Las Vegas—The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) will recognize industry veteran John Bridge with a special award at its upcoming ambassador reception, scheduled for Tuesday, January 23, at The International Surface Event (TISE) here. The event, open to all, will take place in the Palm Foyer from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., showcasing excellence in the tile and stone industry.
Bridge, a seasoned professional and pioneer in the tile sector, will be acknowledged for his outstanding contributions to the field. After leaving the army in 1968, Bridge applied for apprenticeship training in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and became a carpenter. He later obtained the Arizona General Building Contractor’s License, Class B, and joined his older brother as a ceramic tile contractor. With an extensive career in the industry, Bridge has been a tile setter since the 1980s and has contributed significantly to the tile community through his expertise and the creation of the online John Bridge Forum here.
NTCA executive director, Bart Bettiga emphasized Bridge’s pivotal role in creating the John Bridge Forum, a platform that has left a lasting impact on countless tile contractors, installers and industry professionals. “John launched his website in 1998 and it became widely popular as a place where consumers could interact with tile professionals to get answers they were seeking about the benefits of ceramic tile and how it should be installed and maintained,” Bettiga said. “This led to two distinct categories on the site that are still popular today: one is the Professional’s Hangout, and this is open to anyone, and one is a Pros only forum which has been beneficial for the installers to learn from each other.”
Bettiga added, “Many tile contractors, installers and tile industry professionals were active on the John Bridge Forum, and credit this platform for its positive impact on their careers. John recognized the impact this could have well before social media exploded in popularity. Lifelong friendships, collaborations and connections were made on the Forum, and it spawned the growth of many tile industry social media platforms. John was a true pioneer in this area, and the NTCA is honored to recognize him with this award.”
Event Details:
- Event: NTCA Ambassador
- Reception Date: Tuesday, January 23
- Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Location: Palm Foyer, The International Surface Event, here
The Ambassador Reception will also honor the NTCA Ambassador of the Year, Brian Runkle of Tectonic,Inc., and the Residential and Commercial Craftspersons of the Year, Joshua Nordstrom, Tierra Tile in Homer, Alaska, and Tommy Vu of Westside Construction Services Flooring Division, Houston, Texas, respectively.