Charles Frederick “Fritz” Weisend


Charles Frederick “Fritz” Weisend, died in his sleep on Friday, July 31, following a brief illness. He was 83.

Weisend started the Fritz Chemical Co. in Mesquite, Texas, in 1956, better known today as Fritz Industries Inc. In 1962, he introduced his first of many flooring products, called Fritztile. The innovative terrazzo tile featured epoxy resin binder and genuine marble aggregates, and has evolved over the years to include a modified polyester resin binder. It was the first flexible 1/8” thick terrazzo tile on the market.

A tireless innovator, in 1993 Weisend also launched the first commercial floor patch and self-leveling underlayments made using fly ash. He is remembered as an “innovator, entrepreneur and visionary” by colleagues, who added he provided “a family atmosphere that made it an honor to come to work each and every day.”