Garland, Tex.—Executives from Mapei Corp. along with community leaders and local politicians recently participated in the company’s groundbreaking ceremonies to double the size of its plant here.

The 18-year-old facility is one of 14 Mapei has in the Americas and is used to manufacture grouts and mortars for tile and stone installation; waterproofing and moisture-mitigation products; adhesives for carpets, wood and vinyl flooring, and repair mortars and underlayments for concrete restoration systems.

Expected to be completed by July, the new space will be dedicated to warehousing and distribution, and will also allow for further production capacity increases that are planned for the middle of next year, noted Rainer Blair, president and CEO of Mapei Americas. It will include space for the industry-renowned Mapei Technical Institute (MTI), “which trains and certifies thousands of contractors, installers, architects and other interested parties in using the company’s product system solutions.”

While the industry on the whole has dropped considerably, “contractors in Texas and surrounding states we serve from Garland are driving our production to new levels, and we are investing now to provide our customers with an industry benchmark level of service as their business grows.”