A quick look at the structure of our national economy clearly shows that there is a great dependency on works that carry a certain amount of danger in them… and that therefore the focal point should be on the safety of the employees at work as well as on the kind of facilities and machinery that are used, whether this is construction or otherwise. Even at sea.
So, how does the industry at large view this situation? How much attention is actually given to it as well as to the investment by the business sector (or, to be precise, by the contractors, the developers and the workers themselves) involved in it?
To find out, Design & Build met up with Omar and Josef Ferriggi, two brothers continuing their father’s business A. Ferriggi Company Ltd of Marsa; the leading specialists in safety equipment.
I t should come as no surprise that Malta views A. Ferriggi Co Ltd. as a vital source – and reference point – for all that is relevant to safety at work,. They are well involved in safety at sea, which is controlled by trans-world agreements on safety that fall under the SOLAS umbrella (which also include private yachts too). Their stance on land-based safety stems from this stringent conformity to these international marine rules and directives.
We chose to talk to the Ferriggi brothers because they are involved in safety across the board, whether on land or on the sea. So what do they think about our question: Is safety over-rated?
The brothers immediately replied: “No, we believe there isn’t enough attention to safety at the moment and that there is also a need for more enforcement by the authorities concerned. It seems that all too often we seem to take things for granted.” They felt that looking back at the past months, especially the number of deaths on building sites that have been recorded, this has clearly shown that there is a need for more control by the authorities especially so in the area of safety.
“Never put your life at risk at your working place! We’ve been servicing the industry for the past 25 years. Quality safety equipment is essential and not a luxury! It helps you do your job properly and protects you from danger,” they added.
A. Ferriggi Co Ltd’s stance on land-based safety stems from their stringent conformity to international marine rules and directives on safety at sea.
In fact, where the construction industry is concerned, the company supplies anything from gloves and helmets to harnesses, boots, safety shoes and anything else needed for the workers’ safety on sites. “Whatever is needed we have it all, including traffic cones, lights, and anything else that is required, not necessarily directly for the construction workers but also for those who have to frequent sites or areas where construction is taking place, such as road works” added Omar, the elder brother.
We have a full range of safety equipment … and we supply for all body types
Omar Ferriggi
The A Ferriggi Company started off in 1995 from a base in Zejtun when their father, Anthony Ferriggi, started importing and distributing household items but later started specialising in safety products for all industries in Malta, including marine equipment. His main goal was to bring quality safety products to the Maltese market and ensure safety for all kinds of workers. The company cooperates with leading European brands, because, as Omar rightly pointed out, “there are no compromises when it comes to safety.” He added that they also supply anchor chains for the larger ships based in Malta or plying our seas.
“So, if you happen to be searching for safety equipment or you need sound advice and high-quality products, we are the equipment specialists to turn to,” added Josef.
Our clients trust us and our products for a reason
Omar Ferriggi
STAY SAFE!
For the most part of 2020 so far, the words “Stay Safe” have become quite a household word in Malta due to the C-19 pandemic which swept across the world leaving over 35 million dead (as at time of writing). A somewhat ironic benefit from this is that an awareness to staying safe in everything one does has become more ingrained into the local mindset at employee and strategy level alike.
At A. Ferriggi Co. Ltd., ‘safety’ is the very foundation of all they do. Brands pushed have been chosen based on their reliability and safety during use; to be as ‘fail-safe’ as possible.
photo: a portion of the product ranges available at the A. Ferriggi new showroom in Marsa.
How did it affect them in reality? Josef explained that the company as such remained continually in demand to supply anything from masks and gloves to goggles, visors and other similar equipment which, in reality, were running out fast (or sold out in some cases) and which were being resupplied at a much slower rate.
Sales were affected here too, particularly on their vast ranges of general construction and ironmongery equipment, but on the whole, we can safely say (pun intended) that the unfortunate scenario did no ill to the company. “Our overseas suppliers are now being more on the ball with sending us their products and we are not experiencing the same delays we had in the day-to-day dealings with suppliers pre-covid. Our clientele has picked up again mainly because of the increasing sway of work in various sectors – especially the construction industry – so that it is continually growing too. It’s going to take a while to get back to what things were before but things are moving ahead in many sectors and we see a positive uptrend” added Josef.
“We have a full range of safety equipment; we generally keep stocks available and we supply for all body types to make sure we reach all our clients’ needs. We import full body protection gears full face masks, breathing filters, ear protection, full body harnesses, fall protection, welding gloves, safety shoes amongst others safety equipment needed,” he explained.
So, who’s their typical client at the moment due to the effects of the pandemic: The DIY person, the plumber, tile layer, the developer, maintenance managers of hotels?
A. Ferriggi Co. Ltd. has not solely grown within the safety at work, chandlery and retail sectors. They have kept consolidating, and corroborating, their core wholesaling work with much of Malta’s ironmongeries.
Omar responded without hesitation. “Looking at the present state of affairs, since we are also wholesalers and ship chandlers (apart from retailers), it is definitely the ironmongeries that are our most consistent clients, together with the marine and DIY shops.” Interestingly, the main contact with outlets and clientele in general still remains in the hands of the founder, Anthony Ferriggi himself, who still (literally) enjoys going out into the field and meeting clients, discussing their needs and problems. Orders are then processed and delivered by the company’s delivery vans.
“Since we opened our doors,” he continued, “we kept one crucial thing in mind above all else – we wanted to offer the best service to our clients because we know their job is risky in itself and we didn’t want to make it more difficult for them. We made sure to cater for all type of hazardous jobs to make sure they buy everything needed from the same place. If anything needs to be imported, we make sure to get it in the least time possible not to interrupt our clients’ deadlines,” he said. Apart from all the products they have in store, Omar added that they also offer tailor-made effective solutions to client’s needs.
The company advertises itself as offering safety products and equipment of the highest quality covering all needs. As an example, Josef mentioned the ‘Lewer’ safety shoes brand which they represent. “These safety shoes are very comfortable, are orthopaedically designed and are definitely not heavy. You barely feel them on you and they give full protection to the foot bones too,” he said.
On the other hand, A. Ferriggi Co Ltd is a fully fledged supplier of all ironmongery and hardware supplies required by the construction, property and interiors industry. “The biggest difference perhaps,” Josef mused, is that safety underlies all our business and product portfolio decisions.”
Indeed, safety is not solely relevant to equipment designed to protect people but perhaps more so in the reliability and security of all material, tools and components with which one works on a day-to-day basis.
A. Ferriggi Co Ltd is a fully fledged supplier of all ironmongery and hardware supplies, focusing on the reliability and security of all material, tools and components with which one works on a day-to-day basis
SHOW WINDOW
Omar and Josef, who coordinate the company’s logistics and administration between them, explained that the need for the company’s growth was felt early. And though the move to Marsa only came quite recently, it was a wise choice since “the place is a vast show window of all that the company can offer its clients. In this way, when a client comes to purchase anything from us, he is able to see the whole range of their services and this leads to new sales … and to new, long term and mostly very faithful clients.”
The area is extensive and offers an uncluttered view of the product ranges. This is not typical in wholesaling but the Ferriggi brothers understood from their early days that their clients would not necessarily be aware of their complete product ranges and therefore a walk into their premises proves to be an eye-opening moment for them too…“Like an ‘Oh, you have those too?’ sort of thing! Other wholesalers usually operate as stores, as we were in the beginning, but operating as retailers adds another dimension to the client,” added Josef.
Conclusion
“You can visit our site to view the safety products we currently have in stock. And we offer next day delivery too. New machines and requests are always increasing and we make sure to import all the necessary safety products because we strive for your safety first,” Josef enthusiastically tells us.
A. Ferriggi Co. Ltd is continuously listening to its customers and expanding their product ranges; and even their carried brands, once satisfied with their performance and standards. They firmly believe in how vital it is for them to maintain the high quality of their products and ranges on offer since their clients not only rely on their reputation and quality of service but equally so to maintain the integrity of whatever else their name is associated with in the future. This can also be seen in the way they expand their local wholesale market; they genuinely look after their different clients’ needs.
We have the best three things on the market – long years of experience, the best approved European brands and well-trained salespersons in our stores
“Our long-term plans are for continued expansion, and we can already see the advantages since we have noted the growth we were able to achieve from our original base to this one now,” Omar explained. “We still mainly push leading European brands which have entrusted us with their names since day one. Some of our brands are Climax, Rex, Stanley and Lalizas. We, as well as our clients and buyers of these brands can vouch for these types of brands. They carry quality and reliability as part of their name. We have the best three things on the market – long years of experience, the best approved European brands and well-trained salespersons in our stores. Our salespersons are willing to guide and give the best advice on any safety equipment in our store. They know how important safety is and they make sure to give the best consultation to all our clients,” he proudly tells us.
The passion the family shows for quality products and services at competitive prices is constantly growing and enlarging their list of products to best meet the needs of the Maltese market. Adding to that their eagerness to develop and grow has made the name of A. Ferriggi Importers & Distributors one of the leading suppliers of safety equipment on the islands.
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