April 10, 2025 – ORLANDO, Fla. – Coverings (coverings.com), the leading international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America, has announced 20 honorees across returning and new awards programs, including this year’s Rock Star Award recipients and the inaugural class of Coverings Champions, ahead of the show’s return to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, April 29–May 2, 2025.
The Coverings Rock Stars, an Emerging Leaders Program, is a time-honored show tradition dedicated to celebrating the best and brightest young talent in the tile and stone industry. The esteemed program, which celebrated 10 years at Coverings 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia, underscores Coverings’ core mission to support the growth and success of the industry by recognizing top-notch talent and fostering networking and educational opportunities.
A committee of longstanding tile and stone industry leaders thoughtfully evaluated nominations to select this year’s 16 inductees for Coverings Rock Star status. The 2025 Rock Stars represent numerous industry segments and include the following winners:
Builder/Remodeler (1):
Sal Azzolino, Owner and Operator
Argo Tile and Stone
San Francisco, Calif.
Contractor/Installer (3):
Alex Nez, Tile Installer
Columbia River Tile & Stone Inc.
Portland, Ore.
Daniel Adams, Lead Installer
Guy’s Tile and Flooring, LLC
Akron, Ohio
Jennifer Barker, CEO and Installer
Bathmatic Custom Tile and Shower
Gastonia, N.C.
Designer (2):
Danielle Dean, Senior Interior Designer
Manning, APC
Atlanta, Ga.
Pelar Fullilove, Interior Designer
37th Burleigh Interior Design
Atlanta, Ga.
Distributor (3):
Dan Rodgers, Technical Sales Manager
Centura Tile – Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Jodi Fowler, Branch Manager
Best Tile
Woodstock, Conn.
Marilyn Black, Boutique Vendor and Merchandising Manager
Louisville Tile Distributors
Louisville, Ky.
Manufacturer (1):
Giovanni Gradellini, Midwest Area Manager
Caesar Ceramics USA
Chicago, Ill.
Other – Marketing (1):
Anthony Milia, Owner
Milia Marketing
Cleveland, Ohio
Retailer (1):
Rachel Feibelman, Director of Operations
Tile Envy (A Kitchen Envy Company)
Jacksonville, Fla.
Stone Fabricator (3):
Ben Mestek, Managing Partner
Pacific Stone Creations
Menifee, Calif.
Joseph Ontra, Production Manager and Vice President
Ontra Stone
Fairfileld, Conn.
Travis McDermott, President
McDermott Top Shop, LLC
Jefferson, Wis.
Trade Association (1):
Roxanne Morris, Marketing and PR Manager
Tile Council of North America
Detroit, Mich.
Coverings 2025 also marks the introduction of the Coverings Champions, a new yet highly revered show accolade recognizing distinguished industry leaders for their extraordinary contributions — and the many hours they have generously volunteered — to the expansion and continued achievement of the event.
The debut class of Coverings 2025 Champions played a pivotal role in shaping the event through their active involvement in educational sessions, expert panels, special projects, and outreach efforts, catalyzing industry innovation and significantly enhancing both the show experience and the positive trajectory of the tile and stone industry.
Four eminent visionaries have been named Coverings 2025 Champions by the show’s Board of Directors, in recognition of their consistent advocacy and considerable contributions to Coverings, including the following:
Steven Clem, FAIA, ASID, IIDA, Principal
TVS
Atlanta, Ga.
Tony Malisani, President
Malisani Inc.
Great Falls, Mont.
Woody Sanders, President
DW Sanders Tile & Stone Contracting
Marietta, Ga.
Harold Yarborough, Former Chairman
D&B Tile Distributors
Sunrise, Fla.
The Coverings 2025 Champions will be recognized alongside this year’s Rock Stars at Coverings 2025 during the Rock Stars & Coverings Champions Awards Ceremony, happening in The Coverings Lounge, Booth 4300, Tuesday, April 29, 4-5 p.m. EDT. Showgoers are invited to participate in the festivities by attending the ceremony.
The 11th class of Coverings Rock Stars and the inaugural class of Coverings Champions collectively recognize industry leaders and visionaries for their significant impacts, invaluable contributions and steadfast leadership in advancing Coverings and the entire global tile and stone community. These awards and accolades exemplify the industry’s commitment to excellence and its pursuit of leadership that drives a dynamic and progressive future.
Coverings 2025 attendees and other industry professionals can learn more about the Rock Stars & Coverings Champions Awards Ceremony at coverings.com/coverings-rock-stars. For more information and to register to attend Coverings 2025, visit Coverings.com.
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Photos for the Editor:
- Headshots of the Rock Star Award winners described in this release can be viewed and downloaded for publication via the following SharePoint link:
- Headshots of the Coverings Champions named in this release can viewed and downloaded for publication via the following SharePoint link:
Coverings’ Social Media:
Instagram: instagram.com/CoveringsShow
Facebook: facebook.com/CoveringsShow
X: @Coverings, #Coverings2025
LinkedIn: Coverings LinkedIn showcase page
YouTube: Watch Coverings videos
Blog: coverings.com/blog
About Coverings: Coverings is the largest and preeminent ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and exposition in the United States and North America. It features exhibitors from 40 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world with 1,000 exhibitors.
The exposition and conference, with more than 35 years of successful history, serve as a valuable and complimentary learning resource for all segments of the industry, with dozens of educational opportunities throughout the show. Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders, real estate developers, as well as journalists, reporters, broadcasters, podcasters and bloggers who cover the vital tile and stone industry.
Key sponsors of the show are Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain (ASCER)/Tile of Spain, Tile Council of North America (TCNA), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) and International Product Assurance (IPA) Laboratories.
The show is managed by Taffy Event Strategies.
For more information about attending, sponsoring or exhibiting at Coverings 2025, contact Taffy Event Strategies at 571-313-5801 or [email protected].
Media/press contact for questions, interviews, additional photos, press tour attendance, etc.: Eberly & Collard Public Relations. See the contacts/email addresses listed at the top of this release.
