Mapei around the World / 8/12/2024

From pioneers for installing tiles to solution providers of a complete range

The General Manager, Robert Požar, outlines Mapei d.o.o.’s targets as it opens new offices and a warehouse near Ljubljana

Interviewee

Robert Požar

General Manager of Mapei d.o.o.

Robert Požar, General Manager of Mapei d.o.o., tells us of the growth of the Slovenian subsidiary with new offices and a warehouse near Ljubljana. He highlights the company’s targets in different building sectors and their commitment to training and sustainable growth.

Mapei d.o.o. is opening a new warehouse and new offices. What needs and sales prospects are served by the expansion of the operations of the Mapei Group’s Slovenian subsidiary?

The construction of the new headquarters and the new warehouse was a great challenge for the whole team at Mapei d.o.o. and for me. Our team, which will soon enclose 30 staff, now has a more comfortable working environment in the new facilities in Škofljica (near Ljubljana) and we will be able to dedicate more space to the technical services operations and the training events we offer for people working in the various segments of the Slovenian building industry.

Logistical operations will be easier, and we will be able to distribute products from all the various Mapei lines. In this way, we will widen the circle of our business partners and be even more responsive to market requirements.

Mapei d.o.o.'s new headquarters in Škofljica (near Ljubljiana) also encloses a new warehouse and spaces for training activities.

Which sectors of the building industry does Mapei Slovenia focus on?

When Mapei d.o.o. was first established in 1998, we focused on products for the installation of ceramic tiles and stone materials and for waterproofing operations. Subsequently, we expanded our range of operations to encompass other realms, such as the renovation of masonry buildings, protective and decorative wall coatings, coatings for sports surfaces, systems for industrial floors and even more complex work related to the construction of tunnels or other infrastructures, structural strengthening, and the renovation of major works.

All this has been possible thanks to the support of the Group's mother company, the expansion of our team and distribution network, and a special focus on training, particularly for installers, who are the main users of our products. The transfer of competence has been a crucial factor in the growth of Mapei d.o.o, both internally through the acquisition of highly competent experts and externally thanks to the training activities for businesses and installers.

After expanding the number of market sectors to which we supply our products, we are now aiming to grow in realms like structural strengthening, seismic upgrading and reconstruction operations after seismic events.

The hospital buildings sector also has great potential in Slovenia, where there is an increasing need for affordable and high-quality healthcare. With its extensive portfolio of products for hospitals and healthcare facilities, Mapei d.o.o. is in a position to take full advantage of this potential.

Another area in which we can grow further is in the renovation of historic buildings. Mapei’s subsidiaries in Serbia and Croatia have made a significant contribution to the protection of their nation’s architectural, artistic and cultural heritage by providing the Group's expertise and supplying specific innovative products for this type of work, which, for example, take into account compatibility with the original building materials. In Slovenia, too, we have already contributed to the enhancement of some ‘pearls’ of our artistic heritage by supplying the most suitable skills and products. For example, we were involved in the renovation of Urbanc Palace, the Castle and the National Gallery in Ljubljana, as well as the Palace Hotel (Kempinski) in Portorož. And we are continuing along these lines: we are currently involved in the renovation of the bell tower of St George's Church in Piran.

Over the next few years, we expect to grow in the realm of infastructures and industrial buildings

Mapei d.o.o has contributed to the restoration and renovation of many historic buildings in Slovenia, such as the Palace Hotel (Kempinski) in Portorož.

Which Mapei lines of products sell best in Slovenia and how are they distributed?

We are the market leader in products for installing high-end ceramic tiles and stone materials, as well as for systems for repairing concrete and building tunnels and other infrastructures. As already mentioned, Mapei d.o.o has played a pioneering role on the Slovenian market for ceramic tiles and stone materials, introducing innovative installation and waterproofing technologies and methods. Nowadays there are few professionals working in the industry in Slovenia who are not familiar with MAPELASTIC waterproofing membranes, while many of our products are perceived as synonymous with reliability and speed. This market sector is still the most important for us.

Mapei products are distributed by leading building materials retailers (we started to sell Mapei products directly from showrooms for ceramic tiles), while products for specialist operations are often sold directly to businesses.

We are market leaders in high-end products for installing ceramic tiles and stone materials: a sector in which we have played an important role by introducing innovative technologies

Mapei d.o.o. was founded in 1998 and paved the way for the opening of other subsidiaries in this part of Europe: which regions and countries are the company’s sales currently focused on?

Since its founding, one of the main aims of Mapei d.o.o.'s operations (and mine personally) has been to attempt to distribute the Group's products in the other countries that used to be part of the former Yugoslavia. A target that was hit with the establishing of representative offices in Croatia in 2002 and Serbia in 2004. A team of over 100 staff now operates in this geographical region, including over 40 in Croatia and the same number in Serbia and Montenegro. Mapei Croatia and Mapei Serbia have been operating independently in their countries for over 10 years now, but we continue to work together, and I still have the task of coordinating the operations of all these companies, facilitating a synergy of skills and experience between our various players in this region.

The magazine Svet Mapei is an example of this winning balance between autonomy, specialisation and cooperation: first published in Slovenia by Mapei d.o.o, ‘sister’ magazines soon followed like Mapei Svijet, published in Croatian by Mapei Croatia, and Svet Mapei published in Serbian by Mapei Serbia. Its aim is not just to provide product information through subject matter of interest to professionals working in this sector and projects completed using our products, but also to showcase Mapei as a sustainable and responsible innovator in the building industry. A total of 145 issues of these three publications have been distributed over a period of 25 years to 17500 industry experts, such as engineers, architects, installers, contractors and investors.

In addition to Slovenia, Mapei d.o.o also distributes its products in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo.

There is also a shortage of manpower in the building industry in Slovenia, too: can you outline Mapei's training operations focused on overcoming this emergency?

We have always dedicated a lot of effort and resources to training operations: sharing skills is a fundamental factor in our growth. Training is part of our aim to build lasting relationships based on trust with professionals working in the industry, because this is the only way we can understand their needs and come up with solutions to their problems, while introducing new technologies, materials and methods. Workshops and training courses have always been our means of simplifying the work of designers, construction companies and installers. We also work with schools, universities and business associations. The space in the new facilities will enable us to further improve our training operations and organise more events.

1998

The year it was founded

Warehouse and office in Škofljica near Ljubljana

Staff

10.1

Million euros turnover in 2023

Cycling: a passion at all levels

Cycling was already in the DNA of many Mapei d.o.o employees even before Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and Matej Mohorič. hit the headlines. Up to 2002, staff passionately followed the exploits of the Mapei Professional Cycling Team and cheered on lots of its 654 victories.

Since 2007, Mapei d.o.o. staff and customers have not missed a single edition of the cycling event organised in July by Mapei at the Stelvio Pass, initially known as Mapei Day and then as Re-Stelvio Mapei.

The subsidiary also sponsors the Slovenian team Adria Mobil, where Primož Roglič began his early career. The team also draws on the medical, fitness assessment and training services provided by Mapei Sport Centre.

Mapei d.o.o. also sponsors the Tour of Slovenia, which is broadcast live on local and foreign TV channels (Eurosport). For many professional teams it is a sort of dress rehearsal for the Tour de France. The key stage of this year's Tour of Slovenia started right next to Mapei d.o.o’s new headquarters on 15^th June.

Last but not least, the slogan of the Mapei Professional Cycling Team "Winning together" and a photo of the first three riders at Paris-Roubaix in 1996 (Museeuw - Bortolami - Tafi), all representing the Mapei Professional Cycling Team, greets visitors at the entrance of the new Mapei d.o.o. headquarters.

The key stage of this year's Tour of Slovenia started right next to Mapei d.o.o’s new headquarters on 15 June 2024.

Interviewee

Robert Požar

General Manager of Mapei d.o.o.

Tag

#market

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