Atlanta—Coverings, the premier international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America, has unveiled the honorees of the annual Rock Star Awards ahead of Coverings 2024, taking place April 22-25, 2024, at the Georgia World Congress Center here.
“Over the past decade, the Rock Stars program has become a Coverings cornerstone, commemorating the innovative spirit and remarkable achievements of emerging tile and stone leaders,” said Jenn Heinold, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the show management company for Coverings. “The 2024 Rock Stars represent shining examples of professionals who demonstrate leadership, creativity and commitment to excellence, helping to drive the industry forward in countless positive ways. Coverings is proud to honor these exceptional individuals as part of the program’s 10th anniversary celebration.”
This year marks the 10th year of the coveted awards program, underscoring Coverings’ decade-long commitment to fostering industry growth by honoring exemplary young leaders in the tile and stone industry.
This year’s Rock Star recipients epitomize the industry’s most resourceful and exceptional young professionals who consistently innovate as forerunners of achievement, setting new standards in performance and excellence to further industry advancement.
A panel of tile and stone industry leaders carefully reviewed nominations to determine this year’s 16 Rock Star inductees. The 2024 winners encompass a wide range of industry segments as follows:
Contractor/Installer (7):
- Sean Gordy, owner
Gordy Tile
Atlanta, Ga. - Shanan Hehir, owner
Shanans Absolute Tile LLC
Manchester, Vt. - Trevor Hook, owner
Hooked on Tile LLC
Evansville, Wis. - Nathan Merrill, installer/owner
Vision Stone and Tile
Mogadore, Ohio - Megan Renk, owner
Mosaix Tile Installation Company
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho - Aryk Snowberger, owner
Snowbee Custom Tile
Canton, Ohio - Gus Tolleson, project manager
J&R Tile, Inc.
San Antonio, Texas
Designer (2):
- Marie Page, sales design consultant
Architessa
Rockville, Md. - Amala Raj Swenson, principal interior designer
Amala Raj Interiors
San Diego, Calif.
Distributor (4):
- Steven Bellew, operations manager, warehouse coordinator/co-owner
Bellew Tile & Marble Co / TJB Imports
Hingham, Mass. - John Donaghy, director of operations—commercial division
Best Tile
Fairhaven, Mass. - Jordan Johnson, procurement associate
International Tile & Stone
Daytona Beach, Fla. - Matthew Marchildon, tool & accessory division manager
Centura Tile
Toronto, Ontario
Manufacturer (2):
- Markus Dworowy, national technical manager
Blanke Corporation
Rolling Meadows, Ill. - Kali Pharand, product standards and sustainability coordinator
Schluter Systems
Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Retailer (1):
- Dani Williams, CEO and creative director
Artesana Tile
Tucson, Ariz.
The 2024 Rock Stars will be celebrated at Coverings 2024 alongside winners from the past nine years, uniting both new and previous award recipients in a grand celebration of industry excellence. A panel with previous Rock Stars about unlocking the key to a successful career will top off the celebration.
Showgoers are invited to participate in the festivities by attending the 2024 Rock Star Awards Ceremony & 10th Anniversary Celebration, which will be held April 22, 4-5 p.m. EDT, in the Outdoor Oasis (Hall C, Booth 7006) at Coverings 2024.
Recognition for this year’s winners also includes Coverings press content, a year-long professional feature on the Coverings website as well as postings on Coverings’ social media channels and blog.
Coverings 2024 attendees and other industry professionals can learn more about the Coverings 2024 Rock Stars here.