Dressing up a corporate image

by David Kelleher

How does a company promote its corporate image every minute of the day, seven days a week? What makes a company or establishment stand out among its competitors?

The answer for many lies in the quality of product or services provided by that particular company. However, success and above all respect are also attained through an image that is easily recognisable by all. Smart uniforms and a colour scheme that reflects a company's corporate image are two aspects that can help no end.

Today, more and more establishments are opting to provide staff with a uniform that reflects its image, needs and even services offered.

Hotels are among the main establishments that utilise uniforms for their staff, however even smaller companies like banks and travel agents are seeing the importance of having a uniform.

The reasons are obvious. Apart from being unique, a uniform also solves a major problem for the employees, especially female members of staff. Deciding what to wear in the morning becomes a thing of the past.

What few people know, however, is that a large section of companies and establishments are using a local company to meet their needs. BTI Co. Ltd in Floriana have been producing uniforms for the past four years, offering clients a wide range of services and that bit more that competitors do not.

The Malta Business Weekly spoke to BTI Co. Ltd, a local import/export company, that has been servicing not only the local community but also markets in North Africa, particularly Libya.

The company started off as an import/export company but soon after branched off into the uniforms market. BTI is a joint venture of the VF Group and Salvo Grima Group. This has helped the company a great deal.

The VF Group are established in the textile business, while Salvo Grima Group has various activities including a trading operation with warehouses at the Freeport.

"Our relationship with both groups is very important for us," a spokesman for BTI told The Malta Business Weekly. "VF who are renowned in the textile market, have extensive experience in the business.

"On the other hand, Salvo Grima are major traders in the North African markets, apart from having the warehousing facilities at the Freeport. Thus we are able to do business on the strength of these two companies," he added.

The company has been able to do excellent business in the North African markets because of the island's strategic position and proximity to the region.

"In one day, the client can come to Malta, choose the goods he requires and it will be delivered with a very short time frame. This saves him time and money," the spokesman added.

The list of establishments that have used BTI Uniforms services is lengthy, which goes to show the importance and quality of service they provide. Among the main corporate clients are major five-star hotels. "BTI provides uniforms for a wide range of departments and services including the reception area, bars/restaurants, maintenance personnel, security and the housekeepers. We are not limited to hotels but has provided uniforms for the soft drinks industry, Maltapost (summer uniforms), and government entities," the spokesman said

"We have also catered for schools and hospitals," he added. BTI offers bespoke tailoring, that is made-to-measure uniforms. "Clients have two options. They can either choose from various overseas uniform companies' catalogues or else one of our in-house designers will sketch and create a uniform specifically for them.

One can take advantage of BTI own production facilities and large stocks which contribute towards a shorter delivery time.

"Secondly, when ordering from a catalogue you are restricted to that model and size. On our part, we offer a mix-and-match possibility where one can choose styles from the catalogue together with items manufactured in our factory," he said.

The production process starts with the clients query. An initial meeting is held to discuss the client's needs, BTI's in-house designers will draw a number of sketches incorporating the client's ideas. One by one, the ideas are meshed together until the final design is reached.

"Sometimes it may take up to five months of planning and designing before the required uniform is made.

"However, we are aware that the uniform plays an important role for the client's corporate image, therefore great care is taken to fulfil the clients' wishes."