CC business
Sarah Gauci Carlton Commercial Manager, Creek Developments Plc Creek Developments has been operating the Msida and Ta’ Xbiex Marina since January 2011. From the beginning, the focus has been on bringing the marina up to the highest international standards, which meant a period of intense upgrading, innovation and investment in staff and marina infrastructure. The last few years have seen year-on-year growth as we improved our facilities and service to match the uniquely sheltered and central location, with 2016 being no exception. The yachting industry in the Maltese islands is becoming increasingly competitive as new operators enter the market, with more berths available and a strong support service industry. The increased competition has kept standards rising, lending a positive outlook to Maltese yachting in general. For Creek Developments Plc, the Msida and Ta’ Xbiex Marina is now established firmly as a year-round berthing destination, attracting more long-term visitors each year. Winter 2016-2017 has been especially busy, as the
exceptionally bad weather sent many yachts in search of a sheltered marina, but we are also expecting a busy summer with many returning and recommended visitors. When the economy is thriving, it is very easy to become complacent. Both the challenge and the opportunity are to use the good times wisely to build a reputation for providing excellent service and value for money. We must not forget that currently, many neighbouring countries are hampered by unrest and economic problems. When conditions improve, we can expect them to be hungry for business and if we are not well prepared, it will be harder to compete. It is also important to ensure that Malta’s appeal to yacht owners is sustainable, hence a balance needs to be struck between the needs of development, industry and maintaining a clean and attractive environment. This year will be about fine-tuning and examining every aspect of our operation to ensure we are giving the best possible level of service to our customers.
Sonke Stein CEO, Oiltanking Malta Ltd Oiltanking Malta had a stable 2016, meeting its budgeted figures, which were in line with the performance of previous years. We foresee no major disruptions in our industry in 2017, and are expecting to meet our budget figures. The main challenges to our industry currently are the availability of suitable manpower, its training, as well as the retention of our human capital. Furthermore, we need to focus on potential shifts and changes within the Mediterranean oil market. Changes in oil consumption patterns as well as regulatory changes with regards to quality of oil pose both an opportunity and a challenge to our business. As for priorities this year, the company is in the process of streamlining its operational and financial systems towards new corporate standards – my focus will be to support my personnel in this process.
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APRIL / MAY 2017