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Malta Business Review COMPANY ANNIVERSARY<br />
Design, Construction and Art<br />
By George Carol<br />
Based in Birkirkara MJM│DA are celebrating<br />
their 15th anniversary this year. In terms of<br />
services, the firm has evolved since it first<br />
started, now offering true integrated design<br />
services combining Architecture, Structu<strong>res</strong>,<br />
Building services and interior design for<br />
<strong>res</strong>idential, commercial and hospitality<br />
projects. But what really sets this firm<br />
apart is their focus on culture. In fact, they<br />
take culture so seriously, they even have a<br />
dedicated direct culture approach. Another<br />
point of pride, they were intentional about<br />
creating an environment that welcomed<br />
diversity of all types, and extending that<br />
beyond employees, to clients and projects as<br />
well. We recently chatted with founder, Senior<br />
Architect & CEO Matthew J. Mercieca to talk<br />
about the firm’s upcoming anniversary, what<br />
it’s like to own a business and the significant<br />
challenges faced.<br />
how did you get past them?<br />
MJM: The biggest challenge has been to<br />
adapt to the reality that change is constant,<br />
and that speed of such change can accelerate<br />
<strong>MBR</strong>: How do you see the prog<strong>res</strong>s of<br />
your company so far? Are you amazed,<br />
overwhelmed, did you think you would get<br />
this far?<br />
<strong>MBR</strong>: How did it all begin and what was it<br />
like when you first started?<br />
MJM: The beginning was unplanned! I was<br />
happy and settled working with several<br />
local top firms for four years, after having<br />
travelled substantially as a student and going<br />
through an internship in Warsaw. Within a<br />
challenging economic climate in 2003 and in<br />
a planned transition of sorts, I had a start-up<br />
of my own. I first started working on family<br />
business projects designing and setting up<br />
the BoConcept showroom and offices for<br />
example. It was raw and chaotic, but very<br />
engaging. I certainly had a better work life<br />
balance and income before I started, but<br />
since I always wanted to work with a team,<br />
I very quickly started building my own team.<br />
Collaboration builds capacity, reinforces skill,<br />
and provides professional solutions.<br />
<strong>MBR</strong>: Where did you get the drive for the<br />
business and what made you not give up on<br />
it?<br />
MJM: Coming from a background of family<br />
businesses on both sides of my family, I was<br />
exposed to different business types and<br />
functions. Surprisingly, whilst that may have<br />
provided an entrepreneurial foundation, it<br />
is the potential of architecture that keeps<br />
me going. I had witnessed a separation of<br />
architecture in the way it was created such<br />
that the <strong>res</strong>ult did not feel wholesome,<br />
or complete. Also designing and building<br />
architecture holistically is something that I<br />
am still driven to achieve consistently. In an<br />
ever more connected world, all must work as<br />
one. Architecture is the perfect vehicle for<br />
this since it p<strong>res</strong>ents a significant challenge<br />
because of its complexity even when things<br />
are kept simple.<br />
<strong>MBR</strong>: What were some significant<br />
challenges you have had to overcome and<br />
Matthew J. Mercieca, Senior Architect & CEO, MJM│DA<br />
significantly at times. So establishing<br />
appropriate systems and processes, and<br />
how these are maintained, have been<br />
instrumental to keep the necessary balance<br />
in a world that degenerates into chaos when<br />
left unattended.<br />
"Every time I felt that we<br />
have been wronged, or<br />
that we were treated<br />
unfairly as a team, it has<br />
made the firm stronger<br />
<strong>MBR</strong>: Is there any event that has drastically<br />
affected you in your journey, something that<br />
has had a big impact in your entrepreneur<br />
life?<br />
MJM: Every time I felt that we have been<br />
wronged, or that we were treated unfairly<br />
as a team, it has made the firm stronger.<br />
Many lessons learnt and the continuity of<br />
having persisted with playing this game for<br />
fifteen years gives me a lot of insight that I<br />
appreciate daily.<br />
MJM: I am very self-critical. So much so, that<br />
anybody who has worked with me over the<br />
years will tell you that I will expect everybody<br />
to deliver to the best of their capacity. Too<br />
many people are not ready to find out how<br />
awesome they are. They stop short of going<br />
the extra mile and pushing themselves to<br />
get there. I believe we can get further. So<br />
although people tell us we have done rather<br />
well, I often feel that we have not even<br />
started or somehow scratched the surface!<br />
1. How have you seen workplaces changing<br />
in the 21st century?<br />
Speed: it’s faster than ever and expectations<br />
are high on all fronts. Everybody expects<br />
more from everybody. Costs to operate<br />
a legitimate business with the right work<br />
force, tools, operations and facilities are ever<br />
higher. So the capacity to develop skills and<br />
deliver is crucial. Malta however remains<br />
rife with the acceptance of amateur services.<br />
We see people settle for services that appear<br />
25% cheaper and deliver less than 50% of the<br />
work. Although many have created an art<br />
form of complaining, learning to pay for the<br />
right level of service and long term vision is a<br />
special capability.<br />
2. How has MJMDA maintained its position<br />
during the past 15 years?<br />
We have never stopped working hard, as<br />
difficult as it has been. We are not quitters.<br />
3. What major projects are you<br />
proud of when looking back at your<br />
accomplishments?<br />
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