Halmann Vella is known for its traditional Maltese tiles but its terrazzo tiles will soon represent the cutting edge of technology thanks to its R&D. Photo: Chris Sant FournierHalmann Vella is known for its traditional Maltese tiles but its terrazzo tiles will soon represent the cutting edge of technology thanks to its R&D. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

A research project at Halmann has paid off, enabling it to incorporate a sealer into its internationally-acclaimed terrazzo tiles.

The company exports the tiles for projects with very high traffic, ranging from Tesco supermarkets to train stations. Terrazzo offers a number of advantages, such as the virtually seamless finish where the tiles abut each other and the ability to grind and repolish the surface. But the tiles are porous and require sealant. Halmann has now come up with a way to include the sealant with the cement and marble aggregate.

“The tiles are in great demand around the world but the number of companies that make them dwindle every year. This investment will mean a real reduction in the absorption of the tiles and make them much more resistant to stains. This will cause a real ripple in the industry and could put us on the map,” managing director Martin Vella said, adding that the company was currently seeking patents and upscaling the formula for commercial production.

The research was carried out with the help of the University of Malta’s testing equipment.

The company owes its roots to terrazzo tiles, which were made by the current owners’ father Vincent and his brother Nazzareno, from a factory in Mġarr starting in 1954.

The company moved to the hamlet of Hal Mann in Lija in 1971 and expanded to marble and granite, and eventually bathrooms and ceramic tiles.

When the brothers retired in 2004, Vincent’s seven children took over the terrazzo, stone and marble side, forming Halmann Vella, eventually adding a showroom. In 2010, they acquired another terrazzo tile maker, Galeas of Ħamrun, which provided them with some 700 of the beautiful traditional designs for Maltese tiles.

This breakthrough follows another major coup for the company, which has just about completed work on the prestigious City Gate project.

We can now tackle much more ambitious projects, creating designs from architectural drawings

“Artchitect Renzo Piano wanted Maltese stone for the project but some of the blocks he wanted would have been nearly impossible to get with current quarry blasting techniques. One day, he was looking at Ġgantija and was teasing us that our forefathers thousands of years ago were able to carve out such huge blocks of stone – but that we were now not able to.

“The challenge spurred us to investigate and we invested in machinery which allowed us to cut the enormous blocks of Gozitan hardstone – up to eight metres long – and to cut them along multiple axis using diamond discs that would never have been dreamed of just a few years ago!” chief financial officer Mark Vella said.

Each block was cut with a specific place in mind – a giant jigsaw puzzle made more complex by the question as to whether the stone was consistent throughout its depth. His brother Joe stressed that no one in Malta had invested in this sort of know-how for decades, meaning that Gozitan quarries could be used, rather than having to import stone.

“It’s a shame we did not have this machinery before, as so many other projects could have been based on Maltese stone,” Mark lamented.

The company is re-organising its vast factory in Lija and now requires a total re-think to make the logistics more suited to its current operations. This project will also rationalise the space available, allowing them to bring equipment on site which has had to be stored elsewhere, such as that used in the construction of the Corinthia Bab Africa in 2001.

“We can now tackle much more ambitious projects, creating designs from architectural drawings,” Mark said, adding that they could now import blocks of stone and marble and cut them into slabs here.

“Around half our projects are domestic and it’s amazing to see some of the extraordinary designs people are incorporating into their homes,” Joe said. “I’ve been working with stone for decades, coming here since I was a child. I am still surprised at the beauty you can create from it.”

The group is also introducing a new product for worktops called Dekton, a man-made material with ‘zero’ porosity and no microflaws.

The group has other interests, like the Guess retail franchise and an aparthotel and restaurant in Buġibba. It has also taken over Ascot House in Republic Street, to open the first Brooks Brothers outlet in Malta, offering bespoke tailoring.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.