MAPEI Inc. announced the expansion of its Laval, Quebec, facility with the groundbreaking ceremony for a new 50,750-sq ft powder-production plant and distribution facility.
“The existing facility has proven to be such a tremendous asset in providing us with manufacturing and warehousing for Eastern Canada, and this expansion will greatly increase our ability to meet our customers’ demands in those areas,” said Luigi Di Geso, President and CEO of MAPEI North America.
“Now we will be even better able to bring products and services to our customers in Quebec and the Maritime provinces, as well as throughout Canada, with the addition of local powder production and warehousing capacity,” said Marco Roma, General Manager of MAPEI Inc.
The construction of this new plant will complement the existing 128,000-sq ft facility, which serves as the head office of MAPEI Inc., whose adjacent plant also currently produces polymers, adhesives and more recently, admixtures for concrete. The added space will also feature a 100-ft tall tower and a new Admixtures for Concrete research and development laboratory.
“With the addition of admixtures and powders, the MAPEI Laval manufacturing site will be one of the most high-performance plants — in terms of technology, capacity and complexity — within the MAPEI North America network,” Roma added. “The new construction includes utilities and infrastructure to support the 100-ft tall powder-line systems, being built on the previously unused lot beside our current facilities, so it will not interfere in any way with our existing activities.”
After remarks by Di Geso and Roma during the Oct. 21, 2021, groundbreaking event at the site, other distinguished speakers took to the podium as well. The speakers were Christopher Skeete, National Assembly Member for Sainte-Rose; Yves Robillard, the Deputy for the Marc-Aurèle Fortin federal riding; John Frare, President of Frare & Gallant Construction; Silvia Costantini, the Consul General of Italy in Montreal; and finally, Nicolas Girard, MAPEI’s Laval Unit Manager.
Afterward it was time for the ceremonial “turning of the soil.” The speakers were joined by Luigi Ambrosio from Investissement Québec and Normand Lemay, Industrial Commissioner for the City of Laval’s Department of Economic Development.
The local community was represented as well by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Montreal and other project stakeholders, including Montréal International, LEMAYMICHAUD Architecture Design, Jones Lang LaSalle (project management) and the law firm of Miller Thomson LLP.
The project is on an 18-month timeline. “We look forward to having everyone back to celebrate the grand opening in 2023,” Roma said.