The Turkish playwriter and novelist Mehmet Murat Ildan wisely wrote, “In the New Year, never forget to thank your past years because they enabled you to reach today. Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future.”
As we get ready to close out the year, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on 2022, to recognize what we have been able to reach together and to thank you all for your hard work and dedication to the company during the last year so that we may embark on a rewarding and energized 2023!
While the complications of the pandemic and supply chain remain ongoing, this has been a time during which I have witnessed a flurry of creative innovations and problem solving from our valued LATICRETE employees. In fact, despite the challenges with raw material shortages, logistic delays and cost increases, the team has shown to be diligent and proactive with supply chain management, and the year is poised to be positive with a consolidated division forecast to be 10% over budget in sales and 25% over budget in profit in actual currency.
I am proud to acknowledge some of the accomplishments that made 2022 such a remarkable year in terms of growth, sustainable innovation and upholding our standards of excellence:
In March, we held the inauguration and ribbon cutting of our new factory in Nairobi, Kenya, the company’s first factory and office location on the continent of Africa.
We continue to roll out our ERP system, with Europe being the latest business unit to be added.
Our second plant in Costa Rica, in the Guanacaste area was inaugurated in December.
Brand Ambassador MS Dhoni appointed in India.
Implemented updated business plan and revised the budget process. Revamped our core values
In 2022, LATICRETE adopted our 6 Brand Promises, a company-wide initiative that builds upon our legacy of research and development of innovative installation products, systems and solutions. As we move forward into a new year and prioritize our responsibilities, the Brand Promises that stand out now and which we explore in this issue are Our Customers Are Our Family and Best Installer Experience.
Our Customers Are Our Family - Because we are like them, our customers have a unique experience with us.
It is more than just a motto; it’s the basis of our business. As a global family business, we are set apart from others with an unmatched customer experience focused on caring for them as part of our business family and providing a unique experience at every step of their journey with us. This commitment to our customers is the core of what makes a relationship with LATICRETE unique, and all of us share in the ensuing success.
Best Installer Experience - We provide the easiest and safest job site experience with outstanding support at every step of the project. Our products are among the easiest, safest, lightest and most ergonomic offered in the industry. Our technical services set the standard of professionalism and expertise among contractors, and they, along with our sales teams, understand the constantly evolving needs of professional contractors – that at the basic level they require a fast, safe, hassle-free jobsite experience with seamless access to customer and sales support. We provide a solutions approach that truly provides the best installer experience.
The year ahead brings exciting initiatives that will see the continued expansion of our footprint and plans to continue pushing retail channel development and growth. Some interesting activities already in the works for 2023 include:
Expanding our global presence with new plants in India, Australia, Europe and starting a new company in Saudi Arabia.
We will continue to migrate all employees to Microsoft Teams so that we are all on the same communication platform and able to collaborate even more.
Increasing our R&D spend, which will see increases in footprint and resources as we go deeper and wider with our expansion plans.
Creating greater brand awareness, name recognition by sponsoring Monza an Italian soccer team, partnering with a major Indian cricket star as a brand ambassador, and an updated product packaging and revamp to our website.
The year ahead, however, is not without challenges. With the continued volatility of raw materials, war in Ukraine, inflationary issues and pricing, there are still headwinds keeping certain things unpredictable, but as we’ve demonstrated over the last two years, this team can do it! Each and every one of you contributed to our accomplishments, and I appreciate everything you do to make our lives, our communities and our business successful.
Finally, I wish you and your families a warm and peaceful holiday season. Cheers to a wonderful year ahead!
One LATICRETE One Family
Perhaps nothing stimulates the fervor and anticipation in America quite like the start of football season in the fall. To meet this opportunity, a state-of-the-art venue was designed in Los Angeles that would be the largest stadium in NFL history.
At 3.1 million square feet (288,000 m2), it would offer premium amenities and high-tech features unparalleled in the entertainment industry, serving as an iconic and revolutionary destination worthy of the entertainment capital of the world.
Under the named sponsor, SoFi, the new stadium would host two major Los Angeles NFL teams.
As the cornerstone of a transformational redevelopment effort in and around Inglewood, California, SoFi Stadium would serve as an anchor for Hollywood Park, the largest urban mixed-use mega development under construction in the western United States. Situated on 298 acres, the area consisting of office buildings, shops, restaurants, residential units, hotels, and parks would be three and half times bigger than Disneyland and twice the size of Vatican City.
Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams and Chairman and Developer of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, and his company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, tapped Turner Construction and AECOM Hunt to oversee this ambitious endeavor. Leading the design vision, HKS, Inc. was taken on board as the architectural firm. Designed to be situated under one monumental roof canopy, three venues would redefine entertainment and allow the site to simultaneously host various events. The stadium itself would be the first open-air, indooroutdoor football stadium constructed and the largest in NFL history with more than 70,000 seats, including 260 luxury suites, and have the ability to expand to accommodate up
to 100,000 guests. In addition, the structure would house a 2.5-acre covered outdoor American Airlines Plaza as well as a 6,000-seat performance venue YouTube Theater.
The tile and stone needs of this massive powerhouse would be accomplished via a three-pronged approach led by three California-based family-owned installers. Together, Premier Tile & Marble, SMG Stone Company and Continental Marble & Tile Company would install more than 120 different tile types with varying levels of finishes from all over the world. Each of the tile and stone subcontractors selected only LATICRETE® products for their installation needs.
“LATICRETE fulfills all our installation material needs in the field. Our installers find LATICRETE materials to be user-friendly, and their tech support and field representatives are readily available and super helpful,” said Cam Ghojeh, Construction Manager for SMG Stone Company.
“For all projects, we always choose a single manufacturer so all products are compatible together. Since our tile installers prefer to work with LATICRETE products, it seemed like the perfect match,” said Andrew Games, Project Manager for Premier Tile & Marble. “The service and dependability of LATICRETE speak for themselves. For SoFi Stadium, LATICRETE kept inventory readily available for all products and grouts we needed.”
OWNER: Hollywood Park Inglewood, CA
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Turner Construction and AECOM Hunt NFL Joint Venture Inglewood, CA
ARCHITECT: HKS, Inc. Dallas, TX
INSTALLER: Continental Marble & Tile Company Corona, CA
INSTALLER: Premier Tile & Marble Gardena, CA
INSTALLER: SMG Stone Company Sun Valley, CA
LATICRETE MANUFACTURING PLANT: Corona, CA
High Profile Design: Highly anticipated and expected to be the first of its kind in the entertainment industry, SoFi Stadium’s materials and finishes were selected to be first class and extensive. In addition, the key design challenge was to craft an iconic and revolutionary stadium destination and experience worthy of the entertainment capital of the world.
Logistical Complexity: The expansive project would require over 120 different types of tile and stone that would be executed simultaneously by three major subcontractors. The sheer amount of square footage of floor and wall materials limited mobility and required stocking tile and setting materials on multiple floors throughout the stadium. In addition, because of multiple trade partners working in tandem with the flooring professionals, the project required a tremendous amount of coordination and careful planning.
COVID-19 Restrictions: The challenges of building a stadium during the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic meant the thousands of tradesmen on site daily would have to adapt to new and constantly changing guidelines from OSHA, the CDC and other governing bodies. As such, social distancing and heightened health and safety standards further complicated personnel organization.
As an expansive and complex project with a magnitude as large as SoFi Stadium, the quantity of stone and tile types on the project and their variability in color and origin were immense. With sizes ranging from extremely small to large format, the effect created an extreme variation in color and aesthetic that is rarely seen. In the same fashion, each style had to be coupled with specific grout colors and types as well as the proper setting materials.
Responsible for tile installation encompassing the locker rooms, cheerleader facilities, owner’s clubs, VIP suites, club areas, restrooms, concessions and more on the first six floors of the stadium, Premier Tile & Marble employed different tile styles and setting materials to coordinate with the unique design elements of each area. For example, the owner’s club was designed to encompass a higherend aesthetic, which entailed luxury tile; almost every concession booth on the second floor required distinct styles as well. From the whiskey and champagne bar, numerous concessions serving a variety of cuisines, to miscellaneous 360° bars throughout the center’s walkways, each had its own design requirements to be met.
Continental Marble & Tile Company similarly completed tile installations in the locker rooms, cheerleader locker rooms, owner’s clubs, public restrooms and many of the concession areas. In addition, they employed attractive one-inch mosaic hexagon tiles for the installation of various impressive accent walls in the walkways
“ The service and dependability of LATICRETE speak for themselves. For SoFi Stadium, LATICRETE kept inventory readily available for all products and grouts we needed.”
-- Andrew Games, Project Manager for Premier Tile & Marble
outside the suites, some 20-feet (6 m) in height. SMG Stone Company’s scope of work required the installation of large format 10-millimeter (.4 in) porcelain panels in all of the luxury box suites throughout the stadium bowl and large format porcelain panels for the countertops within the suites.
For this task, 257 TITANIUM™ thin-set mortar was used for its ability to exceed the industry's highest performance standard for a cementitious-based adhesive mortar. Designed with key features to facilitate the installation of gauged porcelain tile panels, 257 TITANIUM is a high-performance, one-step, polymer-fortified, thin-set mortar. It offers a long open time, superior transfer for maximum coverage, easy-to-spread consistency, contains no respirable silica above the OSHA action level* and is lightweight for easier handling.
Throughout the project, each of the subcontractors employed a variety of LATICRETE solutions that provided dependability and top quality. In addition to those mentioned above, LATICRETE® mortars and adhesives used on this project included: MULTIMAX™
Lite, a lightweight, one-step solution for large and heavy tile, LHT, a polymermodified mortar that provides a one-step application for large format ceramic tile, porcelain tile, marble and stone on floors, and TRI-LITE™, a lightweight, high performance tri-purpose mortar designed for thin-bed and wall installations. Another was LATAPOXY® 300 Adhesive, a chemical-resistant, epoxy adhesive that will bond to a wide variety of sound, clean surfaces.
Several top-quality grouts were also selected from the LATICRETE portfolio for SoFi Stadium tile installations. SPECTRALOCK® PRO Premium Grout, a high performance epoxy grout with excellent color uniformity, offering durability, stain protection and beautiful, full grout joints in an easy-to-use, non-sag formula. Also from the SPECTRALOCK family, SPECTRALOCK 2000 IG filled the space as a chemicalresistant, industrial-grade epoxy grout.
Shiv Kumar Nair, LATICRETE Area Sales Manager, as the first stadium of its kind and the largest in NFL history, SoFi Stadium is also the first football stadium to be built within Los Angeles in nearly 100 years and includes many firsts across industries, including in architecture, construction, engineering, technology and more. From the record breaking 70,000-square foot (6,503 m2) double-sided video board, to its state-of-the-art single layer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof that features a series of operable panels that can open and close as needed, the stadium is a marvel of modern design.
To kick off SoFi Stadium’s first year and celebrate the hard work of the many thousands of people that brought the venue to life from the time it first broke ground in November 2016, a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony was held just prior to the stadium’s first game. SoFi Stadium officially opened with its first event on September 13, 2020, for the season’s first Sunday night game. In addition, SoFi Stadium is set to host the Big Game in 2022 and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. With many more highprofile events planned in the coming years, the new SoFi Stadium gave football fanatics the touchdown they have been waiting for.
* OSHA action level set forth in OSHA's Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) standard for construction, 29 CFR 1926.1153,as certified by an independent laboratory to be below the OSHA action level
respirable crystalline silica –see www.laticrete.com/silica
Because we are like them, our customers have a unique experience with us.
BROTIS Studio Keramike in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a high-end distributor with tile, sanitary-ware and equipment showroom. A family business (father, mother, brother, and sister), well connected to installer base in Bosnia and Herzegovina, not just a showroom.
https://www.brotis.eu/en/about-us/
We try to be there for them when there are issues and work with them as a partner, thinking about the long-term. Any claims or issues are addressed in a timely manner, often with on-site support. Projects often featured (Instagram, project spotlights or snapshots).
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At LATICRETE, our customers are everything to us, and we are stronger than ever. We celebrate 65 years of leadership with gratitude, trust, hard work, and commitment. It's always there to fulfill your limitless strong imagination.
No matter which customers we work with (specifiers, developers, contractors, distributors, building/homeowners), we go above and beyond to provide them with a unique experience at every step of their customer journey.
Our customers have our business family's most distinctive, memorable, and unique experiences. Valuing and working with customers as actual family members is a deeply rooted commitment going back to our inception more than 65 years ago as a family business. We understand and care for them because we are like them.
Laticrete believes that the most significant way to celebrate its success is as a family, with all its devoted customers serving as the basis for its accomplishments.
Our MVP program is one example of how we aim to build a closer relationship with our clients, and we want the customer to be excited about working with LATICRETE and achieving great results.
Our rewards programs motivate our partners who work with us to promote LATICRETE quality and reliability. We aim to strengthen our relationships by sharing our success and growth with our partners and brand ambassadors for LATICRETE in their respective markets.
As part of the additional benefits of being a part of the MVP programs, we take unique international trips with our qualified customers accompanied by LATICRETE team members, such as our visits to New York and the Maldives.
Due to the unique nature of our products and services and the fact that they feel like they are a part of the LATICRETE family, our customers continue to have confidence in and utilize our brand. We do everything possible to make their business and lives successful. Their experience working with us is second to none, as proven by the number of customers who view us as their preferred brand of choice.
As part of our brand promise, on May 13 & 14 we were with the team of Mármoles Puente, one of our TOP 5 dealers, in Ixtapan de la Sal, Estado de México, as always enthusiastic and participatory we had an energetic weekend where teamwork, the presentation of new and innovative LATICRETE products were the main ingredient, in this way we reinforce our trust and friendship. We will continue to work to create unique experiences with our customers. From Mármoles Puente the attendance was 55 sales reps, administrative personnel, owners and 7 team members from LATICRETE.
Employees and customers want to work for and with ethical companies. Our brand promise, Trusted for Life, supports our employees and customers by promising that one can trust our products to last for a lifetime, same as one can trust our lifelong support. Compliance encompasses supporting our employees to be able to make ethical decisions and business dealings with our customers, vendors and suppliers.
By providing support and guidance in this area, our employees make good decisions in the field, which increases our customer’s confidence in LATICRETE. Employees know that the business will back them in these ethical decisions and customers will have lifelong trust in LATICRETE’s products and customer service.
Programs such as our anti-bribery and anti-corruption programs provide clear guidelines for employees when making business dealings in all countries around the world. Our newly rolled out antitrust program supports our sales and procurement teams on what is acceptable behavior when it comes to our dealings with competitors and customer pricing.
Continuous improvement and quality are in our DNA. Embarking on the Trusted for Life journey is embracing a culture that we already have in place and building on that culture for a lifetime. LATICRETE’s compliance program is here to give you the guidance and confidence to make good, ethical decisions for yourselves, LATICRETE, and our customers.
"With the LATICRETE team, it has been one of the best experiences we have had in developing skills and knowledge with hands on training, which allows us to design using the new XL formats in remodeling or new projects.”
“Today it is essential to adjust to the demands of the market and maintain the quality standard. LATICRETE is at the forefront of new concepts without omitting quality and technical advice. Providing tools and technical criteria for the placement of large format finishes.”
Arq. Aylin Bermúdez, Constructora BILCO, Costa Rica
“LATICRETE provided a highly functional and informative training event on the installation of large format panels. We obtained knowledge on the relevant standards, and through hands-on training I now have the confidence to take on large format panel projects. It was a great day to surround myself with a positive network of people. Thanks again LATICRETE."
Kevin Filjack, Aura Tiles, Australia
"Was a good variety of information with different tools and adhesives. Unlike any tiling training event I have been to before!" Jarda Skorpil, Skorpil Tiling, Australia
“Attended the ProFocus Training by LATICRETE. The training covers the recommended tools not only for the installation but also on the handling, which is a very important procedure for large gauge tiles. The training serves as an eye-opener and a valuable learning guide for architects, installers, developers, dealers, etc. to ensure the use of the correct installation methods for these tiles. Kudos to LATICRETE for conducting the training.”
Loo Sheau Ming, Ceramic Research Centre Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
ProFocus gauged porcelain panel trainings are available in six countries and have given hands-on training to 356 participants to date. The participants, ranging from installers, sales professionals, and architects are given an in-depth look at the manufacturing process and benefits of gauged porcelain panel as well as the proper tools and setting materials to ensure a successful installation according to the latest standards. Each attendee receives a digital badge that verifies their attendance and highlights the information covered during the event. Installers receive a special badge to denote that they have participated in a hands-on training event that meets industry requirements for proper training on these panels. Working together with Raimondi and their distribution network, as well as leaders in gauged porcelain panels such as Atlas Concorde and Guocera, LATICRETE is the first to introduce training for these materials and offer digital certification in most of the regions and countries where they are currently available.
LATICRETE held its first ever dedicated Women’s Profit Through Knowledge (PTK) on October 25th at our headquarters in Bethany, CT. A 1-day training was conducted which featured product and technical review, hands-on workshops, and networking for a class composed exclusively of women. In addition, the participants enjoyed interacting with a panel of industry women including Kate Farewell (Zubatkin), Christina Consigli (Consigli Construction), Samantha Rothberg (LATICRETE), and Doris Zelinsky (Board Member and Management Consultant).
LATICRETE has a strong history of supporting women as envisioned by our co-founder Mrs. Lillian R. Rothberg. Our owners’ commitment to a vibrant and inclusive culture is exemplified in the LATICRETE Women’s Forum that sponsored this event.
