history

The origins of what has now become one of the leading and most recognised brands in Malta, can be traced back to 1898 when Roger Satariano started importing and selling sanitary ware and other building materials as the regional Sales Manager for Walter W. Davies, a most reputable manufacturing and exporting firm from Birmingham UK. Roger’s son George also started his own import company, crucially importing sanitary ware and other building materials too.

While those where the two episodes that delineated the path to the future, it was the death of Mr. Walter W. Davies that provided the spark necessary for the birth of one of Malta’s market-leaders to be. Father and son decided to join forces, and formed the firm Roger Satariano & Son.

The philosophies and business approach that were to set the company apart from all the rest and give it its unique identity were set in those early days. George Satariano, on behalf of Roger Satariano & Son, signed an exclusivity agreement with Ideal Standard, who were and still are the largest manufacturers of sanitary ware and fittings worldwide. The agreement was signed in Brussels on the 10th of July, 1934.

Originally, Roger Satariano & Son operated from an office in 110, Archbishop Street, Valletta. However, as the firm was changing its business from that of commission agents and wholesalers to more direct retail, the company acquired premises adjacent to 110 Archbishop Street. The march towards excellence was relentless.

Satariano was, and still is, a family run business, harbouring those deep family values that are one of the pillars of the group’s success. Indeed, in 1956 George Satariano’s daughter, Anna Stanley, joined the firm only to be followed a few years later by her brother James Satariano.

The company continued to expand and eventually shifted its reach beyond the confines of Malta’s capital city. The first company showroom outside Valletta was acquired in 1957, and was situated in St. Anne Street, Floriana, trading under the name Ideal Homes. In 1964, George's two other sons, Raymond and David Satariano joined the firm and took responsibility for the firm's warehouse and new showroom in Floriana. Sadly, that same year George passed away.

The business grew, enveloped in the traditions and philosophies intrinsic to the Satariano family. George’s youngest son Joe joined his siblings in the family business in 1969 and as the business developed, the need arose to pull out of Valletta. It was in 1980 when the company moved to new showrooms in Msida Valley Road, B'Kara and acquired new warehousing facilities in Gwardamangia.

The business continued to grow and expand into new sectors relating to the building industry, besides sanitary ware. Throughout the eighties, the company started trading in air-conditioners, solar heating, oil-fired boilers, plumbing pipes and fittings, ceramic tiles for floors and walls, and specialised tiling for the industry.

The Group’s continued expansions lead to the creation of the projects department, officially formed during the late eighties and immediately becoming a formidable force on the local market.
Under the responsibility of Joe Satariano, the company expanded also into the real estate business and in 1987 constructed their first block of luxury apartments on the exclusive Tower Road promenade, in Sliema. From then on the business continued to grow and today the company has undertaken a number of projects successfully and has gained an excellent reputation in the real estate market.

On 10 September 1993, the company inaugurated a new 10,000 sq. metre complex having 4,500 sq. metres of large and modern warehousing facilities and offices at 122, Msida Valley Road, B'Kara. This complex was considered to be the largest in Malta and one of the best equipped in the Meditteranean.

Joe Satariano was appointed Managing Director in 1998 and aided by his fellow directors Anna Stanley and Raymond Satariano managed to steer the company to its present position as market leader in its field, supplying most of the important projects on the island.

In 2002, seeking to venture into new businesses, the company started discussions with SCIC Cucine of Parma, Italy – considered to be one of the leading manufacturers of kitchen furniture in Europe. A distributorship agreement with SCIC was finalised on 17 June 2004 and the Group and opened its first kitchen showroom, which was connected to the existing Valley Road showrooms.

The business has today gone into its fourth generation. Chris Stanley and Natasha Chapelle Paleologo joined the company in 1990, cousins Luke and Patrick in 2003 and Rebekah Satariano in 2008. The calibre and commitment of the youngest generation will ensure the company's continued future, and plans are already in hand for further expansion. A new kitchen furniture showroom in Valley Road and another bathroom and kitchen furniture showroom on the busy road just outside the capital city are on the drawing board.

Now in its fourth generation, Satariano continues to expand, reinforced by an infusion of fresh family members. The wide portfolio of leading international companies spans all areas of the home and hospitality sectors. Apart from continually enlarging the display area and brands available from their flagship showroom in Msida, in 2010 Satariano opened its first furniture showroom, under the brand name SATARIANOHOME.

Still a family run business, the Satariano brand stands for the ambition of a modern Malta to enjoy the highest possible quality of life. True to the family philosophy, Satariano continues to provide the guarantee of quality, luxury and convenience that have set it apart from the rest of the pack all those years ago when the company first started. Innovation, high standards and constant client-focus, along with a constant stream of new-generation of products, have enabled Satariano to shape and move the market forward in design and business terms.