Virginia Tile
TILE & SURFACE DISTRIBUTOR
Story by Ann Butenas | Sponsored Content
From exemplary customer service to extraordinary products, Virginia Tile has remained a strong and positive influence in the design industry. Since it began operations in 1928 as a family-owned and operated business, Virginia Tile has never wavered from its strong commitment to the power of design. Sourcing products from some of the finest and most exceptional manufacturers around the world, this company understands the path from inspiration to installation, residential or commercial, and offers customers a truly remarkable experience for all budgets and project scopes.
This 95-year-old company is built upon exceptional products and extraordinary people. As one of the few distributors focused on just tile, the designers who work here are fully trained and certified. They sell tile and the solutions that go with it, plus cabinet hardware, accessories, sinks and Wilsonart countertops.
The local Virginia Tile Company showroom is connected to the company’s national distribution center. As a to-the-trade company, Virginia Tile’s team of experts will work with designers and also with retailers and their customers on designs, facilitating as a trusted partner to unite the retailer, designer and contractor with the end user. At Virginia Tile, the customer can expect to get a thorough design experience from beginning to end.
The Kansas City area showroom is in a superb location for both the local residential and commercial architectural community. Its central location for Kansas City Metro and proximity to the downtown area makes it a wonderfully located resource for those customers working on projects from all over the area.
“I work with a lot of designers, contractors and retail trade partners; I enjoy working with their clients and designing the spaces they are renovating. I have been a designer going on eight years and come from a family background of remodeling and tile installation. I really enjoy my job and making customers happy,” emphasized Taylor Hamlett, Showroom Manager Designer, for the Kansas City showroom.
Scott Reeder, the Commercial Regional Sales Manager in Kansas City, further emphasized Hamlett’s point.
“Taylor is a great person to help walk someone through the product lines, but we also have sales reps out in the field,” he said. Reeder, who has worked with commercial architects and designers all over the city, encourages customers to come to the showroom to have all of the resources, right at their fingertips, to make project selections and specifications.
As a leading distributor for numerous major manufacturers, Virginia Tile carries a cornucopia of product and trim in all options and in all designs. The company works with manufacturers from all over, including the USA, western Europe and even Japan.
“Our breadth of products is extraordinary,” expressed Brent Castillo, Regional Sales Manager / Residential Division and Showroom. “If you can’t find your ideal tile at Virginia Tile, it may not exist. Our partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers affords us the capability to provide our customers with the perfect material for their project. Our product assortment is immense; our products and local inventory are world class, second to none.”
Virginia Tile is the largest specialty tile distributor in the United States, covering 15 states. Their Kansas City location is the second largest hub, boasting a 100,000 square foot warehouse.
“Kansas City supplies six states from this location,” noted Castillo.
Some of the premier vendors with whom Virginia Tile works include Adex, American Olean, Atlas, Caesar, Crossville, Inax, Lunada Bay, Marazzi USA, Milestone, Pratt and Larsen, Schluter Systems, Sonoma, Stone Impressions, Terra Bella Marble, TEC Vallelunga, Walker Zanger and WOW among many others.
Kitchen designers will also feel right at home at Virginia Tile’s Kansas City’s showroom that offers Wilsonart quartz, laminate and solid surface countertops, Crossville Porcelain Countertops and a variety of hardware components and cabinet accessories such as Blum Hardware, Rev-A-Shelf, and Karran Sinks just to name a few.
Aside from such a vast selection of products, customers will also be on the receiving end of exceptional service, extensive product knowledge of the staff and a premier customer experience. Virgina Tile also hosts a variety of events throughout the year to help inspire the local design community. Please be on the lookout for upcoming events.
What’s Next
Larger format tiles are quite popular now and are used on fireplaces or in a shower. This allows you to design a shower with minimal grout joints, so it looks like one solid slab of tile, stone, concrete; the style options are limitless. The 3-D look is a popular option for accent walls and on the backsplash. Additionally, jewel tones are trending now, as well as floral motifs and jungle, plant, and bird patterns that exude a natural and serene environment.
