Mdina Glass Ltd. (Malta)

Mdina Glass Ltd. is a Maltese manufacturer of glassware, based in the former capital city of Mdina. The business was founded in 1968 by British citizens Michael Harris, a lecturer in industrial glass design at the Royal College of Art, and Eric Dobson, a former glassmaker at Whitefriars Glass in London.

Harris and Dobson were attracted to Malta by the government's incentives to attract new industry to the island, and by the potential for tourism. They set up their factory in a converted ex-RAF hangar, and soon began producing a range of glassware, including vases, bowls, paperweights, and figurines. Mdina Glass became popular with tourists, and its products were also exported to other countries. In the 1970s, the company expanded its range to include tableware, lighting, and other decorative items.

In 1985, Joseph Said, who had been one of Harris's first apprentices, took over ownership of Mdina more... Glass. Said introduced new techniques to the company, including lampworking and fusion, which allowed it to produce a wider range of products.

Mdina Glass employs around 50 people and remains one of Malta's leading exporters, its products being sold all over the world. The company and is still family-owned and operated. less...