to promote appropriate and expanded use of ceramic tile and natural stone through education. It is the intent of the organization to achieve recognition as a source of objective, valuable and contemporary tile information.
The association provides general information, industry updates, inspections, technical reports, specification and construction detail consulting, are just a few of the services CTIOA provides the tile industry as well as the design and construction community.
Ceramic Tile Institute of America third party inspection services:
When an inspection/consultation is made, it will be a complete inspection of the items listed on the Inspection Request Form and installation will be compared to the Standards of the Tile Trade. This means that the written report will cover those items that were listed on the Inspection Request Form. The report will be mailed to that party who requested the inspection. Other interested parties may obtain a copy of the report after ten (10) days of its original mailing by contacting CTIOA Inc.
CTIOA Technical Committee
CTIOA has organized a technical committee comprising several of Southern California's most experienced tile industry professionals: CTIOA Technical Committee
by O. John Diaz Director of Business Development
SpecCeramics
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