Salvo Grima appoints new Group Financial Controller

A new Group Financial Controller has been appointed by Salvo Grima Group of Companies to further strengthen its finance operations in line with its ongoing growth and international business development.

Accountant Josianne Mallia was selected for the post by the Salvo Grima Board of Directors in view of her strong performance as Senior Manager within the Group finance section.

Ms Mallia has been a member of the Group’s senior management team for several years, dealing with the financial aspect of expansion into new international markets including Spain, the Netherlands, Tunisia and, more recently, Cyprus. Ms Mallia originally joined the Salvo Grima Group as an accountant in 2006, being promoted to Senior Accountant in 2008 and Senior Manager Finance in 2010.

“The Salvo Grima Board of Directors has wholeheartedly endorsed our recommendation for Josianne’s new appointment In view of her excellent performance in handling ever-increasing responsibilities,” said Group Chief Executive Officer Karl Aquilina. “We congratulate her on this significant achievement and look forward to this new chapter in the development of our finance team.”

Ms Mallia described her new appointment as an important step in her career path and she appreciated the trust placed in her by the Salvo Grima Group Board and CEO. “During the past twelve years I have seen the Group growing and adapting to market changes and it gives me a sense of pride that I am part of its success,” she said. “The loyalty and commitment of all employees across the group are a strong source of encouragement for me in my new role and I look forward to continue working closely with the senior management team in the best interest of the business and its shareholders.”

Ship Supply operations awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification

In recognition of the consistently high quality standards across all its ship supply operations, Salvo Grima & Sons has just been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification by the International Organisation for Standardisation.

Together with the upgrade audit held recently to upgrade the firm from ISO 9001:2008, a surveillance audit was also held to monitor the effectiveness of the firm’s Quality Management System. We are pleased to report that the firm passed the audit with flying colours, with zero non-conformities.

“This is surely an excellent result obtained through a lot of hard work and dedication from ALL the members of the team, both office or warehouse-based,” said Malcolm Sammut, General Manager – Ship Supply.”This reflects the high quality levels and standards of our Company’s operations.”

ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

Service Dog graduation hosted by Salvo Grima Foundation

Salvo Grima Group celebrated an unique event on 7th December, as young Golden Retriever – Quincy – formally graduated as a fully-fledged Service Dog in the presence of her trainers and sponsors.

The graduation ceremony marked the end of an intensive 18 month-training programme designed for Quincy to become an Autism Assistance Service Dog – that is, a dog that is specifically trained to support children who are on the autistic spectrum.

During the last phase of her training, Quincy was matched with Ben, a 10-year old autistic boy. The pair bonded from the first day they met and from now on Quincy will be accompanying Ben at all times to help him face the challenges of everyday life. With Quincy’s calming and reassuring presence by his side, Ben can go about his daily activities with more confidence.

“Quincy can tell when Ben is about to have a meltdown and she goes to him and calms him down. Life has become much easier for the whole family since Quincy entered our lives,” said Ben’s father, Eric.
Since the Service Dogs Malta Foundation was set up in 2013, it has successfully trained and qualified five autism assistance service dogs and one diabetic alert dog. Once qualified, the dog is given to the family it has been matched with for free. As part of their training, the Foundation’s dogs also provide therapy services to children with behavioural difficulties and the elderly.

Vice-Chairman and co-founder of the Service Dogs Malta Foundation, Joseph Stafrace, explained that the ultimate aim of the Foundation is to provide a service dog to anyone who could potentially benefit from having one. This is no easy target when one considers that it costs the Foundation up to Eur15,000 to train and maintain a service dog.
Quincy’s training was proudly sponsored by the Salvo Grima Foundation, which hosted her graduation ceremony at its premises. The graduation coincided with World Disability Week.

Welcoming those present, Salvo Grima Group Chief Executive Officer Karl Aquilina, explained that the Salvo Grima Foundation was established in 2018 to contribute positively to society and the community around us. Quincy’s graduation was a sign that the Foundation was already registering visible results. The Foundation team of administrators was also looking forward to funding further valuable projects during 2019.

The ceremony was also attended by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.

For more information on the Service Dogs Malta Foundation please visit www.servicedogsmalta.com or call PR Jo Cremona on 790 49 675.

Celebrations for Salvo Grima Ship Supply

The team behind Salvo Grima Ship Supply celebrated their excellent results by throwing a mid-summer boat party.

The cruise party, held on 29th July 2018, was a success and a great opportunity for the team to relax and enjoy some time boating.

Over 85,000 tankers and ships sail by Malta annually

New data published on the Sunday Times of Malta shows that over 85,000 tankers and large vessels sail through the waters between Malta and Sicily annually. This makes the region one of the busiest shipping regions in the world.

The monitoring of marine traffic by University of Malta geosciences researchers has revealed that over 200 vessels sail by Malta’s shores everyday, many of which are tankers and cargo ships.

The Mediterranean sea is a major route for oil and cargo vessels from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe and North America.

Open Day at Salvo Grima offices and warehouses

Salvo Grima’s team members and their families enjoyed a summer party with a difference on 23rd June 2018, as the Group organised its first ever Open Day event, complete with music, food and children’s games.

The Open Day was an opportunity for staff to introduce their families to their workplace and colleagues in a more relaxed atmosphere after a busy week at work.

Warehouse tours were also organised to give an overview of the facilities, equipment and goods in stock, giving guests an insider overview of our day-to-day operations.

Salvo Grima Group welcomes Service Dog Quincy

Salvo Grima Group welcomed an unusual visitor on 18th April, as Quincy, the service dog sponsored by Salvo Grima’s charity fund committee was brought to the Group headquarters.  

Quincy is a young Golden Retriever who is being trained by the Service Dogs Malta Foundation to provide support to children with autism, helping them overcome some of the difficulties they encounter on a day-to-day basis.

On the day, Salvo Grima colleagues were able to obtain more information on service dogs, meet their trainers and bond with Quincy, who is due to graduate as a fully-fledged service dog this summer. The event was also attended by Service Dogs Malta Foundation President, Mr Joseph Stafrace and other team members who gave some interesting background on the foundation and its services.

Information on the Service Dogs Malta Foundation can be found here

No Twelve hits the airwaves on Superyacht Radio

No Twelve Fine Wines and Provisions hit the airwaves this month as part of an interview feature transmitted by Superyacht Radio , the global digital radio station for the yachting community.

Andrew Azzopardi, General Manager of No Twelve Fine Wines and Provisions was invited to participate in the Overboard Show, hosted by top presenter Rhea at their studios in Palma de Mallorca.

The interview focused on the specialised service provided by No Twelve, together with Andrew’s experience of working with celebrity clients.

Number Twelve is an associate of Salvo Grima Group.