Laticrete, a manufacturer of globally proven construction solutions for the building industry, once again sponsored the Big Bike Adventure, a long distance cycling event benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County, Idaho.
The event was originally created by Ian Martin, Vice President of commercial sales for Great Floors LLC of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and his friend, avid athlete Greg Gervais, a Multiple Kona Ironman finisher.
“In early 2011, Greg and I talked about taking a four-day bike ride from Coeur d’Alene to Jasper, Canada to raise money for charity. One thing led to another, and what evolved from that was the Big Bike Adventure, which in that year resulted in $52,000 in contributions for the Boys & Girls Club,” commented Martin. “Laticrete was a major sponsor last year…and, for the 2012 event, which took place on September 15th and 16th, Laticrete not only was a major sponsor again, but also contributed the cyclists’ riding uniforms.”
For the 2012 race, ten individuals clad in Laticrete bicycle gear, rode 606.91 miles in 24 hours, attempting to establish a new Guinness World Record category for the for most miles biked during that time on a paved road or trail. The event started on September 15, 2012 and finished 24 hours later at the state line Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho, which is a 1/4 mile oval loop race track.
“Our relationship with Laticrete goes back a long time,” added Martin. “I’ve been with Great Floors for 16 years, and when I started out in sales, we were using Laticrete products. Right now, we use them almost exclusively for our commercial projects. Why? Because not only do the products perform, we always get great research input from Laticrete technical people and in many cases, on-site visitation to ensure optimal installations.”
With 16 locations in the Pacific Northwest, Great Floors understands the concept of partnering with key suppliers. “Laticrete is a very accessible company,” concluded Martin. “Its chairman/CEO, David Rothberg, not only is a ‘hands-on’ guy, he also is one heck of a good cyclist!
Rothberg added, “When there’s a good cause, Laticrete will be there to help. And because bicycling is a passion of mine, I was very excited to get involved.”