From humble beginnings in San Marino, Italy, Philip Crocenzi came to America to build his dream. Arriving in Detroit in 1948, Philip went to work as a tile setter. He perfected his skills over the years and became a Journeyman union tile setter.
Along the way, Philip married Ada and the couple had three boys. In order to pass his craft and expertise on to his sons, Philip along with his brother-in-law Aldo, formed Ideal Tile Company in 1968.
From a very young age, Philip’s middle son, Larry, worked with his father learning the trade and expanding his knowledge. In 1986 Larry took the business to a new level by forming Tile Concepts, a company primarily involved in residential tile installations for larger track home builders such as Pulte Homes and others.
As Tile Concepts grew and prospered, Larry became frustrated with the ever increasing cost and lack of availability of the tile trims he purchased for his installations. Motivated to change things, Larry brought together skilled tradesmen and experienced leadership to form Great Lakes Tile Products, Inc. in 1999.
On the personal side, Larry married Karen and the couple had two sons, Jeff and Ryan. The entire family has been involved with Great Lakes Tile Products in various roles throughout its growth.
Today, Great Lakes Tile Products continues to develop and offer the finest quality aluminum alloy, stainless steel and PVC trims and transitions for tile and stone. With customers throughout the USA and Canada, Great Lakes Tile is pleased to provide them the best service in the industry. Always innovating to add new items for the needs of today, Great Lakes Tile Products is still building the American dream!