Innovation

Tile Works by Rich and Sons provides a unique service innovation by offering environmentally-friendly materials in addition to tiling installation services. The business uses its existing service platform to address a nascent market demand -- customers seeking excellent service from a firm that embraces sustainability objectives. All construction materials used by Tile Works meet established sustainability benchmarks. Sourced plywood is made mostly from recycled materials. Thinset mortar and grout are composed primarily of environmentally-friendly raw materials. To readily provide these materials, Tile Works partners with four other external businesses: American Olean, Daltile, Custom Flooring, and Schluter Systems. Each partner certifies their products as meeting standardized eco-friendly criteria.

The innovation emerged when founder Rich Hernandez considered how he could help build environmentally-sustainable homes. The motivation was primarily to continue providing service with "integrity, honesty, and respect" -- the company's mantra -- but also promote a sustainable positive impact. Hernandez believes that protecting the environment by limiting further harms is crucial, and he strives to use certified products whenever possible to reduce environmental strain.

Inspiration

As the founder, Rich Hernandez takes responsibility and credit for incorporating eco-friendly tiling systems and sustainable practices into the company. While his company is entirely family-owned and self-financed, allowing Hernandez to avoid confrontation and dissent from stakeholders aligned with a purely financial motive, he did need to articulate his commitment in communications with material distributors. Hernandez's mission powerfully addresses the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, as both the commitment to selling eco-friendly tiling materials, and installing tiling systems according to sustainable best practices helps to achieve more efficient use of scarce natural resources.

The company is especially grateful for the opportunity to help customers achieve their design vision in an environmentally-conscious manner. As Hernandez says, "Seeing the customer smile at the end of our finished work is the best feeling ever." Hernandez also derives pleasure in working with his family, notably the passion and enjoyment from working together to solve complex problems. The future is exceptionally bright as vendors expand sustainable product offerings, providing the promise of additional products for customers soon.

Tile Works by Rich and Sons is strongly driven by a shared sense of mission. The development of increasingly efficient processes and use of eco-friendly resources allows for the evolution of honest and transparent discussions with their customers about the environmental impact of potential design choices. The family is especially concerned about addressing SDG 13: Climate Action, and sources both plywood and thinset mortar from vendors incorporating manufacturing standards that reduce ozone depletion and mitigate other air pollutants. The result -- a high-quality service offering that exceeds customer expectations while eliminating the harms to the environment so common in this industry.

Overall impact

Customers are delighted with both the quality of materials and installation service. Tile Works by Rich and Sons claims anecdotally in marketing materials to be “the home builder's and developer’s choice for installing quality tile flooring products in communities throughout New Jersey," and customer reviews strongly support this claim.

External stakeholders benefit too -- flooring products often emit harmful toxins that contribute to air pollution. By contrast, environmentally friendly alternatives eliminate this concern and are generally recyclable, thus removing the cost of hazardous waste disposal in the future.

Business benefit

The short-term impact on the business is process-oriented, given that developing more efficient practices reduce the cost of repair and wasted materials - including proper disposal of potentially hazardous non-sustainable products. Longer-term effects are accentuated by using products that are both eco-friendly and designed to last longer, reducing the impact of future environmental waste costs.

As customers increasingly build or remodel with sustainable design goals in mind, Tile Works benefits from a virtually endless variety of available projects at both new construction sites and existing homes. Current building code regulations and financial incentives to use eco-friendly products reinforce the message that Hernandez frequently cites -- it pays to be environmentally cautious.

Social and environmental benefit

Catalyzed by working with urban planners and property managers to promote affordable and eco-friendly tiling systems, Hernandez has expanded to deploy multiple crews on 500 single-family home projects and 2,500 apartment projects each year. He also maintains a 5,000 square-foot warehouse/retail facility to both stock and display the breadth of available product offerings.

TileWorks plans to keep building beyond their existing market, including a possible new contract to expand their apartment rehabilitation business. Hernandez remarks, “If we see apartments being built, we make sure we are there to help out.” A project manager added, “More work equals more money.” Bolstered by their mission and growing awareness of sustainable initiatives, the possibilities seem endless at Tile Works.

Interview

Richard Hernandez, Owner