Panta Contracting Overseas, the Libyan-registered arm of Msida-based Panta Lesco, is undertaking a €15 million project for the World Islamic Call Society in Tripoli.The project, which sits on a footprint equivalent to eight football pitches with a total floor area of 250,000 square metres, is one of the largest ever entrusted to the building services company established in 1960.
Earmarked as a commercial centre with offices and clinics and incorporating a small hotel, the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment requirements and installations are extensive. It involves 52,000 square metres of polyurethane ductwork – the equivalent of four years of duct panels used in Panta Contracting projects in Malta – and 51 kilometres of piping for chilled water, fire-fighting, domestic water, and rain water and irrigation systems.
Panta Lesco chairman Henry Attard told The Times Business the group was able to clinch the project thanks to its 20-year experience working in Libya, where it has garnered a reputation for its works in government projects and for the Corinthia Group.
More recently, Panta Contracting was heavily involved in installation at Palm City, Mediterranean Investments Holding’s luxury residential village at Janzour, just outside the Libyan capital.
It was previously engaged in similar works at the Corinthia Bab Africa, until recently Tripoli’s only five-star hotel.
“We were approached by the World Islamic Call Society three years ago to tender for the project,” Mr Attard explained. “It is another important milestone for our company in Libya. It is somewhat of a first for us – we have taken the plunge of working with a new client in Libya, that is not the Corinthia or the Libyan government.
“As our company is registered in Libya, we are fully able to undertake projects in this field. There is a great future in Libya, particularly for Panta Lesco, and it is now equally important as the Malta market for us.”
In its entirety, the World Islamic Call Society project involves the design and the supervision of manpower required for the installations.
Six Maltese engineers have been seconded to Panta Contracting Overseas from head office to lead a team of 150, including ex-patriates and 30 Maltese supervisors.
The project has, however, been affected by the recent visa dispute between Libya and the Schengen area, and four months of production were lost.
A new completion date has been set for September 2012, following changes to the original designs, as the project features were upgraded substantially to higher specifications.
Mr Attard said Libya was posing fewer logistical challenges as communications have improved drastically over recent years so that the group no longer requires its own design office in Tripoli.
In the meantime, Panta Contracting Overseas will be bidd-ing for other major developments in Tripoli, including a confer-ence centre and hotel project by a Qatari consortium, Corinthia’s new hotel in Benghazi, and MIH’s Medina Tower in Tripoli.
“The advantages Panta Contracting has are its considerable experience of working in Libya and its ability to manage project-guarantee periods by engaging Tripoli-based highly specialised personnel.
“We are smaller than major international contractors, so we are more versatile.”
Mr Attard acknowledged that Panta Lesco, which celebrates 50 years in business, has grown primarily by concentrating on its core activities.
The organisation did try its hand at diversification at one point, and even ventured into property and designer retail, but Mr Attard explained the company realised the contracting business was becoming too competitive for the group to afford to split its focus.
Panta Lesco was established by Mr Attard’s late father Bartholomew who had married into the Filletti family, renowned as the leading electrical retailers in Valletta.
Attard Snr set up shop in Old Bakery Street and by the 1960s established an ancillary operation to install the goods he sold. Soon, his clients included the government and public authorities and later hotels and factories.
Panta moved to its current premises in 1973, two years after it set up its international division to tap opportunities that were presenting themselves in the Middle East and North Africa. Its involvement in major projects in Saudi Arabia, most notably those for the royal family, are Panta Contracting’s calling card across the region to this day.
Mr Attard emphasised that the group’s size demanded its engagement in key infrastructural projects to ensure growth, and Panta was increasingly looking at international markets, particularly southern Europe.
In Malta, the contracting company is currently involved in such projects as the new US Embassy in Ta’ Qali, the Pendergardens residential development in St Julian’s, Progress Press’ new premises in Mrieħel, and the Foster Clark new facility in San Ġwann.
With a staff complement of just under 400 and incorporating over six companies, the Panta group is also looking to grow its Malta portfolio further.
Mr Attard now hopes some major projects that seem to have been delayed by the global economic downturn will be kickstarted as confidence returns to international markets.