LATICRETE founder Dr. Henry M. Rothberg passes away

Words: Jared CooperLATICRETE Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Henry M. Rothberg, passed away March 17 at the age of 91. Dr. Rothberg started LATICRETE International Inc. in 1956 with his wife, Lillian, who worked as bookkeeper for the fledgling organization. He ran the organization until 2001 when he became chairman emeritus, ceding leadership to his sons Henry and David.

While working as a young man in his family’s South Carolina floor covering installation business, Dr. Rothberg realized that there must be a better way to install ceramic tile. With a background in science and a degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Rothberg began investigating how synthetic latex technologies could be 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, replacing thick, heavy and labor-intensive mortar bed installations. The new material created by Dr. Rothberg was brought to the market as “LATICRETE.” As awareness and acceptance of this problem-solving technology increased, ceramic tile and stone became much more common choices for flooring and facade installations.

Among the many honorary awards presented to Dr. Rothberg are the Carl V. Cesery Award (Tile Contractors Association of America), the Joe A. Tarver Award for Lifetime Service to the Tile Industry (National Tile Contractors Association) and induction to the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) Hall of Fame.

An online memorial in remembrance of Dr. Rothberg has been established at www.laticrete.com/in_memoriam.aspx should you like to leave your condolences. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The University of South Carolina Department of Chemical Engineering, 301 Main Street, Columbia, S.C., 29208, or The American Technion Society (ATS), 55 East 59th Street, New York, N.Y., 10022.
 0
Chairman’s Message: SELF TALK
July 2025

My wife, Sheryl, listens to podcasts often. Sometimes she uses earbuds but also listens through her cellphone speaker as she does countless other things around the house. As a result, very often I have no choice but to listen to the podcasts along with he

Dick Dentinger
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More