Dr. Svend Hovmand (right) receives
the award from TCNA Executive Director, Eric Astrachan.
Crossville, Inc.’s Dr. Svend Hovmand recently received the “Tile Person of the Year” award by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) during a ceremony held at Coverings 2010 in Orlando, FL.
With a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge, England, Dr. Hovmand served for 16 years as president of Crossville, Inc. and has served on Crossville’s Board of Directors since its founding 25 years ago. Since 2005, he has served as Chairman Emeritus of Crossville’s Board.
“Dr. Hovmand’s contributions to Tile Council and the tile industry are extraordinary,” commented TCNA Executive Director, Eric Astrachan. “Unquestionably, Dr. Hovmand is the most senior manufacturing executive who actively participates in both the deeply technical and executive level business aspects of our industry. We are fortunate to have his continued active participation in our association, even after his semi-retirement from Crossville.”
Dr. Hovmand was introduced by Tim Curran, who congratulated him on behalf of Crossville’s owners, the Curran Group of Crystal Lake, IL, and recounted key memories of Dr. Hovmand’s long history with the company. In thanking TCNA for the award, Dr. Hovmand acknowledged that, throughout his career, he was “fortunate to have been a part of a number of teams comprising very talented and hard-working people.” At Crossville, he singled out John E. Smith, Crossville’s current President, and Mark Shannon, Vice President of Sales, and asked them to stand. “I have also had the luck,” he continued, “to work for the members of the Curran family. They have been the ideal owner, consistently investing in people and machinery, being supportive and leading with the long-term perspective in mind.”
Some of the numerous ways Dr. Hovmand has served and continues to serve the industry include:
- TCNA president, 1994-95, 2004-05, 2006
- TCNA Board of Directors, 1990-present
- TCNA Executive Committee 2001-present
- TCNA Marketing Committee Chairman, 2003-08
- Chairman of ISO TC 189, the International Organization for Standardization technical committee for ceramic tile and installation materials
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) President, 2006-present
- Participant in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ASC A108 committee
- National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Board of Directors, 2000-04
- Coverings Board of Governors, 2003-present
