A group of 46 international architects attended the 2012 Marmomacc trade fair in Verona, Italy, to learn more about designing with stone. During the show, the group took a side trip to Milan to visit the headquarters of MAPEI, a global manufacturer of adhesives, grouts and chemicals for the construction industry. As guests of MAPEI, they toured the company’s preeminent manufacturing facility in Robbiano di Mediglia and its Research and Development Center for Excellence in Milan.

On the second day of their Milan visit, the architects attended lectures in the MAPEI Technical Institute. Mike Granatowski,National Managerof Architectural & Commercial Projectsfor the Americas, spoke to the group on “Understanding the Proper Use of Medium-Bed Mortars for Stone Flooring Installations” and “From ANSI to ISO: Improvements in Performance Evaluation”. The two AIA/CES-approved presentations introduced the architects to the importance of specifying the right products for durable, sustainable installations of tile and stone.

“MAPEI's factories, products and especially their industrial ethos cannot be matched. From fork-lift operator, to chief chemist, to CEO, we witnessed cementitious products related to the stone industry. Situated within the company's 75^th anniversary year, I was personally most impressed by their support of building design professionals and constructors by way of testing and technical expertise, and very evident commitment to the qualities of a profitable product line without the sacrifice of employee consideration. Seminars given by Mike Granatowski with the support of Marco Abellice were more than informative. The presentations were 'real' enough for the shelves of our active electronic specifications library for day-to-day applications,” said Arthur Sikula of AJ Sikula Associates, one of the visiting architects.

“Our guests enjoyed both the lectures and the visit to the Mediglia plant,” Granatowski said. “Our extensive R&D laboratories made a strong impression on them, too. We hope educational and informational visits such as these will help architects in the Americas understand MAPEI’s commitment to producing products that meet and surpass their needs as they design innovative new structures for the future.”