Grimaldi Group

Last updated

Grimaldi Group SpA
GenreShipping
Founded1947
FounderGuido, Luigi, Mario, Aldo and Ugo Grimaldi
Headquarters
Key people
Gianluca Grimaldi
Emanuele Grimaldi
Diego Pacella [1]
ServicesShipping
Terminals
Logistics
Subsidiaries Finnlines
Minoan Lines
ACL
Grimaldi Lines
Website www.grimaldi.napoli.it
Grimaldi Lines ship Grande Europa heading for Setubal Grimaldi Lines ship.jpg
Grimaldi Lines ship Grande Europa heading for Setúbal
Grimaldi Lines ferry Eurocargo Bari on the river Elbe Grimaldi Lines Eurocargo Barion the river Elbe in 2014.jpg
Grimaldi Lines ferry Eurocargo Bari on the river Elbe

The Grimaldi Group is a private shipping company owned by the Grimaldi family (Emanuele Grimaldi) and based in Naples, Italy. Grimaldi operates a large fleet of ro-ro, ro-ro/multipurpose, con-ro multipurpose, PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier), ro-pax and cruise ferries vessels. [2]

Contents

Shipping

The Grimaldi Group is a conglomerate of companies linked to the logistics business with a main focus on shipping. The main brands of the company are: [3]

History

House flag used by Grimaldi Group House flag of Grimaldi Group.svg
House flag used by Grimaldi Group

The Grimaldi family has had links to shipping for many generations. According to their own records, the oldest written records linking the Grimaldi family to shipping dates back to 1348, when three Grimaldi brothers received a precious relic as a guarantee for the chartering of three ships, and the newest member inherited the company ( Emanuele Grimaldi the 1st). The current Grimaldi companies can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century when Italian shipowner Gioacchino Lauro started a steamboat company. His son Achille expanded that shipping company and, in the middle of the 20th century, it became one of the largest shipping companies in the world. At that time, Giovanni Grimaldi was a lawyer who was married to the sister of above Achille Lauro. Amelia Grimaldi-Lauro asked her brother Achille to take her son Guido under his wings, and this brought the Grimaldi family back into the shipping business. It was this son, Guido, who founded the group in 1947 with his brothers Luigi, Mario, Aldo, and Ugo by buying a Liberty ship. In those years, passenger transatlantic travelling reached its peak. The Grimaldi brothers realized the needs of the market and promptly started to transport passengers, focusing on Mediterranean- South America routes, with comfortable ships that regularly connected Italy to Buenos Aires, Caracas and other ports. [4] Since the early 60s, coinciding with Italy's economic boom, the Liberty ships were replaced with modern bulk carrier and tankers units, which enhanced the Group in the transport of goods. For the Grimaldi's, however, the turning point came in 1969, when the brothers inaugurated a new regular service between Italy and the United Kingdom, specifically dedicated to the transport of brand new vehicles. In a few years, all the major international car manufacturers knew Grimaldi and chose the company for the transport of their vehicles between Europe and the Mediterranean. Since then rolling freight has been the driving force of the growth of the Group. Over the last decades, the Group proceeded with an expansion policy of its maritime network, of its fleet and shore services. The Group's fleet increased from 36 units to over 130 ships and the brand became a landmark for the biggest vehicle manufacturers worldwide. At the same time the Group evolved to an integrated logistics operator, running a network of 22 owned port terminals located in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and West Africa (with a total surface of about 6.2 million m2) and managing various land transport companies for door-to-door distribution of brand new vehicles. In the last decades, the Group has also strongly invested in the development of the Motorways of the Sea in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, thus promoting EU's policy of shifting goods from the road to more environmentally friendly transport solutions. The Motorways of the Sea network was further extended between 2006 and 2008 with the acquisition of Finnlines, leader in the Baltic region, and Minoan Lines, leader in the Adriatic Sea, totalling today more than 120 routes.

Tonnage

The Grimaldi Group fleet includes over 130 ships, of which about 120 are owned, with an average age significantly below the industry average as well as the useful life of the ships. These young and modern units are deployed on regular services in a network that connects over 140 ports in 50 countries and 4 continents. [5] In recent years, the Group has invested heavily in the renewal and strengthening of its fleet, firstly by designing and commissioning the construction of new high-performance units with a reduced environmental impact. At the same time, numerous ships already in operation have undergone important green conversion works. About 80% of the Group's ships are dedicated to freight-only transport between Europe, the Near East, Africa, North and South America. The remaining units are deployed for the mixed transport of freight and passengers in Europe (Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea).

Freight-only transport

Ferry operations

The Grimaldi Group deploys around 30 ro-pax vessels for the mixed transport of goods and passengers in the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. With a fleet consisting mostly of modern and comfortable ferries, cruise ferries and a luxury catamaran, the Group transports rolling freight, cars and passengers between the main European ports under the Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines and Finnlines brands. [10] Fleet improvement initiatives have recently involved the two flagships of the Group's ro-pax fleet. The two state-of-the-art cruise ferries Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona – both operating since 2008 – underwent major lengthening and refurbishment works at the beginning of 2019 which further increased their energy efficiency and made them the first ships in the Mediterranean with Zero Emission in Port technology. In fact, thanks to the installation of mega lithium-ion batteries that are recharged during navigation, the vessel is capable of cutting emissions to zero during port stays. Each of the sister vessels can currently carry up to 3,500 passengers, 3,700 linear meters of rolling cargo and 271 cars. [11] In December 2019, Finnlines finalized a new order for the construction of two ro-pax units, which will be delivered by 2023. These new ships, which will inaugurate the innovative Superstar class, will be larger and more technologically advanced than the existing units belonging to the Star class. [12] In particular, this investment is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and further reducing the emissions generated by transport activities in the Baltic Sea, while at the same time raising the quality of the services offered to the company's passengers.

Cargo

The company specializes in the maritime transport and distribution of shipping containers, automobiles, trucks, trailers, Mafi roll trailers, heavy construction machinery and other types of rolling cargo. [13] The core business of the Grimaldi Group is the transport of rolling and containerized goods on a global scale. The dense network of maritime connections operated links the main ports in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, West Africa, North and South America, and is conventionally divided into Atlantic Network and Euro-Med Network. The Atlantic Network includes all lines operated between the various shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is mainly dedicated to transport of rolling freight, containers, project cargo and special cargo. The Group has been operating on these lines for over 40 years, taking on the role of market leader and guaranteeing weekly departures from the main ports in North and South America, West Africa and Northern Europe. The Euro-Med Network was born in the mid-nineties. It includes frequent and regular services calling at over 50 ports in the Mediterranean (including Turkey and the Near East) and in the Baltic Region (including Russia). The Euro-Med connections are mostly dedicated to the automotive sector. The Grimaldi Group has also been the pioneer in the development of the Motorways of the Sea in Europe. The wide network of over 120 short sea routes extends in all the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. For its short sea and deep sea services, the company deploys over 130 vessels, including ro-pax ships, ro-ro vessels, pure car and truck carriers, ro-ro multipurpose and container/ro-ro ships. [14]

Notable incidents

Drug smuggling episodes

Awards

The Group has been recognised by customers and specialised publications for the services offered to its clients as well as for its commitment to sustainability. Here is a list of the main awards received by the Grimaldi Group over the last decades:

Current fleet

Ship nameFlagBuiltRouteIMOTonnageLengthWidthPassengersCarsKnotsPhoto
Cruise Bonaria Flag of Italy.svg 2000 Livorno-Palermo 920406337,551214 m26.4 m2,50066531.5 Cruise Bonaria Olbia.png
Zeus Palace Flag of Italy.svg 2001 Livorno-Olbia 920807131,730212 m25 m1,70658031.5 Zeus Palace Olbia.png
Europa Palace Flag of Italy.svg 2001 Cagliari-Napoli
Cagliari-Palermo
919893932,728203.9 m25 m1,80071228.9 Europa Palace Patras.png
Cruise Ausonia Flag of Italy.svg 2002 Napoli-Palermo 922742930,902199.9 m25 m1,82164931.2 Cruise Ausonia Palermo.png
Catania Flag of Italy.svg 2003 Salerno-Palermo
926155425,955186.5 m25.6 m93448022.5 Catania Cagliari.png
Venezia Flag of Italy.svg 2004 Igoumenitsa-Ancona 930463126,400186 m25.6 m94640023 Venezia Igoumenitsa.jpg
Florencia Flag of Italy.svg 2004 Igoumenitsa-Ancona 928758426,302186 m25.6 m94640024 Florencia Igoumenitsa.jpg
Corfu Flag of Italy.svg 2006 Civitavecchia-Cagliari Civitavecchia-Arbatax 934975827,522186.5 m25.6 m95040024 Corfu Gagliari.png
Europalink Flag of Italy.svg 2007 Igoumenitsa-Brindisi 931945446,124218.8 m30.5 m92536625 Europalink Brindisi.png
Cruise Roma Flag of Italy.svg 2008 Civitavecchia-Porto Torres-
Barcelona
935147663,742254 m30.4 m3,50096327.5 Cruise Roma Porto Torres.png
Cruise Barcelona Flag of Italy.svg 2008 Civitavecchia-Porto Torres-
Barcelona
935148863,742254 m30.4 m3,50096327.5 Cruise Barcelona Porto Torres.png
Cruise Europa Flag of Italy.svg 2009 Livorno-Olbia 935149054,310225 m30.4 m2,85096327.5 Cruise Europa Olbia.png
Cruise Sardegna Flag of Italy.svg 2010 Livorno-Olbia 935150554,310225 m30.4 m2,85096327.5 Cruise Sardegna Livorno.png

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyundai Glovis</span> South Korean shipping company

Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd. is a logistics company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Its predecessor company, Hankook Logitech Co. Ltd was formed in February 2001. Hyundai Glovis supplies ocean transportation logistics advice, cargo space, loading/unloading, and packaging services. It changed its name to Hyundai Glovis in June 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant ship</span> Civilian boat or ship that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire

A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are used for military purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Ferries</span> Irish maritime transport company

Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port–Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke as well as Dublin Port-Cherbourg in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean Shipping Company</span> Swiss international shipping line

Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, branded as MSC, is an international shipping line founded by Gianluigi Aponte in Italy in 1970. The company is owned by the Aponte family with its headquarters in Switzerland since 1978. It is the world's largest container shipping company by both fleet size and cargo capacity, controlling about 19.7 percent of the global container ship fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roll-on/roll-off</span> Vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels

Roll-on/roll-off ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter. This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CMA CGM</span> French shipping company

CMA CGM is a French shipping and logistics company founded in 1978 by Jacques Saadé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFDS</span> Danish international shipping and logistics corporation

DFDS is a Danish international shipping and logistics company. The company's name is an abbreviation of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab. DFDS was founded in 1866, when C.F. Tietgen merged the three biggest Danish steamship companies of that day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnlines</span> Finnish shipping company

Finnlines Plc is a shipping operator of ro-ro and passenger services in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. It is a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group. Finnlines’ sea transports are concentrated in the Baltic and the North Sea. Finnlines’ passenger-freight vessels offer services from Finland to Germany and via Åland to Sweden as well as from Sweden to Germany. The Company has subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. In addition to sea transportation, the Company provides port services in Finland in Helsinki and Turku.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leif Höegh & Co</span> Shipping company

Leif Höegh & Co is a shipping company founded in 1927 by Norwegian Leif Høegh (1896-1974). Since 2006 the company has been structured as two separate entities, Höegh Autoliners and Höegh LNG, with Leif Höegh & Co acting as a common holding company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Asia Shipping Lines</span> Shipping company in the Philippines

Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, Incorporated (TASLI) is a shipping company based in Cebu City, Philippines. It was incorporated on March 25, 1974, under the name of Solar Shipping Lines, Inc. The Chairman of the company is Dennis A. Uy. Trans-Asia Shipping Lines is now managed by the Chelsea Logistics, Corp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation</span> Moroccan shipping company

The Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation or Comanav is a Moroccan shipping company and wholly owned subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group. Currently, it is the leader in the Moroccan market for maritime transport of passengers and freight, as well as port operations. In 2009, the company sold its ferries and passenger transport subdivision to Comarit which has since gone bankrupt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation</span>

Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (APFC) is a ferry company based in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines. It serves passenger and cargo routes serving select seaports in the Philippines with its fleet of catamaran Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) ferries. It also operates ports and terminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleson Shipping Lines</span>

Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc. is a shipping company based in Zamboanga, Philippines. Their services include routes to Sandakan, Malaysia and over Dapitan to Dumaguete. They also ship cargo from Zamboanga City to Manila with twelve of their container carriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grandi Navi Veloci</span> Italian ferry operator

Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) is an Italian shipping company, based in Genoa, that operates ferries between mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, France, Spain, Albania, Morocco and Tunisia. It was established by Aldo Grimaldi in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyofuji Shipping</span> Shipping company

Toyofuji Shipping Co is a roll-on/roll-off shipping company based in Nagoya, Japan and owned by Toyota Group. It has a subsidiary branch in Europe for short sea operations within the region, located in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messina Line</span> Italian shipping line

Messina Line is the maritime shipping division of Ignazio Messina & C., one of Italy's most historical shipping lines, operating 21 ships in between owned and chartered, and a total fleet of 41,000 TEU containers.

<i>Grande America</i> Ro-ro cargo built in 1997

Grande America was a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship built by Fincantieri in 1997, owned and operated by Grimaldi Lines, a subsidiary of Grimaldi Group. It sank in the Bay of Biscay in March 2019.

References

  1. "About Us".
  2. grimaldi.napoli.it (ed.). "Grimaldi Group".
  3. grimaldi.napoli.it (ed.). "Grimaldi Group" (in Italian).
  4. D’Antonio B. & Stares J. (2016), Grimaldi Armatori: The Story of a Family and a Company Grimaldi & C.
  5. Sustainability report 2019: https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/REPORT2019_ENG.pdf/
  6. Grimaldi Group Corporate Brochure: https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/en/publications.html#dflip-brochure-118/
  7. Grimaldi News 79, p.8, https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/gnews79_web_1504777680.pdf
  8. "The Grimaldi Group recognized by General Motors as a 2016 Supplier of the Year Winner. This is the 16th time that the Group has received the award in the last 17 years".
  9. Grimaldi News 48, pp.6–7, https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/gnews48_1254413340.pdf
  10. "The Grimaldi Group recognised by Renault-Nissan Alliance as the 2014 most innovative outbound logistics supplier". Portnet. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Costanza, Luigi. "Grimaldi Group". Grimaldi Group. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  12. "Grimaldi Lines si aggiudica il World Travel Leaders Award 2016". Pressmare (in Italian). 9 November 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  13. 1 2 Grimaldi News 76, p.8, https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/gnews_76_web_1477660740.pdf
  14. Grimaldi Group website: Fleet overview grimaldi.napoli.it
  15. 1 2 Papadimas, Lefteris; Amante, Angelo (19 February 2022). "Twelve still missing after blaze engulfs Greece-Italy ferry". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  16. "Ninth body recovered from smoldering Euroferry Olympia | eKathimerini.com". Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  17. "Euroferry Olympia: Εντοπίστηκαν δύο σοροί εντός του πλοίου (Euroferry Olympia: Two bodies found inside the ship)". huffingtonpost.gr (in Greek). 23 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  18. "Passagier nach Brand auf Mittelmeer-Fähre lebend gefunden (Passenger found alive after fire on Mediterranean ferry)". Der Standard (in Austrian German). Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  19. "Fire breaks out on Hoegh Xiamen". Automotive Logistics. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  20. "Hoegh Xiamen in Jacksonville". Hoegh Autoliners. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  21. "Ro-ro EUROCARGO TRIESTE fire, Livorno UPDATE – Maritime Bulletin". 21 November 2019.
  22. "One killed, three injured in accident". Maritime Executive. 7 October 2019.
  23. "Car Carrier Grande Europa Catches Fire off Spain". 15 May 2019.
  24. ""Episode 1"". Johnny Vegas: Carry on Glamping. Season 1. Episode 1. 5 May 2021. Channel 4.
  25. "Grimaldi's car carrier on fire, Mediterranean UPDATE VIDEO – Maritime Bulletin". 15 May 2019.
  26. Galli, Andrea (15 June 2019). "Navi Grimaldi, svolta sui roghi: in cella ufficiale della compagnia". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  27. Fiorentino, Michael-Ross (19 March 2019). "Porsche sports cars among destroyed cargo of sunken Grande America". euronews. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  28. Cheromcha, Kyle (19 March 2019). "Porsche to Restart 911 GT2 RS Production After Cargo Ship Sinks With Cars On Board". The Drive. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  29. "Ce que l'on sait du naufrage du navire "Grande America", qui a coulé au large de la Bretagne". Franceinfo (in French). 12 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  30. "Aggiornamento circa l'incidente della Grande America – il piano anti-inquinamento continua" (in Italian).
  31. "Stowaways threaten crew on cargo ship". BBC News. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  32. "Special forces retake cargo ship after migrants threatened staff". Sky News. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  33. "Senegal seized Italian Grimaldi's ro-ro ship".
  34. "Grimaldi's Grande Anversa collided with Polish cargo ship Sider Capri, Dardanelles". 28 November 2016.
  35. "Grande Francia Loses Part of Its Cargo in Storm". 24 October 2014.
  36. NU.NL newssite: Cargo vessel Wester Scheld refloated, 8 October 2011
  37. "Repubblica di Genova towed to dry dock". 19 November 2007.
  38. "Cocaine, GRIMALDI's ro-ro, Dakar – routine scheme".
  39. "Drogue saisie sur Grande Nigeria : "Libéré", un autre membre de l'équipage est rentré en Italie".
  40. "Il Gruppo Grimaldi Sulle Vicende Legate Alla Grande Nigeria, Ferma a Dakar".
  41. "Grande Benin - Cargo Ship, IMO 9343170, MMSI 247275400, Callsign ICEX, Flag Italy - vesseltracker.com". www.vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  42. "Grimaldi's ro-ro in record cocaine bust. What's going on?".
  43. "SAISIE DE DROGUE AU PORT DE DAKAR : Révélations sur une affaire embarrassante". 31 January 2020.
  44. "Bananen uit Ecuador". 9 December 2020.
  45. "Nettuno, operazione antidroga. Sequestrati 82 kg di cocaina proveniente dall'Argentina - InLiberaUscita". 30 November 2018.
  46. "1.2 ton of cocaine smuggled on board of GRIMALDI ro-ro ship at Santos – Maritime Bulletin". 10 August 2018.
  47. "One more Grimaldi's ship in cocaine bust, again Santos, again 1.3 ton".
  48. "ATV". Gazet van Antwerpen. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  49. "Koks im Bagger geschmuggelt". 9 April 2016.
  50. https://www.emderzeitung.de/lokales_artikel,-kokain-auf-schiff-im-emder-hafen-gefunden-_arid,279686.html [ dead link ]
  51. Tripmaker, Marco (19 March 2016). "Schlag gegen Kokain-Schmuggler". Die Welt.
  52. "Palermo, da Genova con 3 chili di cocaina, arrestato dalla polizia". 17 January 2016.
  53. "Nel camion 13 chili di cocaina". 9 December 2015.
  54. Operazione paprika centumcellae.it [ dead link ]
  55. 1 2 Costanza, Luigi. "Grimaldi Group -". Grimaldi Group. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  56. 1 2 "Corporation of the Year Award and Shipping Company Award for the Grimaldi Group".
  57. 1 2 "Premio Shipping Company of the Year per il Gruppo Grimaldi". Agi (in Italian). 10 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  58. 1 2 "Ford Honors Grimaldi Group at 20th Annual World Excellence Awards".
  59. "Grimaldi Lines si aggiudica il World Travel Leaders Award 2016". Pressmare (in Italian). 9 November 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  60. "Grimaldi Group receives the "Leadership Excellence Award"".
  61. 1 2 "The Grimaldi Group awarded by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles".
  62. Grimaldi News 89, p. 16, https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/GNEWS_89.pdf
  63. "Grimaldi Group Wins Excellence in Decarbonisation Towards 2050 at the Lloyd's List Europe Awards".
  64. "Heavy Lift Awards 2021 - 2019 Winners".
  65. "Shippax Award 2020".