Mapei
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208190615
2008-04-25T20:49:18Z
Amatulic
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Copyedited to remove promotional hype, removed advertisement tag. Article is still in dire need of improvement.
{{wikify|date=July 2007}}
'''MAPEI''' is an [[Italy|Italian]] company founded in 1937 by Rodolfo Squinzi in [[Milan]], Italy. It evolved from a small wall-[[paint]] producer into a worldwide producer of [[adhesive]]s and [[sealant]]s for buildings.
The name MAPEI stands for “Materiali Ausiliari Per l’Edilizia e l’Industria,” which is Italian for “Auxiliary Materials for Construction and Industry.”
==History==
In the 1930s Rodolfo Squinzi founded MAPEI as a small family business in Milan, Italy, with the intent to fill a void in the local construction industry by manufacturing interior and exterior paints and masonry repair products for commercial buildings, hospitals and airports. MAPEI commenced business on 1937-02-12 with a three-person workforce.
Under Mr. Squinzi’s guidance, MAPEI expanded its manufacturing to adhesives for laying floors and floor coverings. The company’s first adhesives were for linoleum, later followed by ceramic tile, stone, carpet, PVC and wood. As the flooring industry grew, especially the Italian ceramic tile market, MAPEI recognized a need for setting materials that would make tile installation faster and more secure, and developed products accordingly.
Rodolfo’s son, Dr. Giorgio Squinzi, an industrial chemistry graduate, now heads MAPEI, which has become a leading manufacturer of mortars, adhesives, grouts, sealants, waterproofing agents, additives for concrete and other specialty products for the building industry. MAPEI remains a family-owned and -operated business and is a privately held entity generating annual revenues of more than one billion Euros.
===MAPEI Americas===
In the 1970s, MAPEI began expanding across Europe and, in 1978, into Canada, where MAPEI Inc. housed the first manufacturing plant outside of Italy. In 1983, Nicholas Di Tempora, a businessman from Canada, partnered with Dr. Squinzi to create MAPEI Corporation in the United States. In the following years, Mr. Di Tempora increased MAPEI Corporation’s locations throughout the United States.
Operations in the Western Hemisphere are united under the banner of MAPEI Americas, consisting of affiliates and subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. In 2000, headquarters were moved to Deerfield Beach, Florida, to centralize management of the various operations.
Mr. Di Tempora retired in 2006, replaced by Rainer Blair as President and CEO of MAPEI Americas.
MAPEI reinvests 5% of its annual sales revenue into research and development of new products. The company's worldwide laboratories work on more than 150 new projects each year.
==Specialty Products==
One technological improvement recently undertaken by MAPEI is its High-Hydrated Cement Technology (HCTTM). Identifying a need for completing speedy installations without compromising quality, MAPEI developed the first products on the market that meet this need.
The company also incorporates BioBlock antimicrobial protection technology into select MAPEI products to help inhibit the growth of odor- and stain-causing mold, mildew and bacteria in new and remodeled buildings. This practice contributes strongly to the company's attitude toward producing environmentally friendly products for the construction industry.
Fifteen locations in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and South America employ more than 1,100 people who develop, produce, sell and support MAPEI products in the western hemisphere.
==Sports sponsorships==
Giorgio Squinzi, the CEO of Mapei Group, which oversees worldwide operations, is a fan of [[road bicycle racing]] and under his leadership the company sponsored the super-team of the same name [[Mapei (cycling team)|team Mapei]] in the 1990s, which included stars such as [[Johan Museeuw]], [[Andrea Tafi (cyclist)|Andrea Tafi]], [[Michele Bartoli]] and [[Paolo Bettini]]. The company also sponsored a development team which nurtured the younger generation of riders such as 3-time world [[time trial]] champion [[Michael Rogers]], [[Filippo Pozzato]], and many others.
To support its involvement in sports, the company founded the '''Mapei Sport Center''', a training center for endurance sports. Mapei also is a primary sponsor of [[NASCAR]] driver/owner [[Robby Gordon]] for several races for the 2007 Nascar schedule.
==External links==
* [http://www.mapei.com/ Official worldwide website]
* [http://www.mapeisport.it/ Mapei Sport Center website]
[[Category:Companies of Italy]]
[[Category:Companies_established_in_1937]]