NTCA member Spotlight
Rob Melquist: the journey from helper to business owner
Rob Melquist has been in the tile industry for over three decades. He started his business in 2005, but it was a long road to get there.
Like many contractors, Melquist started his journey with a part-time job over the summer. His roommate’s dad, who gave him the part-time opportunity, asked him to quit his night-shift job to work with him full time. He was able to work on lots of large projects, such as government jobs.
“I worked for him for 17 years…I was a ‘helper’ for what seemed like forever,” he said. He would be given a punch list at the end of jobs that would require him to go through the site and fix mistakes. “I hated it at the time, but the experience allowed me to learn a lot about our trade and what works and what doesn’t,” Melquist said.
Rob Melquist, CTI #1248
Ceramic & Stone Solutions
Milwaukie, Ore.
After Melquist and his roommate’s dad went their separate ways, he decided he wanted to be his own boss. Then came Ceramic & Stone Solutions in Milwaukie, Ore., and now Melquist focuses on quality residential remodels.
Melquist was never the type to excel in school. Being a hands-on person, classroom settings never worked for him. “Tile and the ability to create have allowed me to develop skills that I need to have a good career. I truly love my job. Not too many people can say that and mean it.”
He joined NTCA in 2016 to meet others in the tile trade for networking purposes. He appreciates the learning opportunities that NTCA has to offer – and how concise the classes can be. Melquist said he is an “avid believer in learning” and that he likes the “hands-on workshops and online resources” that NTCA provides to its members. The greatest value Melquist gets from being a NTCA member is the networking with other tile installers.
He also took his Certified Tile Installer (CTI) exam in 2016. He said, “I did it more for a personal experience, but I have had customers contact me from the CTEF website’s list of CTIs. I think the program is beneficial as it provides a means to test the knowledge of individuals about our industry standards.”
One of Melquist’s largest struggles is the business end of his tile company. The hands-on tile part is a breeze for him, but the forms, files, schedules and taxes are an area that was very unknown to him when he started. Luckily, with NTCA, he’s found people in the community that he can ask questions about these types of struggles.
Melquist used an encaustic design cement tile for the plumbing wall and porcelain 2” x 8” tiles for the rest. He said that it was fun trying to keep the lines straight with this handmade tile.
The greatest satisfaction Melquist gets from his work is the instant gratification. When prepping the walls or floor, “The customer is happy,” he said. “Then I start the tile and they are ecstatic. After the grout and final cleaning, [they] are so happy, and some are sad to see me go,” he said. Unlike some other construction jobs like plumbers or electricians, customers can actually see the work done and appreciate it, especially since tile and flooring is more than utilitarian, but also enhances appearances of a home or space.
Melquist created a mud pan with bonding flange drain for this shower floor. He was able to set full sheets and used epoxy grout as he always does with pebbles.
Melquist said that getting all these walls to line up was fun. Also, he had to deal with a partial slab foundation wall on one side.