A Tribute to Dr. Henry M. Rothberg

LATICRETE Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Henry M. Rothberg

With the passing of our Founder, we revisit the accomplishments, vision, commitment and legacy of Dr. Henry M. Rothberg.

In 1956, North America was in the midst of the largest building boom the world had yet seen. 

Post-war prosperity drove home ownership and new housing starts to unprecedented heights. President Eisenhower’s most notable accomplishment, the Interstate Highway System, was just beginning to take form. Cities from coast to coast were being expanded and reshaped. 

The American landscape was about to change forever. 

New technologies were emerging in almost all trades and industries, and construction was no exception. Mass production techniques were applied to homebuilding and thus in Levittown PA, the “Planned Community” was born. Improvements in steel engineering allowed for taller, lighter structures. 

Commercial and office building construction took off after decades of stagnation. 

Despite vast changes in many construction trades, ceramic tile and stone installation practices remained virtually indistinguishable from 100 or 1000 years prior. Four basic ingredients were required: sand, cement, water, and a lot of labour. 

A thick bed of heavy mortar was required to place tiles or stones on walls, floors and counter tops. Difficulty in aligning with adjacent finishes meant expensive changes to framing and concrete placement details. The resulting installation was massive and heavy in a time when buildings were designed to be lighter in weight and more flexible. 

All of these factors conspired to limit acceptance and use of ceramic tile. It was used primarily on bathroom floors and walls and on ground level lobbies and kitchens. Total consumption of ceramic tile in the United States in 1955 is estimated at less than 100 million square feet – or only about 0.6 square feet per capita. 

The landscape of the ceramic tile industry also was about to change forever. 

While working in his family’s floor covering installation business in South Carolina, Henry M. Rothberg realised that there must be a better way to install ceramic tile. 

With a background in science and a degree in Chemical Engineering, Dr. Rothberg began development work with Uniroyal Chemical at their Naugatuck, CT research facility where he investigated synthetic latex technologies that had been applied to the concrete industry. 

After much effort and time – LATICRETE 4237 Latex Thin-Set Additive was developed and taken to market. For the first time a strong, weather and shock-resistant “thin-bed” mortar could be mixed on-site using equal parts of sand and cement, gauged to a workable consistency with LATICRETE 4237. 

In 1956, not realising the potential of what would soon prove to be a revolutionary product, Uniroyal sold the LATICRETE brand to Dr. Rothberg, and LATICRETE International, Inc. was born. 

Initial efforts to promote this new method of tile installation in North America met with resistance. 

LATICRETE became one of the most prominent product lines available as tile distribution developed around the world in the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

As distribution increased, so did the availability of LATICRETE. More and more products were added to the LATICRETE product line that allowed installation of ceramic tile in residential and remodel applications as well as in industrial and commercial construction. LATICRETE became a brand preferred by many types of installers, not just large installation firms focusing on large projects. 

Demand for LATICRETE^® products is fulfilled through distribution supported by 6 plants in North America, and a network of factories, distributors and partners around the world. 

In the 1990’s LATICRETE sharpened its focus on the international market to create and cultivate efficient local production in expanding markets. This successful strategy has resulted in worldwide local availability of LATICRETE installation materials.  

LATICRETE continues to add focus on adding value to the markets it serves, and thus those markets grow in value for all participants. Always driven by the desire to innovate, LATICRETE  has pioneered dozens of industry firsts in products and services. By specialising in the development of products designed for the installation of ceramic tile and stone, a singular focus has been achieved that continues to bring forth products that make tile more durable and economical in virtually all types of applications and climates around the world. 

Our commitment to innovation continues today and will continue into the future as we pursue the vision of our founder, Dr. Henry M. Rothberg. 

Click here to read/download the brochure on the History of LATICRETE.

A guest book has been created for those who wish to share their condolences with the family.