About Lowery Tile Company
A legacy of precision tile craftsmanship since 1959.
Built on Integrity. Proven by Performance.
Lowery Tile Company was started by Joseph W. Lowery with the idea that a company based on quality, performance, and integrity would grow into an industry leader with a reputation for outstanding work. We have the experience, technical knowledge, and mechanical capability to accommodate even the most demanding projects.
Every Job is the Most Important
In the mid-1950s, Joseph Lowery, a USMC Korean War veteran, returned home after the war to join his father, John Lowery, at the now-defunct Allen Tiling Company to complete some of the most prestigious construction projects of that era. With experience earned, Joseph was able to head out on his own in 1959. He founded Lowery Tile Company in Chicago at a time when the construction industry spending had temporarily leveled off and distribution channels for ceramic tile materials were scarce.
Nevertheless, the company evolved and grew from Lowery’s steadfast commitment to quality and service. “You see these phrases so often in the marketing industry that they lose their meaning," says Lowery of his company’s slogan, yet he feels there is no other way to describe Lowery Tile Company’s success.
“What made this company successful is our constant vigilance to excel; to actually achieve the things that others tile contractors could only advertise about.”
Joseph W. Lowery, Founder
Meet Joseph W. Lowery, the Founder
Lowery Tile Company's first major project was St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Ill. Completed in 1968, it was the largest ceramic tile project within Local 67 Tile Layers’ jurisdiction at the time. It featured more than 50,000 square feet of quarry and ceramic tile installed in “mud,” the old-fashioned trade term referring to the Portland cement mortar bed installation system. The surgical suites featured full-height ceramic wall tile and operating room floors tiled with conductive mosaic floor tile.
Where Growth Found Its Momentum
The success of St. Francis proved to be a springboard for Lowery Tile Company, offering both experience and exposure to enable the company to be recognized as a leader in the industry. As the economy grew stronger, more opportunities came for the company to expand. Residential, religious, and municipal projects became key market segments to complement the company’s strong presence in corporate and healthcare construction.
Built on Faith and Craftsmanship
In these years, Lowery Tile Company worked on countless Archdiocese of Chicago projects, including churches, high schools, and grade schools. In 1971, Lowery Tile Company won the Chicago Tile Institute’s Award for Excellence for the ceramic tile work at St. Terrence Catholic Church in Alsip, IL.
Restoring Beauty, Earning Respect
Another proud moment came a few years later, after being contracted to perform restorative work on The Four Seasons, an exterior mosaic in downtown Chicago. Upon completion of the work, artist Marc Chagall sent a letter thanking Joe for the meticulous work in restoring the masterpiece.
Winning Strategies
As the tile-setting trade was once passed from father to son, Lowery Tile has now progressed to the next generation with three of Joe’s six children joining the company, each prepared with a college education to back their position. William earned a degree in finance from Loyola University, Joseph T. earned a degree from DePaul University, and Patrick received a master’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. “We work like a sports team,” says Joe Lowery.
A Legacy That Adapts, Never Compromises
“Our winning strategy continues even though the industry, the technology, and the tile colors change every couple of years.” There is no doubt that those winning strategies are grounded in expertise as Lowery Tile Company continues to provide top-quality tile installations through craftsmanship that has spanned three generations of the Lowery family.