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Humble Beginnings
Perfecting logistics for the European tile manufacturers in 1960sOur 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.
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Holten Transporten
Establishing key partnerships with the European tile manufacturers in 1970sDue 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.
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A New Ambition
Opening the first Tilemaster store in 1981Armed 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.
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To York and Beyond
Exporting tile to international markets in 1990sWith 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.
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A New Store is Born
Opening the second Tilemaster store in 2000sIn 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. -
Like Branches in a Tree
Launching new retail and distribution locations in 2010sThe 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. -
The Horizon
Keeping True to Our Values in 2020sToday, 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.
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