an improved mat is disclosed . long and short legs support the mat and cause it to feel resilient although it is fabricated from hard rubber . the mat has drain holes on vertical surfaces . ribs prevent the mat from embedding within grating . grit is selectively placed upon the mat and physically supported . adhesive for bonding the grit is retained by retention lips . also disclosed is a process for creating drain holes on vertical surfaces of mats by attaching a grooving tool to a robot and programming the robot to cut through molded mat channels to create the desired drain holes . an additional process uses the robot to selectively place adhesive upon the mat . an adhesive dispenser is attached to the robot and the robot is appropriately programmed .