Joplin company earns statewide award

Images in Tile produces custom tile murals from its 10-employee manufacturing shop at 1520 W. B St.

While the governor hasn’t officially made the announcement, owner Paul Whitehill received a letter earlier this month from the Missouri Department of Economic Development notifying him of the award.

“We didn’t really believe it when we first got it,” said Whitehill, whose company did $1.2 million in 2005. “We’ve had to read it about 10 times now.”

The letter cited Images in Tile’s “history, use of technology, global presence and exemplary growth.”

Notable projects include a 7-by-8-foot mural of former Arizona State University football player and fallen U.S. soldier Pat Tillman hanging at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., and a partnership with Southern California artist Mike Sullivan to reproduce 25 of Sullivan’s paintings of famous athletes.

Images in Tile will be recognized during the Governor’s Conference in September.

A committee of judges from DED’s division of business and community services and the University of Missouri Outreach & Extension reviewed nominations.

Whitehill said Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce officials nominated his company.

Images in Tile has about 1,000 clients on its roster, including Disney, Hilton, Hooter’s Casino Hotel, Dan Marino’s restaurant and Kroger supermarkets “all from little Joplin, Missouri,” Whitehill said.

Kansas City-based Nature’s Window was the governor’s 2005 small business of the year.