The Salvo Grima Group, one of Malta’s longest established family businesses this year celebrates its 150th year of operations. The group ushered in the year by unveiling a new corporate identity to coincide with its anniversary and communicate the group’s evolution and its vision for the future.

From its humble beginnings in the mid 1800s, the business was built on solid principals of honesty, integrity and quality of service. The business today is managed by a combination of fifth generation family members and outside management. Members of the sixth generation also work in the group.

In 1860 Salvatore Grima purchased the chandlery business from his employer. Salvo, as he was known, steered his business wisely and served naval and merchant ships with equal care and efficiency.

Over the past two decades, the group embarked on a bold programme of diversification and today runs a network of businesses that together constitute the backbone of a strong and commercially versatile group.

Salvo Grima was the first enterprise to offer warehousing services at Malta Freeport. Its extensive warehouse facility at the Freeport makes it easy for clients to consolidate their consignments before shipping to third countries.

The group is also very active in the travel retail and distribution business. From a humble duty free shop in Grand Harbour in the early 1980s, this business has developed to embrace travel retail stores at Malta International Airport and is a strategic supplier to outlets at the Malta Cruise Passenger Terminal (Viset) and Tripoli International Airport.

The group entered Libya in the mid eighties originally servicing the oil industry’s needs. Over the past 25 years the group has developed its interest there, which today include logistics and ship supply services.

Although 150 years old, the group is still growing and diversifying. Rentastore, the group’s latest venture is another example that it is on the move and far from going into retirement.