Mapei, a world leader in manufacturing chemical products for the building industry, is continuing its international expansion strategy by opening a new plant in Cantanhede, Portugal, for an investment of around 13 million euros. For the occasion, Marco Squinzi, CEO of Mapei, with his sister Veronica, met the Italian Ambassador to Portugal, Carlo Formosa, in Lisbon.

Encompassing a total surface area of 26,500 m² (12,000 m² of which is covered), the new plant is equipped with cutting-edge technology that will allow the Portuguese subsidiary to boost its production capacity, expand its product range and reinforce its service to local customers. The new premises will also host the Mapei Academy, Mapei's training facility, to organise free events for designers, installers, retailers, and companies.

 We started our venture in Portugal in 2001 as a small company," so Marco Squinzi told us, "but we are now among the leading companies in the building chemicals sector. Thanks to this new and modern plant, we will be able to respond to the demands of the local market and continue to grow, supplying innovative, long-lasting and high-quality products that are environmentally friendly, such as our Zero product Line with fully offset CO2 emission”.

"We plan to keep on growing sustainably, strengthening our operations on markets that we consider strategic,” so Veronica Squinzi added. “With its stable economy and constantly growing sectors such as renewable energy, real estate, tourism and technology, Portugal is a promising investment opportunity for our group. Thanks to the professionalism and vision of our local team, we are confident that we will continue to expand our operations in the country”.

Mapei's headquarters in Portugal are located in the Parque das Nações in Lisbon, where the Mapei World Lisboa space was also recently set up to provide designers with a deeper insight into Mapei products and inspire their works. There are also similar spaces in Paris, London and Milan.

Employing approximately 100 staff, Mapei Portugal has recorded constant growth, reaching a turnover of over 30 million euros in 2023. The company also has a warehouse in Rio do Mouro, Portugal, near Sintra.

Over the years, Mapei has contributed to major residential, urban and infrastructural development projects in Portugal, such as subways in Porto and Lisbon, football stadiums for Euro 2004, the construction of the Holy Trinity Church in Fatima, the expansion of the Portela Airport in Lisbon, the renovation of the bridge over Arade River in Portimão, and many other projects.