A group of 46 international architects attended the 2012 Marmomacc trade fair in Verona, Italy, where they took a side trip to Mapei's manufacturing facility in Robbiano di Mediglia.

On the second day of their Milan visit, the architects attended lectures in the Mapei Technical Institute. Mike Granatowski,National Manager of Architectural & Commercial Projects for 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 75th 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."