A 15-year-old Malta-based company owned by AD Group of Manchester has completed a Lm2 million project for the relocation of its base from San Gwann to the Bulebel industrial zone. This was inaugurated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday.

Having started off with just five employees, who were primarily responsible for the assembly of keyboards when it started operations in Malta in 1991, Dedicated Micros (Malta) Limited (DM) now employs over 180 people.

The company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dedicated Microcomputers Group Limited, a UK company based in Manchester, and ultimately owned by AD Group, manufactures digital video multiplexers and accessories for use in the closed circuit TV (CCTV) industry.

The ever-changing technology of the electronics industry led to the introduction of a new digital product range that replaced the analogue systems built during the nineties.

The growing acceptance of digital systems and DM’s position as a market leader, were the main reasons behind the growth of business for the parent company in recent years.

The Malta-based company’s output has increased by 80 per cent in the last few years and is now one of the largest manufacturers in the world in this sector.

The new premises where DM is now operating from in Bulebel, is a joint effort between Malta Industrial Parks (MIP) and DM Malta.

Together they invested almost Lm2 million to purchase equipment and to convert a used factory to the company’s requirements for the use as an electronics manufacturing facility.

It is expected that with the introduction of new products in the first quarter of next year, output and employment will increase further.

Prime Minister Gonzi praised the company’s board of directors and management team for its forward-looking and innovative edge.

“The company has invested and become aware of the need to adapt to a fast-changing world, particularly in this type of industry, vital factors that will contribute to the company’s road to success in the competitive world we live in,” Dr Gonzi told members of staff, press and guests during the inauguration.

He said the company is one of the partners in an economy that is at the forefront of change, but “the management’s vision and investment in the company are not the only important factors in its success”.

The major ingredient is the fact that the company invested in human resources, Dr Gonzi said, adding the ability of the Maltese workforce has been one of the main elements contributing to the country’s success over the years.

“DM’s courage, spirit of innovation and the fact that it made full use of it’s workers’ abilities to adapt to change and address the challenges of the future, is commendable,” Dr Gonzi said before unveiling the commemorative plaque to officially inaugurate the company’s new premises.

IT Minister Austin Gatt accompanied Dr Gonzi during the visit.