Gulf Construction Online - Seal of excellence

The Big 5

Mapei at last year’s Big 5.

Seal of excellence

01 November 2010

MAPEI, a leading global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for the construction industry, is showcasing its full product portfolio, including its latest finishing installation materials and a variety of newer technologies such as basement and tunnelling waterproofing systems, at The Big 5.

The company will be demonstrating the distinct advantages of its products and systems, particularly those that are unique to the local market. These include the Topcem and Mapecem range of rapid hydrating screeds and the Ultraplan family of self-levellers, which allow rapid installation of finishes without compromising quality.

It is also showcasing its Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-compliant range of products along with a number of specialist products such as sound insulation and waterproof construction systems.

A team of professionals will be at hand at the Mapei stand, with specific knowledge skills to provide visitors with advice on correct material selection and specification as well as installation and finishing. These include a team qualified engineers, architects and highly experienced specialists in site and installation techniques, who will assist visitors, in line with its commitment to provide a high level of services and ensure optimum customer satisfaction.

Commenting on the company’s participation at The Big 5, Laith Haboubi, business development director of IBS-Mapei, says: “Mapei has been consistently attending The Big 5 for the past six years as we consider the event an integral part of our efforts to strengthen our market presence and boost brand awareness. The show offers a unique opportunity to meet and interact with existing and potential clients from the region and around the world, while providing the platform for us to share our local and global experiences with the other delegates.

“The event also provides an ideal venue to showcase our full range of products and systems, particularly those that have been specifically developed to comply with the latest local and international standards and specifications.”

“Moreover, our participation is a significant step towards our positively influencing local and international consultants to adopt higher quality standards, which we believe will help reduce typical issues and challenges related to product quality and performance,” Haboubi adds.

Up to 80 per cent of all Mapei products that will be showcased are manufactured locally at its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Dubai Investment Park. The company will also educate the visitors about its value-added customer support services, which are offered through Mapei’s commercial, technical and training centre in Dubai’s Al Quoz area.

To further strengthen its local presence, the company has also recently appointed Logistics Company, Mohammed Al Qama and Danube as resellers in the UAE, further expanding its presence in other niche markets that were previously beyond its reach.

Mapei is well known for its range of adhesives and grouts that are used to install ceramic and natural stone, while the company has also been gaining ground with its other products, including adhesives for other finishes such as wooden, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and sports flooring.

With the completion this year of its concrete admixtures plant, Mapei will produce all types of Mapeplast plasticisers, Mapefluid superplasticisers and PCE-based Dynamon hyper plasticisers that contribute significantly to the production of the most durable of concretes.

Established in Milan, Italy, in 1937, Mapei now operates 57 plants in 26 countries and has more than 7,000 employees. The company’s turnover reached €1.7 billion ($2.35 billion) in 2009. The company has plans to pursue various acquisitions in the near future, in addition to a number of global strategic acquisitions already made in the past 18 months, including Polyglass Sp, one of the world’s largest waterproofing membrane manufacturers; APAC, a US-based adhesives company well known for its high-technology and green applications; and more recently Betontecnik, a leading Austrian concrete admixtures company.

Mapei’s UAE subsidiary, Innovative Building Solutions (IBS-Mapei) was incorporated in 2007 and currently has 65 employees. Other GCC and Middle East customers are served through an established network of distributors.

The company has been involved in some of the most challenging construction projects in the region, including the Armani hotel at Burj Khalifa, Emirates Palace Hotel, the Grand Mosque, Qasr El Sarab resort, Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, and Dubai International Airport’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3 in the UAE.

“The UAE and the rest of the GCC continue to be key markets for Mapei as we have achieved a healthy growth rate in both revenue and volume. We credit this to our customers' appreciation of the high level of technical support we offer and the premium quality and great value of our products, particularly in terms of helping them reduce long-term costs,” concludes Haboubi.

IBS-Mapei will be present at Stand 7E291 at The Big 5.