Mapei

About

In 1937 Rodolfo Squinzi founded Materiali Ausiliari Per Edilizia e Industria (Auxiliary Materials for Building and Industry) – called “M.A.P.E.I.” for short – as a small family business in Milan, Italy. It was his vision to fill what he perceived as a void in the local construction industry by manufacturing interior and exterior paints in addition to masonry repair products for commercial buildings, hospitals and airports.

MAPEI opened its doors on February 12, 1937, 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 setting materials for ceramic tile, stone, carpet, PVC and wood. Specialization became a hallmark of MAPEI. Always forward-thinking, Mr. Squinzi made it a personal mission to identify trends in the building and flooring industry. He also aimed to stay a step ahead of those trends by bringing innovative products to market that immediately met the newly founded demands.