45 years in Canada

The establishment of the Laval plant in 1978 started off as an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created through Mapei’s involvement in the 1976 Olympics in Montréal. The prompt geographical expansion of the Canadian operations was our own gold medal race as we soon after opened other facilities, expanding the operations westward to Brampton, Ontario, and later to Delta, British Columbia. 
We quickly understood that Canada was an attractive market full of potential for our new Tile & Stone Installation Systems and Resilient and Textile Floor Covering Installation Systems technologies. 
Today, all three of our product manufacturing facilities have undergone expansion, and we now count a regional distribution centre in Calgary, Alberta, among our locations. In addition, we have expanded our product offering exponentially, supplying the Canadian construction industry with thousands of products from 11 product lines. Our focus now is expanding the trusted Mapei brand and reputation towards new areas of focus, notably concrete admixtures and cement additives, industrial cementitious and resin floorings, concrete repair systems, and underground tunnelling technology.

Mapei in Canada has grown by leaps and bounds to become an industry leader. This growth now required the expansion of our flagship facility in Canada. For many years, the Laval plant produced only liquid and paste adhesives and polymers. Now, following this expansion, we have a state-of-the-art facility for the production and distribution of powder products, such as mortars and self-levelling compounds. Producing all these products - locally and in a single location - enables us to serve our customers even more efficiently. The new facility allows us meet Northeastern Canada’s growing need for construction materials, admixtures for concrete and cement grinding aids.

The new powder line in Laval will produce 30,000 tons per year per shift. The new admixtures line will produce 7,000 tons per year per shift. The expanded warehousing space can now accommodate more efficient distribution of all this production. Overall, an additional 4715 m² complement the previous 11,892 m² that already house polymers plant, R&D Center for Excellence in Concrete Construction, and Canadian head office, also located at the site.

This new production plant in Québec allows us to supply even more materials to Eastern Canada, while freeing up production and warehousing capacity at our Ontario and British Columbia plants. By enhancing our ability to shift production accordingly for more localization between our plants in Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia, we can reduce our carbon footprint with quicker deliveries and shorter distances for transport of supplies to construction sites, impacting all regions of the country. Together with all Mapei Group's new initiatives - such as the CO₂ fully offset line of products¹ - we are greatly reducing our carbon footprint.

¹CO₂ emissions measured throughout the life cycle of products from the ZERO line in 2024, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, verified and certified with EPDs, have been offset through the acquisition of certified carbon credits in support of forestry protection projects. A commitment to the planet, to people and to biodiversity.

The Italian Canadian community and Mapei are as tightly connected as ever.
Mapei Inc. is an active longstanding member of the Italian Chambers of Commerce in Canada. As a matter of fact, Mapei Inc. has recently won the prestigious "Premio Venezia" award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada for the ‘Made in Italy’ category in 2023.
We also support local Italian magazines that spread news about the community, such as Panorama Italia, Corriere Italiano, and Il Cittadino Canadese. For almost a decade, Mapei Inc. has been supporting the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) in Toronto (Ontario), which has grown to become the world’s largest Italian film festival outside of Italy.
Most recently, we were grateful to have His Excellency Andrea Ferrari, Ambassador of Italy in Canada, and The Honorable Tony Loffreda, Senator at the Senate of Canada, join us to speak at our inauguration ceremony for the new plant extension in Laval last September.

Canada is much bigger in terms of land mass than all of Europe, but its population is concentrated in 4-5 conglomerates. If we had known that land and building prices in major centers like Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver would skyrocket, the first thing we would have done differently was to buy bigger land.
In the last half decade, we have decided to diversify markets by adding product lines that were not previously in our Canadian portfolio such as Concrete Admixtures, Cement Additives, and products for industrial floorings, but which were already well developed and rigorously tested by Mapei in Europe.

Mapei Inc. carries the proud legacy of the Mapei Group globally, in supporting local sport and culture through organizations. In 2023, Mapei Inc. became an official partner of Cycling Canada, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote cycling across Canada. Cycling Canada also manages the Canadian National Cycling Team, comprised of athletes from all disciplines that represent Canada at international competitions, World Championships and Major Games.
For many years now, Mapei Inc. has been promoting arguably the country’s favourite sport: ice hockey. Mapei Inc. sponsors both the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) and the Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). The teams compete in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), whose mission is to develop hockey by supporting its elite players between the ages of 16 and 21, both academically and athletically within a safe and enriching environment to prepare them for their adult life.

In terms of marketing projects, we are looking into digitalizing processes and tools, from utilizing AI technology to adding digital customer experiences at trade shows. In a post-pandemic world, we are also focusing on in-person appreciation events and experiences for clients and prospects in longstanding markets, as well as support the launch of our new product lines and systems.

Like many places around the world, hiring and retaining top talent is a challenge. Nevertheless, Mapei has a unique culture as it is a multinational company that remains family owned and operated. This is what we promote and value when finding new, young talent. We pride ourselves on fostering a family-minded culture that places a premium on the individuality and well-being of each team member. Here, you're not just a number; you're an integral part of a supportive community that values and respects every unique contribution you bring to the table. Our commitment to respect extends beyond professional accomplishments, recognizing the personal dimensions that make each employee distinct. Togetherness is at the heart of the Mapei culture. We are strongest when we trust each other, pull in the same direction and have fun together.

For the Mapei Group, Canada is a special country: it was here in Laval (Québec) in 1978 that the first foreign subsidiary was opened, and the first manufacturing plant was inaugurated up outside Italy (the photo on the right shows the opening ceremony). This country and this plant marked the beginning of an internationalization process that has led the company to establish itself as a successful multinational operating on every continent.
As early as 1976 Mapei had begun to take its first steps on the Canadian market by supplying products for installing the athletic tracks used in the Montréal Olympics. But it was thanks to the Laval plant that it first began manufacturing and marketing adhesives for the installation of ceramic tiles, stone materials as well as resilient and textile floor and wall coverings in Canada and then the U.S. and throughout North America.
Laval's facilities have also made a significant contribution to R&D. It was in Mapei Inc.'s R&D Laboratory in Laval in the late 1980s that the ULTRABOND ECO line was created, the range of adhesives for the installation of textile, vinyl, linoleum, PVC or rubber floors and walls that helped Mapei revolutionise the building industry: in fact, these materials were among the first in the industry to be solvent-free and with very low emissions. They were first launched in Canada and, later on, in the USA and in the rest of the world.
To support Mapei Inc.'s constant growth in Canada, other manufacturing units have been added to the Laval plant over the years: the plant in Maskinongé (Québec) opened in 1995 for the manufacture of re-dispersible polymers; the Brampton plant (in Ontario) was then opened in 2001, specialising in powder products for installing ceramic and stone materials and systems for repairing concrete, followed by a new plant in Delta, not far from Vancouver, in 2001 and by a distribution centre in Calgary, Alberta, in 2008.