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 | | NEW CHAIR FOR TTA | | | Tile Association | | 20/05/2008 | | | Ashley Heath took over from David Forbes as Chairman of The Tile Association on 19th April. Each Chair serves for two years. Ashley has been very active on the TTA Marketing Committee and it’s Chair for the past two years. He is joint Managing Director of Albert & Michael Heath Ltd and Tubs & Tiles based in Coventry.
“The tile industry is, like many sectors, feeling the squeeze. It is during difficult trading conditions that the strongest players demonstrate their strength by succeeding in their continued growth. The market will continue to be driven by the demand for quality – both in product and service. Consumers and specifiers will often look at reducing their budgets but without wanting to sacrifice the quality of the product. By maintaining and improving standards, members can take a stance and justify higher prices by proving that their work is carried out to a recognised fixing standard, and that their products supplied conform to manufacturing standards. Lower prices could lead to inferior products and service performance.
TTA can financially assist companies and individuals by continuing to provide the well-publicised member benefits, which include cheaper credit card handling rates and cheaper insurance. Members also have access to legal and technical helplines, to help them on more challenging occasions.
TTA is also continuing to promote ceramic tiles and stone as a preferential surface over its rivals. We have recently launched a television advertising campaign which is currently being shown on the UKTV Style channel. UKTV Style broadcasts home-interest programmes such as DIY SOS, Extreme Makeover : Home Edition, House Doctor ….. to name just a few. We have also attended the consumer exhibition “National Homebuilding & Renovation Show”, providing a source of information to consumers whether they be enquiring about technical installations, or wanting to know their nearest TTA retailer. By increasing our revenue streams even further, we shall succeed in having even more resources available to fund new awareness possibilities.
The fixing sector is being challenged by a new breed of tile fixer who has been a short-term fixing course. I want to understand the needs of these newcomers to the industry and help them improve their standard of tile installation by encouraging a programme of ongoing training and assessment. Continuing David Forbes’ theme, I believe that we should be an inclusive, not an exclusive, Association and therefore should make the correct training available to them. We welcome new salespersons in the retail sector and shall soon be offering a revised training plan for them. Likewise, we should be widening our facility for tile fixers. I understand it is a controversial, sensitive, topic and we shall need to tread carefully in progressing through muddy waters.
London 2012 is just around the corner, and we shall be continuing our dialogue with the ODA to help keep TTA members abreast of the 2012 development plan”
Ashley Heath
Chairman of The Tile Association
Joint Managing Director, Albert & Michael Heath Ltd
The Tile Association represents all aspects of the wall and floor tile industry in the UK, from manufacture to installation.
It is dedicated to the advancement of all sectors of the tile industry and delivers real advantages to its members and their customers. It is committed to raising standards of product, installation, sales, training and promotion across the industry. | |
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