U.S. Representative Jeff Duncan (SC-3) spent time meeting with the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) staff and touring TCNA's facilities, and Eric Astrachan, executive director of TCNA, provided the Congressman with a brief current state of the ceramic tile industry and discussed issues in Washington most relevant to the tile industry, including U.S. trade agreements, EPA regulations, and increasing problems with fake ceramic tile products and false advertisements. The Congressman's visit ended with a tour of TCNA's performance testing laboratories, led by Katelyn Simpson, lab manager.

"We are honored Congressman Duncan took time out of his busy schedule to stop by the Clemson Research Park for a visit with TCNA," said Bill Griese, director of standards development and sustainability initiatives for TCNA. "With our association headquarters, right here in the Congressman's backyard, we wanted him to see firsthand the relevance of the ceramic tile industry and our organization's involvement in research, testing and the development of standards."

Astrachan added, "It is certainly an exciting time for tile in the U.S. New designs, innovative technologies, and increased popularity have resulted in significant industrial growth. The Congressman's quick grasp of the tile industry was certainly impressive. As leaders like Congressman Duncan become more familiar with our industry, we look forward to opportunities for increased advocacy in Washington."

For more information, visit tcnatile.com.