Motawi Tileworks featured on Detroit Public Television's 'Arab-American Stories' tonight

By Lizzy Alfs Business Reporter

Posted on Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.

Scio Township-based Motawi Tileworks along with owner Nawal Motawi are being featured on Detroit Public Television tonight as part of a series that profiles Arab-Americans.

The "Arab American Stories" highlights Arab-Americans making an impact in their communities, professions and families. The 13-part series debuted in March and is a national partnership with PBS.

Nawal Motawi of the Scio-Township based Motawi Tileworks.

Photo courtesy of Motawi Tileworks

The filmmaker and crew spent a day filming Motawi, whose father is Egyptian, and the rest of the Motawi Tileworks production staff in November 2011. The 20-year-old company is located on Enterprise Drive in Scio Township and makes fine architectural and gift tiles that are distributed nationwide at hundreds of outlets.

Motawi attributes her business success to both “American opportunity” and “Arab tenacity,” according to a release.

“If "Arab-American Stories" can help non-Arabs judge us by the people we are and the things we do, and not by what the extremists do, then it will have succeeded,” she said.

This is the second television appearance Motawi Tileworks has made in recent weeks. The company was featured on NBC's “Today” show in March.

The segment focused on mail-order deals for Easter gift baskets and suggested an animal tile gift set from Motawi Tileworks.

The "Arab American Stories" airs tonight at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public Television.

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Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.