MAPEI, a leading global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for buildings, has set up a climate-controlled laboratory – said to be the first of its kind in the region – to test its products to international standards such as ISO 13007, EN 12004 and EN1504.

“We are the only manufacturer that has such a facility in the region. It’s a significant investment and it will pay us back with even higher quality standards for our products,” says Laith Haboubi, business development director of IBS-Mapei.
Offering 15 product lines within the group, Mapei is well known in the market for its range of adhesives and grouts that are used to install ceramic and natural stone. It has also been gaining momentum with its other products, including adhesives for other finishes such as wooden, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and sports flooring. The company is also in the process of completing a new packaging line that will increase its packaging output almost fivefold. This apart, it is also looking at other expansions of its plant this year.

“Our strategy during the slowdown has been to expand our product portfolio and strengthen the business. We are strong in human resources, having recruited heavily over the past year and also trained our people. We are in a very good position as we enter 2011 to take on further growth,” he adds.

The company witnessed a significant increase in business over the past year. “2010 was of utmost importance for us as it was a growth year not only in terms of volume and sales but also because were increased our spread of products,” says Haboubi. “We are very pleased with our performance as the sector of the market we are part of declined by around 30 per cent. So the fact that we are actually showing growth shows that we are doing something right.”

Mapei recently introduced a building line which includes repair mortars, waterproofing and concrete admixtures.
“We are also witnessing a significant increase in demand for green products from contractors,” he says. Another area where Mapei is doing well is waterproofing. Having acquired Polyglass, it is able to offer special products as part of its product range.

Mapei is currently involved with Capital Gate, the world’s most leaning tower, in Abu Dhabi. “There were several issues while executing this project and we have been part of the team to resolve some of the issues,” he says.

One of the high-profile projects to which it supplied its waterproofing products was the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi, where it supplied waterproofing materials covering an area of 25,000 sq m.

Other projects include the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa, Emirates Palace Hotel, the Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Sarab resort, the Atlantis hotel on The Palm Jumeirah, the Burj Al Arab, and Dubai International Airport’s Terminals One, Two and Three.

“As a locally-based manufacturer, we are able to offer products at competitive rates. We currently manufacture 80 per cent of the products we sell in this market. We are adding one or two products every month to our product line, depending upon demand,” he says.

Over 90 per cent of the products manufactured at its plant in Dubai are consumed by the local market while the rest goes to export market such as Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iran.