Synergy Is the Key to Economic Recovery:

It was Aristotle who gave us the first definition of synergy when he said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Right now we are beginning to see small “parts” of economic recovery popping up in different places across the Americas. Companies’ sales are a little higher in 2010 than they were in 2009. Corporate earnings are starting to grow. The construction industry is getting busier in regional spots. To achieve synergy, where all these parts are united into a whole that signals a return to greater prosperity, we need to display our courage to invest in the future.

At MAPEI Group we are investing capital in companies that help us strengthen our resources and our vertical integration within the supply chain. We are investing in the best and brightest people who help us create new and innovative products that reduce costs while they save time and labor for our customers. We are investing in new properties for future development and to make our products more accessible to our customers. We are investing in our industry associations to help strengthen the capabilities of concrete contractors and flooring installers. We are building our brand through investments in sound marketing that lets our customers know who we are and that we are here to stay and grow.

MAPEI believes that one very important “part” that makes a greater whole is our contribution to environmental sustainability. During 2010 we have introduced a reformulated line of urethane wood adhesives that are phthalate-free and low in VOCs. To mark the introduction of these adhesives into our Ultrabond ECO® family, we have partnered with the American Forests organization to be a sponsor in their Global ReLeaf program. For each pail of urethane wood adhesives purchased this year, MAPEI will donate one dollar to Global ReLeaf to help replant forests damaged by fire and other ecological upheavals.

I would like to call on you to examine your current situation and draw upon your own courage to seize the investment opportunities that exist for you. Manufacturers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects and designers each have much-needed assets to contribute to the construction and renovation of residential and commercial buildings, as well as our country’s infrastructure. If we all invest in our futures individually and together, the synergy we create will certainly make our whole industry greater than the sum of its parts; and we will be the drivers of recovery.

Thank you for your business, and for joining us on the journey to greater success.


Sincerely,

Luigi Di Geso
President and CEO, MAPEI Americas