Our strength: delivering complete solutions

What are the prospects for the Romanian building industry following the lengthy Covid-19 pandemic?

The Romanian building trade has not suffered significant losses over the last two years affected by the pandemic. We have seen a short-term reduction in the demand for housing that stagnated from February-May 2020, i.e. at the beginning of the pandemic.

Sales of building materials also stagnated, especially in the DIY sector, during the period when ‘green passes’ started to become mandatory, i.e. in September-October 2021. As for the outlook for the future, we expect housing to be affected to some extent by the latest events in Ukraine.

The government in Bucharest plans to invest heavily in infrastructure: what opportunities does this open up for Mapei?

By accessing the European Union's NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), the Romanian government intends to invest heavily in road and rail infrastructures. Since last year, projects for the construction of important highways and the modernisation of railway routes have already been set underway. This is certainly an opportunity for Mapei Romania because we can supply complete products/solutions for this type of project: admixtures for concrete (including shotcrete), waterproofing, systems for protecting and repairing concrete, materials for digging tunnels with TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines).

Mapei does not have a production plant in Romania: where do the products come from that are then sold on the domestic market and which channels are used to market them?

The products are imported by other Group subsidiaries, such as those in Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary, as well as by the Italian parent company. They are then distributed on the Romanian market through various channels: distributors, DIY chains, large construction companies and professional appliers.

What are the most interesting product lines for Mapei Romania?

The products that have made our brand known on the Romanian market are those for installing ceramic and stone materials (adhesives, grouts, sealants), as well as those, especially in recent years, for installing resilient materials and for the building industry. Mapei is highly esteemed in Romania due to the fact it can supply complete systems to installers of PVC, wood and LVT floors and walls and also applicators of cementitious and resin-based floors, waterproofing specialists and companies handling major infrastructure projects. For example, we supply a full range of structural strengthening systems, including composite materials, such as glass, carbon fibre and basalt fibres. In addition, we have experts in our team (including engineers) who can assist clients and designers at every stage in their projects, from design to final execution.

Mapei has begun working in the field of education: can you explain its goals and the results it has already achieved?

We have given scholarships to undergraduates and PhD students in construction engineering at prestigious universities around the country, such as those in Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj and Timisoara. These projects were halted during the pandemic, but we intend to resume them as soon as normality returns.

Is the shortage of expert staff in the various realms of the building trade a problem in Romania, as it is in other countries?

The unemployment rate in Romania is one of the lowest in the whole of Europe. In recent years, it has been the European country with the highest number of peacetime emigrants to other countries, which is why we are now having to deal with a serious lack of skilled labour. So, we have decided to train and develop our human resources in-house. For example, we are running a professional development programme that includes technical training provided by our own professionals. At the same time, we are planning training sessions to be organised by external companies to develop our staff’s ‘soft skills’.

Mapei and sport: what projects tie the Mapei brand with the world of sport?

Sport has always been one of our interests in line with the Group's corporate philosophy. That is why our team is involved in programmes to sponsor sports competitions such as the Triada MTB race or sports teams like Potaissa Turda handball team.

What partnerships does Mapei Romania have with professional and business organisations and associations in the industry?

Our team is renowned for its commitment to supporting young talent and artists. We have carried out projects to help students in the Faculty of Art and Architecture in the country's famous universities, such as those in Bucharest and Timisoara. Among the various projects worth mentioning are the UNARTE programme, the only art competition in Romania devoted to the art of mosaics and its role in modern art and architecture. Finally, we work with the Association of Romanian Architects, with which we have various partner projects even on a regional level.

HISTORY OF THE SUBSIDIARY

Mapei Romania is a subsidiary of the Group that has been operating since 2006, when it started marketing building products in Romania. Its range of products is primarily aimed at three important segments of the building industry: products for installing floor and wall coverings made of ceramic, stone, resilient and textile materials, and wood; building materials, including waterproofing agents, products for underground works and systems for cementitous and resin floors; admixtures for concrete.

Its headquarters in Bucharest and warehouses in Bucharest and Brasov allow Mapei Romania to supply customers all over the country through three main sales channels: distributors, DIY chains and direct supplies to contractors, especially in the case of major building site operations.

Its extensive network of technicians and agents operating in every province means it can guarantee an efficient technical assistance service to professionals in the industry, working with engineers, architects and installers so they can always find the most sustainable product best suited to the needs of any given project.

All this allows Mapei Romania to contribute to the construction of miscellaneous types of projects (residential, commercial, infrastructural) and to increase the visibility and familiarity of a brand that can boast an excellent reputation in the country.

ALL-ROUND COMMITMENT

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Romanian subsidiary also supported the MagicHOME project from 2019-2021, which offers free accommodation to families and children suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses. MagicHOME is comprised of a network of 13 shelters in Romania, Moldova and Austria. Mapei Romania helped build the Bucharest centre, supplying products for screeds, waterproofing agents, adhesives and grouts for ceramic tiles. The centre can now accommodate 25-30 people and provide 10,000 meals a day. 

SPORT

Mapei Romania has been sponsoring AHC Potaissa Turda since 2018, one of the most important handball teams in the country, which won the European Challenge Cup in 2018. The team's matches are broadcast on national TV twice a week, which helps boost the Mapei brand’s popularity among a wide audience of Romanian viewers.

ART AND EDUCATION

In the field of education, Mapei Romania works on such original projects as the "Mapei Color Competition" that involved some of the most talented mosaic art students from UNARTE, the Romanian National University of Art, from 2017 to 2021. They were assigned the task of designing a mosaic work in just three weeks using Mapei products like ULTRACOLOR and KERACOLOR FF grouts for joints.

SAFEGUARDING THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE

Mapei Romania is also closely focused on safeguarding its artistic/ historical heritage, as demonstrated by its contribution to the restoration of Neptune Baths in Băile Herculane. This is a spa complex designed between 1883 and 1886 by architects from the Imperial Court of Austria, which is now in a very poor state of repair. The works include consolidation work, repairs to the plasterwork and reinforcement of the roofs to restore the structure to its original splendour so it can once again be used for its original purpose. Since 2021, Mapei Romania has been providing technical consultancy and products for the restoration of the walls (MAPE-ANTIQUE I) and the construction of a chemical barrier (MAPESTOP KIT DIFFUSION) to prevent water from seeping in.