Timeline
  1. Ton Holten Tilemaster History

    Humble Beginnings

    Perfecting logistics for the European tile manufacturers in 1960s

    Our story begins over a century ago in the early 1960s Netherlands where Ton Holten was perfecting logistics for the European tile manufacturers, moving cargo throughout Europe and sometimes to and from parts of Asia and Africa as well.

  2. Ton Holten's Success

    Holten Transporten

    Establishing key partnerships with the European tile manufacturers in 1970s

    Due to his dedication to hard work and building a solid reputation for excellent service, Ton grew his transport company, Holten Internationale Transporten B.V., into a very successful forwarding business. It was then when Ton first established key partnerships with the European manufacturers.

  3. Ton Holten moves to Canada

    A New Ambition

    Opening the first Tilemaster store in 1981

    Armed with the respectful connections he made with tile manufacturers over the years as a transporter (and a new ambition), Ton moved to Canada with his wife and two young sons to try something different. In 1981 he opened the first Tilemaster store in Aurora, Ontario with the intent to introduce Toronto's suburbs to the beauty of large-format Italian, Spanish and Dutch ceramic floor and wall tiles.

  4. First Tilemaster Store

    To York and Beyond

    Exporting tile to international markets in 1990s

    With a strong reputation for customer service, product selection, value and for being original in many ways, Tilemaster evolved into a foremost tile retailer outfit in York Region and distributed tiles for numerous international projects across Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

  5. Second Tilemaster Store

    A New Store is Born

    Opening the second Tilemaster store in 2000s

    In 2003, Tilemaster moved down the street to a much larger building that comprised a 9000 square foot showroom and a 30,000 square foot warehouse.
    2006 saw the second store open in Barrie, Ontario; it became an instant success with homeowners and professionals.

  6. Third Tilemaster Store

    Like Branches in a Tree

    Launching new retail and distribution locations in 2010s

    The third store opened in Kitchener, Ontario in 2011 in a 40 year-old 26,000 square feet building.
    In 2012, Tilemaster's Aurora showroom expanded to 50,000 square feet to better showcase the ever-growing selection of floor tiles, wall tiles and mosaic tiles from around the world and its vast range of accessory products.
    In 2015, Tilemaster expanded into the Quebec market with Ceramica Concept, opening the doors to a brand new distribution centre in Quebec
    A 110,000 square foot building was opened in Aurora for use as a central warehouse and operations office. With this new warehouse and Ton's experience and strength in logistics from his transportation days, Tilemaster can ensure that each showroom and warehouse is capable of meeting the customer's needs.

  7. Holten into the future

    The Horizon

    Keeping True to Our Values in 2020s

    Today, along with a management team, Ton is still a driving force at Tilemaster. You might even see him driving one of the big trucks when he wants to get out of the office.
    In 2022, Tilemaster Aurora expanded once again, this time expanding showroom space by 6,000 square feet. Renovation
    There is always something new on the horizon for Tilemaster in regards to sourcing tile products and solutions. What will never change is Ton's dedication to hard work and keeping a reputation for excellent service; qualities that he has instilled in everyone at Tilemaster.

  • dave holten at work
  • driving with Ton Holten 1964 1
  • holten transportation truck 1974
  • Holten Impex Tile Distribution History 1
  • About Holten Impex Tile Distribution Aurora Toronto Ontario Canada
  • holten impex unicom
  • first showroom ft ton
  • Dave on a forklift in 1970s
  • Dave driving a double trailer truck in 1970s 1
  • 16 year old dave at the wearhouse
  • dave and donny
  • ton at the office
  • dave holten at work
  • driving with Ton Holten 1964 1
  • holten transportation truck 1974
  • Holten Impex Tile Distribution History 1
  • About Holten Impex Tile Distribution Aurora Toronto Ontario Canada
  • holten impex unicom
  • first showroom ft ton
  • Dave on a forklift in 1970s
  • Dave driving a double trailer truck in 1970s 1
  • 16 year old dave at the wearhouse
  • dave and donny
  • ton at the office
  • dave holten at work
  • driving with Ton Holten 1964 1
  • holten transportation truck 1974
  • Holten Impex Tile Distribution History 1
  • first showroom ft ton
  • Dave on a forklift in 1970s
  • Dave driving a double trailer truck in 1970s 1
  • 16 year old dave at the wearhouse
  • About Holten Impex Tile Distribution Aurora Toronto Ontario Canada
  • holten impex unicom
  • dave and donny
  • ton at the office
  • dave holten at work
  • driving with Ton Holten 1964 1
  • holten transportation truck 1974
  • Holten Impex Tile Distribution History 1
  • first showroom ft ton
  • Dave on a forklift in 1970s
  • Dave driving a double trailer truck in 1970s 1
  • 16 year old dave at the wearhouse
  • About Holten Impex Tile Distribution Aurora Toronto Ontario Canada
  • holten impex unicom
  • dave and donny
  • ton at the office