In an effort to better understand the needs of its customers, 45 MAPEI staff members recently earned accreditation as Ceramic Tile Consultants from the Ceramic Tile Institute of America (CTIOA) after completing a training session at the company's headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

"The title of Ceramic Tile Consultant (CTC) is one of the highest accreditations in the tile industry," said Mike Micalizzi, MAPEI's manager of technical services. "With the knowledge we have gained from this training, we will be able to make better, more informed decisions about job-site challenges and give solid advice to our customers."

The four-day training session included members of MAPEI's technical and sales staff and was lead by CTIOA's assistant director Paul Wilson. It was held at the MAPEI Technical Institute inside the company's headquarters. In addition to industry standards and proper procedures, the seminars stressed the importance of the tile-setting industry's traditions. To earn accreditation, participants were required to write a 2,500-word paper on one aspect of the training.

Wilson noted that the training will enable MAPEI's staff to ensure that their customers have "the latest and greatest of products and know-how to use them effectively." He added that the training will pay off in the long run. "MAPEI has taken the steps necessary to ensure its success by providing its employees with CTC training," Wilson said.