For the past two years, Coverings has recognized the best up-and-coming young professionals in the industry through the Coverings Rock Stars program. The program will continue at Coverings 2017 in Orlando, and you can nominate a Rock Star here.

In 2016, we honored ten emerging leaders in Chicago during the Coverings CID & Opening Night Celebration. One of these award recipients was Bradford Denny, a Contractor and Installer from Nichols Tile & Terrazzo Co.

Bradford learned the tile trade from his grandfather where he had the unique opportunity of learning installation methods that stand the test of time. His passion for information and knowledge of the trade has enabled him to stay on the forefront of the advancements in new methods and products. In his career, Bradford strives to utilize the tools he has been given to provide his clients with the best service, all while building up his company and the individual families that make this work possible.

We connected with Bradford to learn about his work in the industry and what it means to be a Coverings Rock Star:

How did you get started in this industry and what solidified your love/passion for it?
Like some others, tile contracting wasn’t exactly my first choice as a career. I fell into it because our family had such deep roots in it. Over time I found the joys of work created by hand, an appreciation for the legacy my grandfather started, and the satisfaction of providing a service that pleases a client while providing a place for families of our employees to be enriched.

What is something you are most proud of in your work?
I am very proud of the collective effort it takes to make a vision a reality. It takes a team mentality to achieve success and inspiring everyone involved in a project to do that can be a difficult task. I feel good when that happens.

What is it about this industry that excites you?
Tomorrow is exciting. We can get wrapped up in today and yesterday, but taking what we know to be certain from those two allows us to move forward in a positive direction. I see our industry changing and helping be a part of that change is very exciting.

What are some of your favorite trends in the tile and stone industry?
I love seeing the large format trend that allows us to cover incredibly large surfaces. Having our coverings be such a large component of the overall project as well as a focal point is awesome.

What does it mean to you to have been honored as a Rock Star?
Being honored as a Rock Star was very humbling and exciting. Humbling because I feel my success in the industry is a storyline of shared credit to the passionate people that have helped influence me. Exciting because it indicates that I still have much to look forward to ahead of me!