Some of Josef Dimech’s earliest childhood memories revolve around his father’s workshop in Msida. His father, Joseph, ran a respected metalwork business that inspired young Josef, who soon became a master tradesman himself. From a young age, however, Josef was driven by an ambition for growth, and soon the garage in the small Msida alley was not enough to contain his drive.

Josef Dimech, Founder, JSD Group

“From a young age, I knew I could achieve more and turn my passion for the trade into something greater,” Josef reflects, recalling his early days working alongside his father. “We would work hard and earned an excellent reputation for our craftsmanship. But we were typically moderately paced and risk-averse and perhaps shied away from fulfilling our potential. I soon wanted to spread my wings and, at 25, I ventured out to start my own business. The first years were tough as I juggled working with fellow tradesmen in the field and managing a fledgling company.”

Josef’s hard work and determination soon began to pay off as he landed impressive contracts. “I am eternally grateful for the trust shown in me by key business leaders, who entrusted me with their projects. We started small but grew rapidly, taking on more ambitious jobs. I will never forget the Joinwell showroom in Qormi and the new TG Complex in Mriehel, which was under development at the time,” Josef recalls.

Josef’s drive quickly unleashed his natural alpha leader personality and his entrepreneurial aptitude. “In my first year, I employed 17 people, and by the second year, we had doubled that!” Today, JSD Group, a name that still reflects his family ties, employs more than 100 workers across various fields of expertise expected of a modern company.

“From day one, I wanted to stand out of the crowd and be different and noticed,” Josef explains. “We immediately set a course towards the highest standards of operation, which enabled us to pursue ambitious and iconic projects that were reshaping the island. This leadership mindset secured us major projects. In fact, we were engaged on the Upper Barrakka lift, Smart City, Hyatt Hotel,  the Midi T14 project and the Quad among others. The Quad project in Mriehel was a major hallmark for our company. We installed over 18,000 sqmt of specially designed glass for best functionality and design, contributing to the success of the project as being among the top iconic structures on the islands. Worth mentioning here is that projects we undertook attained platinum LEED certifications.”

Today, JSD Group is a recognised leader in its field, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services encompassing much of the external envelope process of real estate projects. These include steel structural works, glass, stainless steel, curtain walling, aluminium apertures, structural glazing, aluminium composite cladding, steel railings, automatic doors, and more.

JSD Group operates from its 16,000-square-metre plant in Ħal Far, which is currently undergoing extensive transformation to better optimise the site for more ambitious and exciting challenges. However, the factory is not the only aspect of the operation undergoing impressive changes.

“As the company grows, it is only natural that it must adapt and introduce the necessary support structures to carry the weight of its ambitions,” says Franco Azzopardi, CEO at JSD Group. A qualified CPA also holding an MSc in Finance and fellowship with the UK Institute of Directors, he specialises in corporate strategic finance, having moved into the boardroom as a professional director of regulated entities including banking, payment industry, and insurance. Franco is also a seasoned CEO for the last 14 years and has been leading JSD Group for the past year and a half.

“Josef’s personal ambition was always that of playing in the premier division of the business community in Malta. His investments were pointed at building a solid business case and navigating his group towards raising capital from the public. As all listed entities would affirm, public listing is no easy feat.  Even if the intention was always to list on the Main Market of the Malta Stock Exchange, JD Capital PLC, which is the holding company of the JSD Group first raised capital from the Prospects Market.

This was a learning experience in preparation for the main market listing. It subsequently moved to the main market of the Malta Stock Exchange with another two bond issuances. So, as a regulated company for the last seven years, JSD Group operates in a different environment now to that when it was just a privately owned company. Being listed on the stock market meant that JSD Group had to adapt and transform its culture and mindset to achieve a high level of governance and compliance regime that is required by the Capital Markets Rules. Being regulated, but even more so, having the public invested in the company, gives us a strong sense of obligation to remain mindful and respectful to all our investors through the observance of the good principles of governance at all times,” Franco explains.

Franco Azzopardi, CEO, JSD Group

On the stock market, through JD Capital, the Group has issued two bond offerings, each larger than the previous, to raise capital. “This was only possible because Josef worked tirelessly on a solid business plan and its implementation, and also because he managed to surround himself with top reputable professionals in their fields, be they in finance, legal, or stockbroking,” Franco notes.

In addition to the legacy business, JSD Group has embarked on a reconfiguration project of the Hal Far site for expansion and diversification, and also into real estate as had been explained in the prospectus of the last bond issuances. Josef also had a myriad of investments on a personal capacity and outside of the Group. Over the past months, Franco’s expertise has been crucial in consolidating the different ventures.

“One common denominator runs across all of Josef’s ventures—his ’can-do…, will-do…, DONE!’ attitude towards work. It is what motivates and inspires everyone around him. While he is a master tradesman with unparalleled technical expertise, over the years Josef has evolved into a distinguished entrepreneur, developing a refined business acumen and a deep understanding of legal and corporate matters. It is truly remarkable and positions JSD Group uniquely. I have seen and marvelled at how well Josef is able to hold strategic conversations with bank CEOs, stockbrokers, lawyers, business people and other heavyweights in the business world. He has come a very long way since I have got to know him more than a decade ago.” Franco reflects.

Staff turnover at JSD Group is minimal, with some employees having been with Josef since the days when they were all work mates in his father’s workshop over 28 years ago. “The way we relate to our workers is more akin to treating everyone as one big family,” Josef affirms. “Many of our colleagues have been with us for years, and that is something we are honoured by. It also provides us with invaluable legacy knowledge, which is crucial in our line of work. Josef’s behaviour with his people has been based on respect and fairness. He is an altruist by nature and is always mindful that the company is sustaining all the families of all the employees. I have often heard him say that his employees are his extended family, and he has to treat them as such. Admirable ethic.” adds Franco.

Looking ahead, JSD Group will continue to solidify its corporate structures. “Having developed rather organically over the years, the organisation is somewhat flat by necessity. Josef’s name and that of his long-time work mate and friend Charlton John Borg were synonymous with the JSD icon, which is now the JSD Group icon. Charlton is in fact the General Manager of the group’s legacy business operations. The next steps involved creating a more robust structure to better equip the company for future challenges, such as those related to ESG and others,” Franco explains.

“Our C-suite and executive management team comprising of Robert Zammit Lucas, Group Chief Financial Officer, Clint Agius, Group Chief Operating Officer, Steve Camilleri Bowman Group Chief Digital Officer, and Charlton John Borg, General Manager of JSD Group’s legacy arm, work tirelessly to achieve our goals and meet each target every time.”

When asked about the secret to his success, Josef is quick to mention his urge to invest in diversification and optimisation of the business model, his behaviour and attitude with his people, and above all, his dedication to quality in all we do. “To my mind, you either invest and grow, or you ’pack up and go!’  That has always been my mantra, and it has driven me to keep investing in the business and taking on more ambitious projects along the way,” Josef concludes.