Minister Silvio Schembri visits a Maltese family-run furniture factory which in 2020 experienced the highest demand yet – a clear example of the reassurance the economic regeneration plan provided for businesses and consumers
The government fully supports the Maltese family business sector which, despite the unfavourable scenario, continues to show its resilience and remains a significant contributor to the Maltese economy. This is a sector which even during a pandemic is managing to maintain its standing within the business community and in some cases even managing to invest in growth. This was the message by Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri while he was visiting local furniture factory Grixti Mobili in view of their recent substantial investment in the company. Grixti Mobili has been operating in Malta for 47 years. Minister Schembri said how businesses run by Maltese families are renowned for the quality of their products and the services offered which are reputedly of the highest level, to the extent that several such companies are succeeding in strengthening their competitive position, even within international markets.
During this visit, Minister Schembri congratulated the management of the company run by the Grixti brothers which with an investment of €1.2 million over a period of three years has substantially expanded its facilities. He said that this level of expansion was also thanks to the assistance offered by government entity INDIS Malta, which also includes the creation of industrial space enabling companies to grow.
Minister Schembri satisfactorily noted how this is a company which in the year 2020 experienced an entirely different scenario with regard to the effects of COVID-19 on businesses and witnessed the highest demand for its products, as the trend seems to be that people used this period to invest in new furniture for their homes. He said that businesses and people have recognized that the government is ready to share the burden with them. Therefore, businesses have been reassured that they can continue to invest, and consumers encouraged to not be afraid to spend on commercial activities. He said that the government believes in the diversification of the Maltese economy and through different measures such as those of the Covid wage supplement and vouchers it continued to assist those businesses that have been negatively affected by this pandemic, whilst ensuring full support for those aspiring for growth and investment.
Regarding the manufacturing sector, Minister Schembri stressed the importance of combining traditional systems with innovative ones through digital technology for the Maltese manufacturing sector to continue to be part of the fourth industrial revolution.
Minister Schembri explained how innovation was the main element behind the success of Grixti Mobili, with €700,000 of the investment made up of modern technological equipment. This has led the company to start operating through automation, creating a product of the highest quality, manufactured through less strenuous work by its employees. This company is thus managing to cope with the increase experienced in demand from the local market, in the field of bespoke designs for home furniture.
However, Minister Schembri noted that the problem faced by companies such as Grixti Mobili is that they cannot find enough workers, because there is a lack of knowledge about the change in the type of work that automation in manufacturing is creating. The minister urged those interested in the trades not to be afraid to approach these types of jobs, as the nature of the work involved is increasingly becoming focused on the deployment of digital technology, in particular when it comes to design.
He mentioned how from a staff of just three, the company has grown to employ 22 workers and will continue to recruit and train employees who are considered by the company as its best resource.
In his address, Aldo Grixti, one of the directors of Grixti Mobili, said that with the help of the government and INDIS Malta, they were able to expand their factory and invest in new and innovative machinery that made them more efficient and productive. “It is also helping us create more quality and less labour-intensive work for our employees. We look forward with courage that the business that our parents started can continue to grow and be more successful in the years to come”, said Mr Grixti. From his end, Owen Grixti, another director of the company, spoke about how any new machinery the company invests in also means investing in software, as well as training, so that it can be operated in the best possible way. Therefore, the company will be more and more innovative, even in an area that is considered traditional.
