The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has selected MAPEI Group CEO, Dr. Giorgio Squinzi, as the 2010 recipient of its Joe A. Tarver Award.

Dr. Squinzi was chosen for his knowledge, experience and commitment to educating the industry on a global level. His leadership at MAPEI has played an integral role in helping the industry grow and evolve, particularly in reference to tile and stone installation systems. He is the eighth industry leader to receive the Joe A. Tarver Award.

The award will be presented at the Seventh Annual TileLetter Awards ceremony being held during Coverings in Orlando, Fla., April 29 at 5:30 p.m. in Room S320D, and will carry over into S320 rooms E and F. The awards portion of the program will be from 6-7:30 p.m.

The NTCA’s award was named after Joe A. Tarver who served as the Association’s Executive Director from 1972-2002. It is presented to an individual as a lifetime achievement for service to the tile industry.

Dr. Squinzi was born in Milan, Italy, in 1937 to a family with a small flooring and coatings business. He attended Universita degli Studi of Milan, where he obtained his degree in Industrial Chemistry. In 1970, he and his father Rodolfo expanded the family’s original business with the establishment of Mapei s.n.c. Dr. Squinzi took the helm of research and development activities, establishing the first pillar in MAPEI’s vision to continuously produce innovative new products for the tile industry. Following his father’s philosophy of specialization (the second pillar of their vision), Dr. Squinzi focused on manufacturing leading edge tile and stone installation products.In 1976, Dr. Squinzi became the general manager of Mapei S.p.A. in Italy. Two years later, he took the company global with a plant in Laval, Quebec.

In 1994, Dr. Squinzi acquired Vinavil S.p.A., with plants in Villadossola and Ravenna, Italy, to ensure MAPEI would have custom polymers needed for product improvement. Polymer production plants were then added in Maskinonge, Quebec, and West Chicago, Illinois.

Mindful of the importance of manufacturing associations to the industry’s success, Dr. Squinzi and MAPEI worked closely with Confindustria Ceramiche, the tile manufacturing association of Italy, where he serves on the board. He has also served as vice president for technological innovation and research for Confindustria – the organization of Italian industries; and he has held the position of vice president of Cefic, the European Chemical Industries Federation. MAPEI has continued its strong involvement with tile associations in North America, including the NTCA.

Dr. Squinzi has been elected six times as the Chairman of Federchimica, the national Federation of Chemical Industries in Italy. His commitment to the environment is reflected in technologies that reduce dust in the workplace, prevent the growth of mold and bacteria in mortars and grouts, and utilize recycled materials. He has been instrumental in strategic acquisition and positioning of plants to serve customers regionally. All these environmental initiatives reflect important aspects of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) programs in the United States and Canada.

In addition, Dr. Squinzi has been active in the international standardization of tile installation methods as the Convenor of TC67WG3, which has developed the EN Standards on tile setting materials, now known as ISO 13007. These standards have been adopted by the Tile Council of North America and appear in the new 2010 Handbook.

Previous winners of the Joe A. Tarver Award include:
  • Svend Hovmand, President of Crossville Ceramics
  • Bob Daniels, Executive Director of the Tile Council of North America
  • Dave Golbis, Executive Director Emeritus of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation
  • Henry Rothberg, Sr., Founder and Chairman of LATICRETE International
  • Skip Mason, Former Manager of COVERINGS
  • Bob Young (late), A legendary tile consultant
  • Craig Hamilton (late), Director of Research and Development for MAPEI