Production plans for Truganina
Mapei plans to expand powder and liquid production at its new Truganina facility in Melbourne, Australia. General Manager Marco De Santis said the initial product categories would remain unchanged, while more products would be manufactured locally.
The existing Wacol plant in Brisbane produces 67,000 tonnes of powder products and 12 million litres of liquid products annually, according to De Santis.
Construction and the opening schedule
Mapei has begun building the $60 million facility in Truganina to expand its manufacturing presence in Victoria. The company scheduled the opening for 2026 and stated that commissioning, recruitment and training activities were already under way. The project forms part of Mapei’s longer-term expansion in the Australian market, where the company has been active for more than 30 years.
Chief executives Veronica Squinzi and Marco Squinzi identified local production as part of the company’s support for the state’s construction sector. Mapei expects the factory to supply materials for metropolitan and regional infrastructure work, naming the Suburban Rail Loop and North East Link among the projects it intends to support. De Santis said increased local manufacturing aims to improve delivery speed, reduce transport emissions and strengthen customer support. These were the company’s stated aims for the investment.
Automated mixing and packaging
A fully automated liquid mixing system is planned to connect to a tank farm for raw materials and finished goods. De Santis also identified planned solar integration, dust-reduction measures and expanded silo storage.
The powder line will include micro-dosing and equipment for mortar in recyclable plastic packaging. Mapei intends to replace paper-plastic composite materials and improve protection against moisture and handling damage.
- Powder production: automated dosing, packaging and palletising.
- Liquid production: automated mixing connected to tank storage.
The infrastructure market in Victoria
North East Link’s construction provides a dated example of the infrastructure activity Mapei is targeting. On June 5, 2025, the Victorian Government announced that tunnel boring machines Gillian and Zelda had relaunched from Lower Plenty Road towards Bulleen. The machines, each 15.6 metres in diameter and 90 metres long, had travelled 1.6 kilometres apiece and collectively installed more than 16,000 concrete segments manufactured in Benalla.
The 6.5-kilometre tunnels are being built alongside Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road upgrades. The government placed the combined works on a 2028 completion schedule. More than 8,000 people were then working across North East Link, with apprentices, trainees and cadets accounting for 10% of work hours. Construction at Lower Plenty Road was continuing on tunnel entry and exit ramps. Foundation structures were also being built to connect the upgraded freeways to the tunnels.
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