J Group’s origin lies in construction projects. Today this Group has gained a significant portion of the market share and has, throughout the years, expanded to become a major player in various stages of development: Tiles and turnkey, Supplies as well as Construction.
Christopher Agius spoke to Design & Build on the current projects and the vision he holds for J Group.
Mr Christopher Agius, the Managing Director of J Group, is a veteran of the construction industry. Setting up his first company in 1998, Mr Agius took over the construction company owned by his father – he may be considered as being to the trade born. “I started off restoring old houses for some six to seven years. Then I expanded and started building new developments until in 2018 I set up J Construction as a company,” said Mr Agius, adding that the companies covered the spectrum from demolition to construction and anything in between.
“Crushed stone imported from Sicily … is stronger and gives the final concrete mix better strength and durability”
A man of few and precise words, Mr Agius specified that the concrete used in the company constructions is also their manufacture, rendering the quality control tighter and more efficient. This supply of concrete is very exclusive”, said Mr Agius, with very few companies, other than their own, benefiting from it. “We have to know the company and to be working with them to give them our concrete as we can employ our entire supply into our own developments,” said Mr Agius. Material is both local and imported. Crushed stone is imported from Sicily, explained Mr Agius, as “this is stronger and gives the final concrete mix better strength and durability”. Maltese stone is more brittle and Sicilian stone, surely because of volcanic roots, is tougher.
Not satisfied with this assurance, Mr Agius adds on the quality control mechanisms by having the concrete stress laboratory tested. “Our quality control is processed consistently internally. We also engage external professionals, to ensure that the quality of the concrete is certified to be indeed as high as we want it to be,” said Mr Agius. He added that outsourcing the process is a great way to get a litmus test on the quality of the product in use – and the quality has always been optimal. “We have used our product in Malta, abroad, in tunnels in the sea. We have never done a high-rise yet, though,” said Mr Agius, perhaps unconsciously eyeing his next professional target.
Premium material: a basic requirement
One thing is certain: Mr Agius is adamant that J Group uses only premium material in its batching plants. He points out that his raw material does not come from demolition sites but is top grade crushed stone. Going at a tangent on the current demolition works and construction waste, Mr Agius said that there is waste which is good for infilling spent quarries, other material which would be of use to land reclamation but none which he would consider using in his batching plants. He reckons that land reclamation is ultimately a decision which government will be taking. “Land reclamation happens the world over even where space is not an issue and I do not think we will be an exception when you consider that every square meter in Malta is worth pure gold,” said Mr Agius.
He said that if government were to create one square kilometre of reclaimed land, the revenue from that would be enormous. He said that this would benefit the tourism industry as it would be innovative and the construction industry as it would be giving a fresh impetus of work as well as decreasing the dumping costs. “It’s a win-win situation for all,” opined Mr Agius.
Low employee turnover
The production of concrete was set up as a result of an efficiency drive within the group. Mr Agius confirmed that this batching plant is part of their construction production system streamlined to maximise the efficiency of the J Group. “The cost of manufacture in a batching plant is significant but in terms of efficiency and control over quality, the benefits are staggering,” noted Mr Agius.
“We also engage external professionals, to ensure that the quality of the concrete is certified to be indeed as high as we want it to be”
Not only is the setting up of a batching plant an undertaking in itself; there is also the ancillary issue of use and transportation: the investment in a fleet of ready-mixers and the people and skills required to keep this going.
In spite of this, the number of employees is only 90 persons, showing that one of the hidden strengths of the company is its leanness. “We have a turnover of less than 5 workers per year,” said Mr Agius with obvious and merited pride when one considers the movement of employees in this sector. These include qualified architects as well as a whole range of construction trades with people who have been in the company for decades.
“We have a turnover of less than 5 workers per year”
One specialty which he sees as lacking in the local construction industry is that which is described in our neighbouring Italy as ‘il geometra’. An amalgam of draughtsman, quantity surveyor and site manager, Mr Agius said that this useful specialisation is lacking in the Maltese construction industry. He remedied this by employing Italian architects with a Maltese warrant so that he could bridge the gap in that area.
A focused approach
Mr Agius is quite obviously a very focused person. There is a tendency within the industry to become a ‘Jack of all trades’. “Not J Group”, Mr Agius emphatically said. “I do not believe that we should enter into sectors which I do not fully grasp.”
JGroup was commissioned to strengthen the structure by shotcrete, fill in fissures and consolidate the foundations.
He also believes that there should be a system wherein a worker who has been fired for being abusive of basic health and safety protocol would not be re-employable within the construction sector. “That would certainly be a deterrent; an impetus, to ensure that the safety equipment is used,” said Mr Agius. He explained that all employees are equipped with personal safety equipment, which they must wear. They are fined and disciplined by the company if they do not.
Pride of place
Mr Agius explained that one of the projects to which he is especially proud to have contributed to is the tunnel from Ta’ Qali to Pembroke which was constructed in collaboration with Bonnici Brothers for the Water Services Corporation. He said that Bonnici Brothers took care of the excavation and J Group took care of the rest of the structural works including shotcrete which was used to strengthen the rock, fill in fissures and consolidate the foundations.
though shotcrete is still an innovative approach in Malta, J Group’s workers are veterans in the area
He said that though shotcrete is still an innovative approach in Malta, J Group’s workers are veterans in the area. Another project close to his heart is the regeneration of a prestigious Palazzo in Valletta where two floors were added, a roof repaired and the whole building restored.
Building on strength
J Tiles and Turn Key was opened in 2019 and Mr Agius said that this was a natural progression since it was ancillary to the services which the group was already offering. Tiles are predominantly imported from their supplying partners from Italy, and Spain. This proximity to our country also encourages J Group’s seamless supply line. “This falls in line with the company mantra of excellent work carried out with speed and efficiency, which is the only way in which one can guarantee a quality service provision, and a completely satisfied, returning customer,” Mr Agius proudly told us.
The future is high
Proud of his lineage, Mr Agius can be easily described as having continuously built on his strengths. This is, perhaps, the core of his success: a focus on the company’s objectives which many start off with having but most lose on the way. “I did not start out as a manager. I started out as a stone mason,” explained Mr Agius. “This means that I can follow up on the work carried out and be critical on that account. For areas in which I was not an expert such as office work, we employed people within a structure so that the structure can function with minimum effort. Ultimately I do not believe in one-man shows -I believe in one-team shows” commented Mr Agius. And for the future? He bursts into a hearty laugh.
“This is, perhaps, the core of his success: a focus on the company’s objectives”
“I keep saying that this is my last year but I guess I will keep going until, at least, I do a high-rise, a landmark. Now that would really be something,” the construction magnate jokingly concluded.
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