To Protect and Beautify
The double-mission at the heart of Sigma Coatings Malta
“Our clients have assets – homes, shops, restaurants, ships, cranes, factories – and our job is to protect them from the elements and make them look great; always with the least possible stress for our clients.”
These are the words of Patrick Tabone, Managing Director at Sigma Coatings Malta, as he takes us on a tour of the company’s smart headquarters in Kordin.
“Sigma Coatings is a direct descendant of one of the very first paint companies in Europe, Pieter Schoon and his sons grinding pigments on the banks of a Dutch river in 1722. That’s over three hundred years of expertise and knowledge, mixed into every litre of paint that we produce.” As Mr. Tabone speaks, his passion for the subject comes out strongly.
“Sigma Coatings has become the architectural paint brand used by most Maltese families for good reason – we are a local company with tried and tested products, often specifically designed for Maltese conditions. But we also produce under license to the world’s second largest paints and coatings company, PPG, a huge American multinational.
“That means we have to show extremely high standards in everything we do – we can only use the very best, approved, raw materials, while our production processes are strictly controlled and externally audited.
“Over three hundred years of expertise and knowledge, mixed into every litre of paint that we produce”
”As we tour the finished goods store, what comes out immediately is the vast range of paints and coatings supplied by the company. Smartly designed buckets aimed at the architectural paint market are flanked by more industrial-looking metal drums, sold to ships and industry. “Our roots are originally in the marine industry. Sigma and PPG marine paints are some of the best and most widely used marine coatings in the world, and for many decades now we have serviced ships docking in Malta, or taking on stocks here.
“We operate according to the mantra that ‘Ships Don’t Wait’ – we have always bent over backwards to make sure that every ship that needs paint from us gets it ‘in full, and on time’. This is now a part of who we are – we know that we don’t only sell paint, we give a service, and we always make sure we put the customer first.
“That usually takes us back to those twin objectives at the heart of all we do. How best can we protect our customers assets? And how can we make sure that they look great? This can involve giving advice on the best paint to use for different needs, in different areas, and offering our customers the best tools to choose the right look for their space.
“How best can we protect our customers’ assets ? And how can we make sure that they look great?”
In terms of protection, Tabone explains, it is the quality of Sigma’s paint that is the best guarantee. That quality translates into extra years of protection, and therefore less frequent need for painting by their customers. Most people, he says thoughtfully, now understand that a paint that is cheaper by the litre is usually more expensive in the long run, as it will need to be repainted far sooner. “The old Maltese expression ‘l-irħis għali’ (cheap things are expensive) is nowhere more true than in the world of paint!”
In terms of aesthetics, he goes on, Sigma Coatings Malta have some wonderful online and other tools that can be used by customers to choose the very best colours for their space. “Besides an online Voice of Colour chart, our website also has a Colour Visualiser, that allows customers to upload a photo of their wall or room and see how it look with any colour combination they choose. It’s an extremely useful design tool, but it’s also super cool and fun to play around with!
“We cannot change the world, but we can protect and beautify as much of our country as possible“
“We have also made sure that we are close to our customers physically too: our paints are the most widely available in Malta and Gozo, with over 150 hardware stores stocking our goods. We have also got the widest network of colour tinting machines, now present in 30 stores all around the country.”
As our tour of the factory comes to an end, one thing that has stood out is that the signs of investment are everywhere: new mixing and packaging equipment, tinting machines in-house, with new ones packed and ready to be deployed in new stores, and a smart delivery vehicle fleet.
I ask Mr. Tabone about this. “Of course. We manage to maintain our position as Malta’s most widely used paint brand by constantly reinventing ourselves, evolving, and investing in the future. We cannot change the world, but we can protect and beautify as much of our country as possible, and we’re committed to doing it.”
Sigma Coatings (Malta) Ltd
KW24, Kordin Industrial Estate, Paola PLA 3000, Malta
Tel : (+356) +356 2166 8053
Email: info@sigmamalta.com
Fb : www.facebook.com/sigmamalta
wwww.sigmamalta.com/
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