About Swaey
How it all started
Swaey Bros was established in 1981 as a partnership between brothers Paul and Anthony who both already had significant experience in the crane services and construction industries. By 1983, Swaey Bros was registered as a limited liability company and relocated the current premises in Mosta where rapid expansion continued. The first two small 12-ton cranes were followed in quick succession by a 30-ton, a 25-ton, a 50-ton and then an 80-ton crane. As the company’s reputation grew, so did the resources and workforce to cater for this growth.
From the outset it was clear that quality and honesty would be the driving forces behind Swaey’s success.
Quick Fact:
The name Swaey brothers originates from the Maltese ‘Swej’. It is derived from the old family name, most-likely from Anthony’s great grandfather. The name Swaey has become synonymous with special transport and special lifting services.
Boat Lifting Services
One niche which the company specialized in early on was Boat Lifting Services. In the early days lifts commonly involved smaller boats in the Xemxija and St. Paul’s bay area. With the company’s expansion, both the quantity and size of the lifts grew. We started working with a yacht yard in Manoel Island as exclusive boat lift service providers. At this time, we were lifting between 600 to 800 boats a year and we also used to do other work, such as lifting props, lights or ships with Mediterranean Film Facilities. As our expertise with handling some of the more challenging lifts grew, we also started offering assembly, sales and servicing of tower cranes and the full range of services we are able to offer today.
Swaey Today
Nowadays, things are very different to the way they were back then. Our largest crane is 180 tons and with the wealth of experience we have gained over the years, we can handle a wide variety of lifts. Safety has also become extremely important. Correct procedure requires lifting plans, regular testing of crane safety instruments, qualified drivers and certification of slings and lifting gear in accordance with the standards.
“I am more comfortable working in today’s environment. In the past, most of the work we used to miss out on was because we were always safety conscious and were never willing to compromise on safety by exceeding our capabilities, while some of our competitors would get away with working in an unsafe environment at a cheaper price. With today’s strict standards and controls, a level playing field has been created, ensuring that safety is never compromised to gain a competitive edge. Safety and quality of service are the least that every customer deserves. We believe in this so much that we have recently obtained our ISO 9001 certification.”
Anthony Vella, Director
Our commitment to quality
ISO 9001 certification means a lot to us. It means that our systems are up to international ISO standards. To achieve this, we had to prove to the certification body that we are capable of achieving and retaining these standards. This involves periodic checks and audits of our processes such as crane maintenance schedules, spare part stocks, all documentation and books, operators manuals and workshop manuals to name a few – everything needs to be up to date and available. This gives us the foundation to continuously improve and keep striving to always serve our clients to the highest levels of quality.