Tile Contractors Association Of America Inc

TCAA IS AN ASSOCIATION OF UNION CERAMIC TILE & STONE CONTACTORS AND AFFILIATED MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS. TCAAS MISSION IS TO BUILD MARKET SHARE FOR ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS BY PROMOTING THE USE OF TILE AND STONE AND THE ENGAGEMENT OF QUALIFIED UNION CONTRACTORS.

PROMOTING QUALIFIED LABOR: UNDERTAKES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT OFFER TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF A CONTRACTOR'S QUALIFICATIONS, RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF ENGAGING QUALIFIED (UNION) CONTRACTORS, AND PROMOTE THE PROPOSITION THAT CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS, NOT PRICE,SHOULD BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN ENGAGING A TILE/STONE INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR: A.) TROWEL OF EXCELLENCE CERTIFICATION - AVAILABLE TO ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS WHO MEET THE CERTIFICATION CRITERIA, TROWEL OF EXCELLENCE WAS THE FIRST INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION TO PROVIDE TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF A CONTRACTOR'S QUALIFICATIONS AND IS INCLUDED IN THE TCNA HANDBOOK, MASTERSPEC, THE TILE SPECIFICATIONS OF A WELL-KNOWN NATIONAL FOOD CHAIN, AND A NUMBER OF MANUFACTURER'S PROPRIETARY SPECS AS EVIDENCE OF A CONTRACTOR'S QUALIFICATIONS. B.) ADVANCED CERTIFICATION FOR TILE INSTALLERS (ACT) -REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS IN DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF BAC INSTALLERS ON SEVEN KEY INSTALLATION SKILLS, PROMOTES INSTALLER SKILLS TO THE PUBLIC AS A KEY COMPONENT OF A CONTRACTOR'S QUALIFICATIONS, AND MAINTAINS A NATIONAL LIST OF ACT CERTIFIED INSTALLERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS.

LABOR: A.) MAINTAINS A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BRICKLAYERS AND ALLIED CRAFTWORKERS (IUBAC) AND INTERVENES ON BEHALF OF ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS WHEN ISSUES ARISE AT THE LOCAL LEVELS. B.)PROVIDES REPRESENTATION OF ALL SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS WITH SEATS ON THE INTERNATIONAL PENSION FUND, THE IUBAC TILE, MARBLE, TERRAZZO COMMITTEE, AND THE INTERNATIONAL MASONRY INSTITUTE BOARD. TECHNICAL: HOLDS TWO SEATS ON THE TCNA HANDBOOK COMMITTEE AND A SEAT ON THE ANSI COMMITTEE WHERE IT REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW NATIONAL STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDED INSTALLATION METHODS AND CHANGES TO EXISTING STANDARDS AND METHODS. EDUCATION: A.) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MASONRY INSTITUTE (IMI), HOSTS LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE HIGH-IMPACT TECHNICAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE TO ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN COMMUNITY. B.) COLLECTS INPUT FROM CONTRACTORS WHICH IS USED BY IMI TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNICAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED BY CONTRACTORS AS HAVING HIGH VALUE FOR THEIR BUSINESSES. C.) PARTICIPATES AS A PLANNING PARTNER FOR THE ANNUAL TOTAL SOLUTIONS PLUS INDUSTRY CONFERENCE WHERE IT WORKS WITH INDUSTRY GROUPS THAT INCLUDE THE TILE COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICA, THE CERAMIC TILE DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION, AND THE NATIONAL TILE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION TO DEVELOP AND PRESENT BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS ISSUES COMMONLY FACED BY ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS.

OUTREACH: TO INCREASE MARKET SHARE OF ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS, TCAA PROMOTES THE PROPOSITION OF QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS AND CERTIFIED INSTALLERS TO DECISION MAKERS IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN COMMUNITY, GENERAL CONTRACTORS, PROJECT MANAGERS, SPEC WRITERS, OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS WITH THE FOLLOWING: A.) QUARTERLY PUBLICATION "093000 CONTRACTOR" THIS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE SHOWCASES THE WORK PERFORMED BY BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS. THE PUBLICATION IS MAILED TO A TARGETED AUDIENCE OF ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, GENERAL CONTRACTORS, PROJECT MANAGERS, SPEC WRITERS, OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS AND DISTRIBUTED AT INDUSTRY EVENTS SUCH AS SURFACES, COVERINGS AND TOTAL SOLUTIONS PLUS. IN ADDITION, A DIGITAL FLIPBOOK COPY IS EMAILED TO ALL TCAA MEMBERS, POSTED ON THE TCAA WEBSITE, AND SHARED ON LINKEDIN. ALL BAC- SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS AND ALL TCAA MEMBER MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION IN "093000 CONTRACTOR". B.) COVERINGS; PROMOTES THE INTERESTS OF ALL BAC-SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS AT COVERINGS, THE INDUSTRY'S LARGEST ANNUAL TRADE SHOW, WITH A BOOTH IN THE TILE COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICAN PAVILION AND WORKS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF IUBAC AND THE NATIONAL ACT TASK FORCE TO CONDUCT LIVE HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATIONS OF ACT TESTING DURING THE SHOW. THROUGHOUT THE SHOW, TCAA REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, GENERAL CONTRACTORS, DISTRIBUTORS, MANUFACTURERS, AND END USERS TO PROMOTE THE ENGAGEMENT OF ALL UNION TILE INSTALLATION CONTRACTORS.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM A.) IN 2001, TCAA ESTABLISHED A MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. TCAA AWARDS AN ARCHITECTURE/INTERIOR DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP, TO A QUALIFYING STUDENT PURSUING AN UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE LEVEL PROFESSIONAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE OR INTERIOR DESIGN, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. IN ADDITION TO THE MONETARY AWARD, THE A/D SCHOLARSHIP WINNER RECEIVES ANALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO THE TOTAL SOLUTIONS PLUS CONFERENCE TO EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND THE VERSATILITY, BEAUTY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CERAMIC TILE AND STONE, AND THE ADDED VALUE THAT COMES WHEN THESE PERMANENT FINISHES ARE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS AND INSTALLERS. IN THIS WAY, TCAA PROMOTES BOTH THE USE OF TILE/STONE PRODUCTS AND THE ENGAGEMENT OF UNION TILE CONTRACTORS & INSTALLERS TO THE INDUSTRY'S FUTURE SPECIFIERS. B.) TCAA ALSO AWARDS A FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP TO A SIBLING, CHILD, OR GRANDCHILD OF A TCAA CONTRACTOR MEMBER COMPANY EMPLOYEE. THIS SCHOLARSHIP IS AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, AND/OR FULL TIME MATRICULATED (ENROLLED AS A STUDENT OF A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY) COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT ANY ACCREDITED TWO-YEAR OR FOUR-YEAR SCHOOL.