family business in Gozo expands beyond
Nanna Carmela and her daughter Maria would never have imagined what their first entrepreneurial steps would lead to when they set up in business together in 1965 . One might have been tempted to term it as a cottage industry but in reality it was a far more courageous and challenging enterprise ; it took giant steps to evolve from being a simple glove-making industry into an international player of quality , hand-made products ..
Mary is still seen hovering around the business she founded - The Leather House , in Gharb , Gozo - although it is generally now run by her sons David and Rodney who have helped gain further recognition for it as the leading local manufacturer and supplier of quality leather goods which are also very sought after abroad .
Rodney Debono , The Leather House ’ s production and design director with responsibilities for customer relations too , takes time to discuss with me the delicacy of the hot foil work and of the embossing ( and debossing ) work that each handmade item displays . It is obvious that for Rodney this is not just a job but a whole way of life . He is soon off to oversee the shop floor where all these products take place . He believes that each job has to be done with the maximum of precision and passion to reach their clients ’ standards . Even the little things as the stitching and the colour of the thread go under the microscope . This is the kind of attention to detail they put into their work every day .
His brother David is , in a way , the negotiator and very ably wears the sales and marketing director ’ s hat …. David ’ s responsibilities go far beyond the markets across
26
Q1 | 2017
HOSPITALITY MALTA