The Contractor and Industrialized Construction
Conference
It will reveal how Welch Tile vision to radically change tile installations and create a new and innovative concept in industrialized construction, by looking beyond traditional manufactured products, to a more holistic solution, created Welch Tile Solutions (WTS). The WTS team invited manufacturing consultants to teach and guide them as they implemented a systematic approach to manufacturing tile installations in a controlled environment. It has yielded a significant reduction in on-site installation times and resources, among many other benefits. This allows for more tile to be specified, competitive in new markets, and have access to new applications. With proper investments this solution could be widely scalable to meet global demand. WTS involvement in Qualicer is intended to inspire change in traditional norms, through their vision and by welcoming strategic collaboration for the future of tile industry. Dan will be presented and accompanied in his speech by Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Executive Director, USA, representative of one of the associations that makes most effort in the training and preparation of ceramic tile installers and one of the most promising markets for quality and added value products in our industry.
Industrialized construction is growing stronger, and players are arriving to it from different activities in the value chain. In this session the case of a well stablished and quality focused tile contractor that has been one of the first to seize this opportunity will be presented. Dan Welch, owner / President at Welch Tile and Marble Company, Kent City, Michigan, USA, will explain his company experience and what new characteristics they find necessary for designers, tile companies and other agents to improve so this new market can be faster developed and ceramic tile more present in it. He will provide a snapshot of the journey Welch Tile & Marble has taken to incorporate tile as a prefabricated construction component.
Dan Welch is the second-generation owner of Welch Tile & Marble Company located in Kent City Michigan. Incorporated in 1987, Welch Tile started as a labor only contractor and now is a full-service specialty trade contractor providing commercial, industrial, and high-end residential tile installation services. Welch Tile is known for its expertise, high quality, and the ability to manage large projects.
On the national stage, in America, Dan has been involved with the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) where his interest has been in training and education, standards and methods, and most recently pre-assembly. One of Dan’s key contributions has been the sponsorship and development of NTCA’s education university which provides training career paths for tile finishers and setters.
Notable accomplishments are “Tile Man of the Year 2013”, and “Ring of Honor” recipient 2017, and a primary advisor and content expert for the NTCA apprenticeship program. He served as president of the NTCA in 2012-2013, and still provides vision and leadership as an advisor to the executive committee, serves on the technical committee, and is an alternate for the ANSI A 108 committee and the TCNA Handbook committee. Dan is also a CTI and ACT certified installer through the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF).
Most recently, Welch Tile has added a manufacturing division for the purpose of meeting current and future demands in the tile industry.
Bart Bettiga has over 37 years of experience in the ceramic tile industry and has been the Executive Director of the National Tile Contractors Association since 2002. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation and is a board member of Coverings, the international tile and stone exposition held annually in the United States. Bettiga is a voting member of many tile industry standards and methods committees and is a member of the Technical Committee of Qualicer. He is the publisher of TileLetter Magazine and has authored numerous articles related to the promotion of proper tile installation and qualified labor. He was the 2018 recipient of the prestigious National Tile Contractors Association Ring of Honor. The NTCA has over 1800 members and represents thousands of installers and contractor business owners.
