There is a very simple reason for the square, stark, concrete doorway to the magnificent temple in marble which Hal Mann Vella inaugurates on Saturday.
Beyond that doorway lies an exhibition of endless possibilities: marble in every imaginable and unimaginable combination of colour, shade and vein, designed by the earth somewhere in the world and applied to walls, basins, worktops, columns, lift interiors...
The Vella family built their new showroom on the original factory site in Lija's Mosta Road to be a celebration of the precious stone their name has been associated with in Malta and overseas. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter for a family business that owes its origins to two brothers from Mġarr.
In the early 1950s, Vincent and Nazzareno Vella started a new venture producing cement tiles. In 1970, as they became more successful, the brothers moved their operation to Hal Mann, a hamlet on the outskirts of Mosta: hence the company name. Demand for tiling continued to grow and by 1980, the Vellas introduced marble, granite and agglomerate marble to their product portfolio. They acquired land adjacent to the plant and the operational footprint grew.
So did their families. The brothers had 13 children between them, all directly or indirectly involved in the business. But over the years, the boardroom was becoming too crowded. "There were too many of us," director Martin Vella says. "There were too many ideas and it was difficult to take decisions which pleased everyone."
In 2004, the families went their separate ways and restructuring of both businesses began. Vincent Vella and his sons took over the factory operation where the new showroom now stands.
"That year, my brothers and sisters and I reviewed the operations of the entire plant and decided it was time to consolidate and renew," Mr Vella explained. "We continued to win a string of prestigious orders locally and overseas so we immediately decided on a new showroom to offer better service to local clients.
"We have supplied and laid marble at the MIDI project, the Radisson SAS Golden Sands, the Valletta Waterfront, the Hilton and Portomaso... Similarly in Tripoli, we supplied and laid the marble at Corinthia's Bab Africa Hotel. We have exported terrazzo tiles for the paving at one of the malls on Canary Wharf, a section of Leicester Square station, and for Woolwich Arsenal station which opens in December.
"We decided to change our export strategy recently," Mr Vella points out. "We are able to compete very well in markets like Libya and in some European markets. We have veered away from export projects entailing huge quantities to focus on high specification and competitively priced orders."
Hal Mann Vella, whose workforce in the last five years has increased by 30 per cent to 154 people (that's besides over 50 full-time subcontracted polishers and layers), invested in water jet cutting technology and new equipment on order will mean more of the factory operations are automated and allow for even more precision. All water used on the plant has been filtered and recycled for several years.
The new showroom, conceived with architect Joe Zammit and designed by Paul Scerri, is what this family stands for. The 25,500-square metre plant is where the siblings grew up, watching their father with his employees deal with clients, and lending a hand when they could.
Inside, the 500 square metres of exhibition space shows off over 300 types of marble available in various finishes, a wide range of mosaic and tiling options, and even a line of products for DIY enthusiasts with experts on hand to offer advice on their application.
Behind the scenes lies a family and a small army of employees, that is doing Maltese entrepreneurship and workmanship proud.
"The entire project is meant to inspire visitors from the moment they step into the grounds," Mr Vella explains. "Here they will see the use of every type and style of stone product imported, produced or finished by Hal Mann Vella. The marble blocks, granite sheets and hard-stone slabs have been wrought into the very structure of the building, so visitors have an immediate impression of what the finished product looks like.
"Even more importantly, we are committed to every single customer's requirements. This showroom is evidence of that commitment."
Beyond that doorway lies an exhibition of endless possibilities: marble in every imaginable and unimaginable combination of colour, shade and vein, designed by the earth somewhere in the world and applied to walls, basins, worktops, columns, lift interiors...
The Vella family built their new showroom on the original factory site in Lija's Mosta Road to be a celebration of the precious stone their name has been associated with in Malta and overseas. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter for a family business that owes its origins to two brothers from Mġarr.
In the early 1950s, Vincent and Nazzareno Vella started a new venture producing cement tiles. In 1970, as they became more successful, the brothers moved their operation to Hal Mann, a hamlet on the outskirts of Mosta: hence the company name. Demand for tiling continued to grow and by 1980, the Vellas introduced marble, granite and agglomerate marble to their product portfolio. They acquired land adjacent to the plant and the operational footprint grew.
So did their families. The brothers had 13 children between them, all directly or indirectly involved in the business. But over the years, the boardroom was becoming too crowded. "There were too many of us," director Martin Vella says. "There were too many ideas and it was difficult to take decisions which pleased everyone."
In 2004, the families went their separate ways and restructuring of both businesses began. Vincent Vella and his sons took over the factory operation where the new showroom now stands.
"That year, my brothers and sisters and I reviewed the operations of the entire plant and decided it was time to consolidate and renew," Mr Vella explained. "We continued to win a string of prestigious orders locally and overseas so we immediately decided on a new showroom to offer better service to local clients.
"We have supplied and laid marble at the MIDI project, the Radisson SAS Golden Sands, the Valletta Waterfront, the Hilton and Portomaso... Similarly in Tripoli, we supplied and laid the marble at Corinthia's Bab Africa Hotel. We have exported terrazzo tiles for the paving at one of the malls on Canary Wharf, a section of Leicester Square station, and for Woolwich Arsenal station which opens in December.
"We decided to change our export strategy recently," Mr Vella points out. "We are able to compete very well in markets like Libya and in some European markets. We have veered away from export projects entailing huge quantities to focus on high specification and competitively priced orders."
Hal Mann Vella, whose workforce in the last five years has increased by 30 per cent to 154 people (that's besides over 50 full-time subcontracted polishers and layers), invested in water jet cutting technology and new equipment on order will mean more of the factory operations are automated and allow for even more precision. All water used on the plant has been filtered and recycled for several years.
The new showroom, conceived with architect Joe Zammit and designed by Paul Scerri, is what this family stands for. The 25,500-square metre plant is where the siblings grew up, watching their father with his employees deal with clients, and lending a hand when they could.
Inside, the 500 square metres of exhibition space shows off over 300 types of marble available in various finishes, a wide range of mosaic and tiling options, and even a line of products for DIY enthusiasts with experts on hand to offer advice on their application.
Behind the scenes lies a family and a small army of employees, that is doing Maltese entrepreneurship and workmanship proud.
"The entire project is meant to inspire visitors from the moment they step into the grounds," Mr Vella explains. "Here they will see the use of every type and style of stone product imported, produced or finished by Hal Mann Vella. The marble blocks, granite sheets and hard-stone slabs have been wrought into the very structure of the building, so visitors have an immediate impression of what the finished product looks like.
"Even more importantly, we are committed to every single customer's requirements. This showroom is evidence of that commitment."