NTCA Names Tile Setter Craftspersons of the Year
JACKSON, Miss. – Ferid Hasic of Grazzini Brothers & Co. and Leo Reynaga of Visalia Tile are the two 2020 winners of the the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Tile Setter Craftsperson of the Year Award.
Ferid HasicHasic, of Grazzini Brothers & Company in Eagan, Minn., won in the commercial category with an installation at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, while Reynaga, of Visalia Tile in Visalia, Calif., is honored for residential work with an intricate use of travertine tile for pool decking.
Leo ReynagaThe winners receive round-trip airfare for two to Coverings 2021, scheduled to take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., next April, as well as hotel accommodations for a three-night stay. They will be recognized at the annual NTCA Awards Night during the show.
“Since Total Solutions Plus was changed to a virtual event this year due to COVID-19,,” explained Bart Bettiga, NTCA’s executive director, “we will be presenting the award to Ferid and Leo at Coverings 2021.”
Hasic oversaw the installation of 35,000 ft² of large-format thin porcelain tiles at the stadium, which was the the largest construction project in Minnesota. He trained and mentored 10 additional tile setters the work, which took three months and covered six different concourse levels.
Reynaga headed the exterior portion of a project at the Hoffman residence in Fresno, Calif., using Versailles-pattern 3cm travertine pavers running through the edges of the pool deck. His expert ability to prep the substrate made it an easy call to put him on the job. The homeowner wanted as tight of joints as possible, despite the size and variation of the stone.
Rod Owen of C.C. Owen Co., Mike Micalizzi of Custom Building Products, and James Woelfel, consultant, scored the commercial entries. Jan Hohn of Hohn & Hohn, Inc., William White, ARDEX, and consultant Nyle Wadford judged the residential entries.
Hoffman residenceHasic was nominated for the award by Greg Grazzini, CEO and president of Grazzini Brothers, while Reynaga was nominated by Teresa Inglehart, residential operations assistant at Visalia Tile. Both winners hail from NTCA Five-Star contractor member companies.
Hasic grew up in Bosnia and learned the tile trade from a third-generation tile-setter in Germany. He and his family moved to the U.S. in January 1998 and he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. His training in Germany allowed him to obtain his Tile Setter Journeyman card with the local union. He also holds a Stone Mason Journeyman card.
He supervises up to 45 workers with Grazzini Brothers and Company, while mentoring crew and overseeing projects, and has become a role model for his crew members.
U.S. Bank Stadium“If I show the people by my working hard, they will work hard,” Hasic said. “I take pride in my work and want to set a good example. I strive for no punch list on every job. It is important for the people to see that I put myself in their shoes – both my crew and the company. I want to do a good job, so the company gets more jobs. If the company prospers, I will prosper.”
As a young father who started working before finishing high school, Reynaga came to Visalia Ceramic Tile with no experience, and learned his craft through training with owner Robert Martinho, discovering that this career could provide a good living for his growing family. Inglehart said his go-getter attitude propelled him to success.
“Today, with over 24 years in the trade, Leo has become a top setter for commercial and residential applications,” Inglehart said, in her nomination letter. “It is rare to have one guy the best at projects requiring vast differences from small to large areas, simple to custom details- and he’s got it.”
Reynaga said that receiving the award demonstrates that “no matter what age or time in your career you could always achieve. This award shows my family and coworkers that if you have dedication, hard work, and love for your craft you will succeed.”
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