MAPEI adapts global concrete, masonry and painting product knowledge to local requirements, including high profile and heritage projects Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature MAPEI traces its roots to 1937 as a small family busi- ness in Milan, Italy, when Rodolfo Squinzi decided to fill a gap in the local construction industry for interior and exterior paints and masonry repair products for commer- cial and institutional applications. Today, it is a global en- terprise with annual earnings slightly above $2 billion. Dr. Girorgio Squinzi, the founder's son, has since led MAPEI to be a leading manufacturer of mortars, adhe- sives, grouts, sealants, waterproofing products, addi- tives for concrete and other specialty products. The company’s 7,500 staff serve 55,000 clients inter- nationally, but the focus always is on local environments and requirements. 50 – Winter 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report Public relations and communications specialist Diane Choate says the company, which focused initially on coatings, grew into flooring over time. The business has returned to its origins with its expertise in concrete restoration and admixtures for projects like dams requir- ing unique specifications. The company has locations throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. Its products have been used on high profile buildings in- cluding the Vatican and Kremlin, the Panama Canal, Dal- las Cowboy Stadium and Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum. MAPEI's products have been specified by world class designers for high-profile projects, including Olympic sites. The company's concrete restoration prod- ucts have been used to create unique designs and coated indoor running tracks and competition swimming pools. “Restoration is a term that applies to old buildings needing to be restored to their original or better condi- tion,” says Choate. “It is also a term though that applies to new concrete pours and design-build projects that often require restoration to achieve their intended de- sign.” Choate described MAPAI's contribution to the restoration of the 50-year-old Guggenheim Museum in New York. Here MAPEI products were applied to restore rebar to its original strength, waterproof and restore aging concrete and protect the exterior with an elas- tomeric coating – all under the direction of a conservator to ensure that the work replicated the original historic construction. Choate said MAPEI 18 research centres around the world work with engineers and consulting teams. The company confers with trades to identify industry needs and demands and adapts its products to local require- ments. “Sand is different around the globe,” she said. “We use local products with appropriate formulas for each of the 63 plant locations in 31 different countries. Our qual- ity control validates the materials and then the final prod- uct, based on the original formulas.” For more information, visit mapei.com.