Dirk Sullivan, founder and president of Hawthorne Tile in Portland, Oregon, was recognized as Tile Person of the Year by the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) at its 75th Anniversary Reception during Coverings, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NTCA, recognized as the largest and most respected tile contractor associations in the world, is an authority in the development of tile industry standards and methods.The honor is bestowed annually to a tile professional who is dedicated to supporting the non-profit trade association as it serves all segments of the tile and stone industry.

As a respected Five Star NTCA Contractor and NTCA state director, Sullivan has supported the association at every imaginable level, including two terms on the board of directors, as well as a longstanding role on the NTCA Technical, Membership, and Training and Education Committees. He also pioneered the effort to get approval of the first-of-its-kind, state-approved, joint apprenticeship program utilizing the online NTCA University.

These accomplishments, among many others, were cited when he was presented the award by NTCA President Martin Brookes.

“It’s a tremendous honor to receive this prestigious award,” said Dirk Sullivan. “There is a direct correlation between my success as a tile contractor and my involvement in the NTCA. Getting involved as a member of the NTCA is for the betterment of your own business. We volunteer our time to network, which is incredibly important. When you take time to get involved, awesome stuff rubs off from other people. I’m not just a tile guy in Oregon anymore; I run a business that now people across the country know. There’s credibility to what we do here. I’m proud of the work I’ve done with the NTCA, growing membership in the Pacific Northwest. Through the NTCA, I’ve also been able to mentor other young business members, which has been very important.”

Founded in 2000, Hawthorne Tile is the Pacific Northwest’s only NTCA 5 Five Contractor.