MBI Group – the company founded by Simon Mizzi, as a two-man band, some 10 years ago, now collaborates daily with around 100 industry professionals, including employees as well as other suppliers.
What originally started out as a business venture focused on the installation of water and electricity facilities, has now become a well-rounded one-stop-shop for all matters related to development, construction, and finishing – from conception to completion.
“I am proud to see the team I’ve built. Most of my professional team members have been with the company for a long time. It is through this strong team that we offer our clients peace of mind,” Simon explained.
“We can take care of planning, design, permits, demolition, excavation, construction and finishing”
His team is as passionate about the job as he is; “We are committed to meeting our clients’ expectations, and in fact, we strive to exceed them – in terms of both quality and time-frames,” he explained. Simon’s creative approach to problem-solving cascades down to his team. “For us, ‘can’t be done’ is not an option. Our clients rely on our professional expertise, as this is what gives them peace of mind when they entrust us with a job. We have the knowledge to know how to go around obstacles and the determination to meet challenges head on. We are always on the lookout for alternative solutions, to ensure we get the job done,” he added.
“We are committed to meeting our clients’ expectations, and in fact, we strive to exceed them – in terms of both quality and time-frames”
He recalls building the company gradually and going from success to success. “The most critical factors in driving our growth have been the dedication of our professional team of skilled workers and the can-do determination that encompasses the entire operation,” he said. MBI Group now also holds a sizeable warehouse in which they store raw materials, to ensure that they are constantly self-sufficient.
Over the past years, the Group has grown sufficiently to warrant the development of three separately structured departments – MBI Developments, MBI Turnkey Services and MBI Plumbelee.
Simon Mizzi is also a licensed builder and qualified electrician, which means that he can easily switch from the big picture to the minutiae of technical details
Apart from being the founder and Managing Director of the Group, Simon Mizzi is also a licensed builder and qualified electrician, which means that he can easily switch from the big picture to the minutiae of technical details. This is a key factor which enables his team to focus on delivering work efficiently and to high quality standards, within the stipulated time frames – which is a key factor in the industry.
“It takes MBI Plumbelec around three working days to complete the walls and finishes for an average three-bedroom apartment”
Simon moreover oversees the manpower distribution, the overall project management and billings of the entire group. His main focus is on the construction side of the operation, and is assisted by Francesco Imbroll, whose role in MBI Group includes that of Director at MBI Plumbelec. Like Simon, he is a firm believer in retaining a hands-on approach and can often be found on site, carrying out inspections.
“I believe in having a safe and pleasant work environment, with cooperative team dynamics – as this is ultimately what supports us to deliver quality work to our clients,” Simon explained. He added that MBI and its various sub-companies offer employees good salaries with performance bonuses. “We only employ the best skilled workers and we want to keep them engaged in the company. Most of the team members have been with the company for a long time and we’d like to keep it this way,” he added. MBI Developments can take entire projects from as early as the pre-planning stage. “With this arm of the group, we can partner with owners wishing to demolish a property and build a block of apartments on the site. We can take care of planning, design, permits, demolition, excavation, construction and finishing,” Simon explained. “Previously we had outsourced excavation works, but we have invested in modern, specialised equipment, so we can carry out this part of the job ourselves – to our desired levels of competence and safety,” he said.
MBI Developments also offer attractive deals to land-owners. The company works with a group of professional partners, including architects, who would then be dedicated to individual projects. “We can work with the developer’s architect of choice, whilst still offering additional supervision by one of our own warranted architects at no extra cost. In addition, we offer professional land surveying for construction projects so that accurate site plans can be drawn,” Simon detailed.
MBI Turnkey Services provides speciality finishing contracting and handles projects in their entirety from the ground up. Among its range of services are extra low voltage solutions and installations, as well as the supply and installation of heating, tiling, ventilation, air conditioning, high quality apertures, railings, and so forth. “We also take care of the engineering and installation of plumbing and electrical works, as well as all finishing works, including plastering, painting and gypsum. Clients can leave the entire management of a project in our hands knowing that we will deliver to specification and on time,” he added.
“Clients can leave the entire management of project in our hands knowing that we will deliver to specification and on time”
“For every project, I meet with the client – who may need support or who may already have a designer’s plan in hand. In either case, I discuss the details and mark up the site. Then the team goes in to execute the job,” he explained. It takes MBI Plumbelec around three working days to complete the walls and finishes for an average three-bedroom apartment, if it’s a straightforward job. Francesco emphasised the importance of adhering to deadlines for both the client and the work planning for projects in the pipeline. MBI Plumbelec takes on entire projects or just parts of it, such as the water and electricity or the tiling. The company works with its own electricians and provides clients with certification free of charge as it is fully confident about the work it delivers. It also runs various pressure tests at different stages of the tile-laying process so as to ensure that there are no leakages.
“We would like to carry out commercial projects in the future. At the moment we are working on a block of apartments and have the capacity to take on a range of multiple projects simultaneously,” he said. The company’s current workload includes the construction of 80 units over seven different residential projects, in locations ranging from St Paul’s Bay to Marsaxlokk. Despite being proud of his company’s growth so far, Simon has an eye keenly trained towards the future and the next 12 months are indeed already looking busy for the company.
Comment