Mapei
Italian manufacturer of adhesives, mortars, waterproofing systems and other chemical products for the construction industry.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Mapei is an Italian construction-chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Milan. The company was founded in 1937 by Rodolfo Squinzi under the name Materiali Ausiliari per l'Edilizia e l'Industria, initially producing coloured paints and materials for building finishes. It later concentrated on a more specialised opportunity: chemical products used to install and protect floors and other surfaces. This shift led to adhesive products for linoleum, ceramics, stone, carpet, PVC and wood, and eventually to a broad portfolio covering tile and stone installation, flooring, concrete repair, waterproofing, sealants, grouts, admixtures and specialised mortars. Research and product development have been central to Mapei's identity. In the early phase of its flooring business, the company developed ADESILEX L1 for linoleum applications. During the 1960s, the international popularity of Italian ceramics helped expand demand for tile adhesives. ADESILEX P22 was introduced as a ready-to-use adhesive at a time when installers commonly mixed cement-based mortars on site. Mapei subsequently extended its manufacturing scope into waterproofing products, concrete additives and other construction systems. International expansion accelerated under Giorgio Squinzi, who joined the business in 1978 after studying industrial chemistry. Mapei opened a small Canadian factory after supplying adhesives for rubber athletics-track surfaces used at the 1976 Olympic Games. It later established operations in Austria, the United States, France and many other markets, combining subsidiaries, local manufacturing and acquisitions. The company's operating model has generally favoured manufacturing close to construction markets, partly because construction chemicals are costly and logistically inefficient to transport over very long distances. The group expanded its portfolio and industrial footprint through acquisitions, including the Italian adhesive and chemical-products company Vinavil in 1994 and later businesses such as Fili & Forme. By 2019, the group reported 90 subsidiaries in 56 countries, 83 manufacturing plants in 36 countries and 31 research centres in 20 countries. The company stated that it employed more than 11,000 people and produced more than 6,000 products by 2021. Mapei remains privately controlled rather than publicly traded; the Squinzi family holding company Emme Esse Vi owns the controlling interest, while Mapei holds a minority treasury stake according to the referenced company account. Mapei products have been used in major infrastructure, transport, cultural-restoration and public-building projects. Cited examples include Olympic athletics tracks, the Sistine Chapel, the Kremlin, the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Mont Blanc Tunnel, the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers, the Øresund connection between Denmark and Sweden, the Three Gorges Dam, Tokyo-Osaka rail tunnels, Hong Kong International Airport, the Panama Canal, Beijing Daxing International Airport and La Scala in Milan. These references support the brand's positioning as a technical supplier for demanding construction and restoration environments rather than only a retail adhesive label. The company also developed a prominent public profile through sport and culture. It owned and sponsored U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, supported the club's women's team and operated the Mapei Stadium and Mapei Football Center. Earlier, the Mapei professional cycling team competed from 1993 to 2002 and became one of the strongest teams in the sport's modern history. Mapei also maintains long-standing cultural relationships with La Scala, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Milanese cultural institutions and other arts organisations. After Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli died in 2019, their children Marco Squinzi and Veronica Squinzi assumed joint chief-executive responsibilities.
History
Mapei was established in Milan in 1937 by Rodolfo Squinzi as Materiali Ausiliari per l'Edilizia e l'Industria. The original business employed seven people and supplied coloured paints and materials for building coverings. Rather than remaining a general coatings producer, the company moved toward specialist installation chemistry, initially concentrating on flooring adhesives. ADESILEX L1 was developed for linoleum, followed by products for ceramics, stone, carpet, PVC and wood. The growth of Italian ceramic manufacturing and international demand for Italian tiles created an important opportunity in the 1960s. Mapei introduced ADESILEX P22 in a ready-to-use format, reducing reliance on traditional cement-based mortars mixed at the job site. This product-led approach became a model for the company's later development: each building material and application could be supported by a dedicated chemical system. Mapei expanded from adhesives into special mortars, waterproofing products and concrete admixtures while investing heavily in research and technical support. Giorgio Squinzi, a trained industrial chemist, began internationalising the company in 1978. The first major step was a small factory in Canada, established after Mapei supplied adhesives for rubber athletics tracks used at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Further subsidiaries and plants followed in Austria, the United States, France and other countries. Mapei's international model combined local production, application expertise and acquisitions. Manufacturing within a reasonable distance of construction sites helped reduce transport costs and allowed formulations and technical services to be adapted to regional requirements. The group acquired Vinavil in 1994 and continued to add brands and capabilities, with Fili & Forme cited as a later acquisition. Its construction-chemicals portfolio grew to include installation adhesives, grouts, sealants, waterproofing, surface preparation, concrete repair, admixtures and specialist mortars. The company also developed a publication, Realtà Mapei, issued in Italian and English from 1991, reflecting its emphasis on technical communication and professional education. Mapei's products have been associated with infrastructure and restoration projects across the world. Examples cited in company and reference material include Olympic athletics tracks, the Sistine Chapel, the Kremlin, the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Mont Blanc Tunnel, the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers, the Øresund link, the Three Gorges Dam, Japanese rail tunnels, Hong Kong International Airport, the Panama Canal, Beijing Daxing International Airport and La Scala. Such applications reinforce the company's reputation as a supplier of engineered systems for demanding projects. Sport and culture became additional parts of the corporate identity. The company sponsored professional cycling from 1993 to 2002, supported a sports-research centre and later became owner and sponsor of Sassuolo Football Club. It acquired the club's stadium in Reggio Emilia and opened the Mapei Football Center in 2019. In culture, Mapei became a corporate subscriber of La Scala in 1984 and a founding partner in 2008 after contributing to renovation work. It has also supported the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, No'hma, the Verdi Orchestra, La Triennale Foundation and Milan's Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology. The company remains family controlled. Emme Esse Vi S.r.l., owned by the Squinzi family, holds the controlling shareholding described in the reference material. After Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli died in 2019, leadership passed to Marco Squinzi and Veronica Squinzi. Mapei's present identity combines a global manufacturing network, a large professional product portfolio, research infrastructure and a continuing association with Italian sport, culture and construction expertise.
- 2019
Leadership passes to the Squinzi siblings
[1]Marco Squinzi and Veronica Squinzi become joint chief executives following the deaths of Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli.
- 2008
Mapei becomes a La Scala founding partner
[1]After supporting theatre rebuilding and renovation, Mapei becomes a founding partner of La Scala.
- 1996
Mapei Sports Research Centre opens
[1]The company establishes a sports research facility providing laboratory, clinical and performance-analysis services.
- 1994
Vinavil acquisition
[1]Mapei acquires Vinavil, strengthening its adhesives and chemical-products portfolio.
- 1993
Mapei enters professional cycling sponsorship
[1]The company begins sponsoring the professional Mapei cycling team.
- 1991
Realtà Mapei publication begins
[1]Mapei begins publishing a regular Italian- and English-language magazine for professional and corporate audiences.
- 1984
Mapei becomes a La Scala corporate subscriber
[1]The company formally begins a long-running relationship with Milan's La Scala theatre.
- 1978
International manufacturing begins
[1]Giorgio Squinzi begins the group's internationalisation programme with a small factory in Canada.
- 1976
Olympic athletics-track supply
[1]Mapei supplies adhesive products used to install rubber surfaces for athletics tracks at the Montreal Olympics.
- 1960
Expansion into ceramic adhesives
[1]Mapei broadens its adhesive activity as Italian ceramics gain international popularity.
Products and positioning
A research-led, technically oriented construction-chemicals group serving professional contractors, installers, infrastructure developers, architects and restoration specialists through locally produced systems and extensive application support.
Flooring adhesive
ADESILEX L1
An early Mapei adhesive developed for linoleum installation. It represents the company's initial move away from general building paints toward specialised installation chemistry for particular floor and surface materials.
Ready-to-use tile adhesive
ADESILEX P22
A ready-to-use adhesive introduced for ceramic applications. Its packaged format was described as innovative for the period because it reduced the need to prepare conventional cement-based mortars directly at the construction site.
Adhesives, grouts and installation chemistry
Tile and stone installation systems
Mapei supplies coordinated systems for installing ceramic tiles, natural stone and related surfaces. The range includes adhesives, grouts, primers, levelling materials and complementary products intended to address substrate preparation, bonding, jointing and durability.
Flooring adhesives and installation products
Flooring systems
The flooring portfolio covers installation products for materials including linoleum, carpet, PVC, wood and other resilient or finished surfaces. Mapei develops products for different substrates and application conditions rather than relying on a single universal adhesive.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing systems
Mapei's waterproofing products are used to protect building elements and construction assemblies from water penetration. They form part of broader system solutions that can include membranes, coatings, mortars, sealants and preparation products.
Concrete chemicals and repair
Concrete repair and admixture systems
These products support concrete construction, repair and protection. The category includes special mortars, concrete admixtures and materials used in demanding infrastructure and building applications.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Mapei Football Center
Italy
The company opened a sports centre at Ca' Marta in Sassuolo as part of its ownership and sponsorship relationship with Sassuolo Football Club.
Outcome. The facility extended Mapei's football platform beyond club sponsorship and stadium ownership.
- 1993Mapei professional cycling sponsorship
International
Mapei sponsored a professional road-cycling team whose riders included Tony Rominger, Pavel Tonkov, Andrea Tafi, Franco Ballerini, Paolo Bettini, Gianni Bugno, Óscar Freire and Johan Museeuw. The sponsorship linked the construction-chemicals brand with elite performance and scientific preparation.
Outcome. The team competed until 2002 and became particularly successful in one-day classics and UCI team rankings.
- 1984La Scala cultural partnership
Italy
Mapei began its formal relationship with La Scala as a corporate subscriber and later supported rebuilding and renovation work at the Milan theatre.
Outcome. Mapei became a founding partner in 2008.
Brand decisions
2019
Transfer executive leadership to the next generationOtherBackground
The deaths of Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli created a leadership transition in the family-controlled group.
Action taken
Marco Squinzi and Veronica Squinzi assumed joint chief-executive responsibilities.
Aftermath
The business continued under second-generation family leadership, with the siblings retaining operational and development responsibilities.
1994
Acquire VinavilM&ABackground
Mapei was broadening beyond installation adhesives and seeking additional chemical and adhesive capabilities.
Action taken
The group acquired the Italian company Vinavil.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded Mapei's domestic product and manufacturing platform.
1978
Adopt local international manufacturingStrategyBackground
Mapei sought to serve construction markets internationally while keeping transport distances manageable for heavy construction chemicals.
Action taken
The company opened a Canadian factory and later developed subsidiaries and manufacturing plants in other countries.
Aftermath
This became a defining feature of the group's global expansion model.
Recent events
- 2019
Giorgio and Adriana Squinzi die; second generation assumes leadership[1]
Leadership change
Following the deaths of Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli, their children Marco and Veronica Squinzi took over joint executive leadership.
- 2019
Mapei opens the Mapei Football Center[1]
Campaign
The company opened a football training and sports centre at Ca' Marta in Sassuolo, extending its involvement in football infrastructure.
- 1996
Mapei opens a sports research centre[1]
Other
The Mapei Sports Research Centre was established to provide laboratory, clinical and analytical support for athletic training and sports performance.
- 1994
Mapei acquires Vinavil[1]
M&A
The group acquired the Italian adhesives and chemical-products business Vinavil, broadening its portfolio and domestic industrial base.
- 1993
Mapei cycling team becomes a dominant professional team[1]
Campaign
Mapei sponsored a professional cycling team that competed through 2002 and achieved repeated success in international one-day classics and team rankings.
- 1978
Mapei expands internationally through local manufacturing and acquisitions[1]
Other
Giorgio Squinzi began a more systematic internationalisation programme, starting with a Canadian manufacturing operation after the company's supply of athletics-track adhesives for the 1976 Olympics.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mapei · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled