Donnerstag, 25. Oktober 2012
THE FERRETTI GROUP IMPLEMENTS A NEW OPERATING STRUCTURE, FURTHER STRENGTHENS ITS PRESENCE IN THE AMERICAS AND PRESENTS A POWERFUL IN-WATER DISPLAY AT THE 53rd FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. October 25, 2012 – The Ferretti Group, a world leader in the design, construction and sale of motor-yachts, comprising a unique portfolio of some of the most exclusive and prestigious brands in the nautical world, presents its new corporate operating structure, focused on a stronger localized sales and distribution presence in key markets with the integration of the North America and Latin American markets and a stronger presence at the 53rd Annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Throughout the last 12 months, the Group has undergone a series of notable accomplishments, including a new shareholding structure, a new organizational structure and another record sales year for the American markets.
Through the new strategic partnership with the Weichai Group, which acquired a controlling interest in the Ferretti Group, and under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Ferruccio Rossi, the Group has reorganized the corporate operating structure with a focus on further strengthening the Group’s unique brands and its centralized product development and engineering capabilities. The new organization will focus on the distinctive individuality of the brands with the product development, manufacturing and brand management teams in Italy focused on the ‘made in Italy’ tradition. This new directive will also implement a more globalized sales, marketing, and service footprint with a localized operating presence in each region, specifically Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA), the Americas and Asia-Pacific (APAC). The result of this new corporate structure will be a ‘Glocal’ approach combining the world’s most extensive and diversified product and brand offering, designed and built by the Ferretti Group in Italy, and in America for Bertram, with a localized distribution and service network in each region.
The Group also announced that Founder, Norberto Ferretti, will remain strongly vested in the Ferretti Group, serving as Honorary Chairman, where he will actively participate in guiding and advising the product development and engineering teams in new model development. Mr. Ferretti will also continue his role as an advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and as an ambassador to the group representing the organization and its brands.
“Thanks to the exceptional skills of Norberto Ferretti, Ferruccio Rossi, all the top management, and experts in this sector, we are sure that we will increase the synergies of our Group, through sharing resources and industrial integration, which will allow us to further consolidate our international leading position in the nautical and luxury market of the Ferretti Group,” stated Chairman Tan.“The importance of “Italian Made” and the unique heritage of each brand are driving characteristics that underlie every purchase by Ferretti clients around the world and it is therefore essential to protect and nurture this throughout all the shipyards of the Group,” further commented Tan.
In alignment with its strategic goals, the Ferretti Group recently announced a new operating structure where several key executives will take on new roles and responsibilities. Consistent with the Group’s strategy to strengthen the international presence of CRN in the super yacht sector, Lamberto Tacoli will concentrate on leading the CRN organization as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CRN with full responsibility for the management and operations of the CRN business. Mauro Frattesi will continue in his role as Chief Technical Officer for the Group and will also oversee the development and management of the Group in the Asia-Pacific region as President and Chief Executive Officer of Asia-Pacific. Andrea Frabetti will take on a new role leading Advanced Yacht Technology Design, the naval research and design center for the Ferretti Group. In line with efforts to further strengthen the Group’s Brands, James Henderson has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer and Antonio Campagnuolo has been appointed as Head of Product Management, where he will lead a team of specialists for each brand that are responsible for driving and implementing new product development, configuration and specifications for each model.
The Ferretti Group continues to build on its success in the Americas where the Group completed a record year of sales in the American market for the second consecutive year. The successful operating model in North America will be used as a benchmark for the Europe and Asia-Pacific region with centrally localized inventory and a team of local sales specialists for each brand as part of the sales organization. Complementing the existing offices at Ferretti Group America, the Group will also be launching a brand new retail concept showroom in Palm Beach on Worth Avenue this November.
The Latin American markets continue to be a strong growth region for the Ferretti Group. The Group is focused on expanding the distribution infrastructure and developing new clients in key Latin America markets including Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Dominican Republic and Colombia while fostering new interest for luxury yachts in Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina.
“Our Americas market is coming off the strongest year to date with record sales for both Pershing and Custom Line and an unprecedented order book schedule for the 2012-2013 Nautical Year” stated Ferruccio Rossi, Ferretti Group CEO. “The Group has significantly reinforced the strategic importance of its Americas organization and will continue to strengthen its presence in the west and east coast of North America along with growing its dealer presence in Latin America”, added Rossi.
Over the last 18 months the Ferretti Group has invested a significant amount of resources into the re-launch of Bertram Yacht, the iconic sport fishing brand. This has comprised of relocating the Bertram manufacturing operations to a new state of the art production facility in Merritt Island, Florida and strengthening the Bertram management team with key hires of top industry talent in product development, engineering, manufacturing, sales and operations.
The Ferretti Group will continue to implement its strategy for Allied Marine, which will concentrate exclusively on brokerage of pre-owned yachts and charter operations and is currently exploring the opportunity to expand the brokerage and charter arm into Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
The Ferretti Group has made a significant commitment to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with one of the largest in-water displays, showcasing an impressive line-up of 17 models, five of which are exclusive debuts for the Americas. The highly anticipated Pershing 108, Pershing 74, Riva 75 Venere Super, Riva 63 Virtus, and Riva Iseo, will be located on the Ferretti Group new yacht display on Dock E-500 at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center from October 25th through October 29th , 2012.
New Model Descriptions
Pershing 108
The Pershing 108’ gives new meaning to the concept of technological versatility. Meticulously designed to meet the owner’s needs, with environmentally sound technology and high performance create this one-of-a-kind model. The Pershing 108’ features a beautifully aggressive profile andis revolutionizing the concept of on-board living. Created by yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni, in cooperation with Ferretti Group's AYT (Advanced Yacht Technology) and the team of architects of Centro Stile Ferrettigroup, owners and their guests become protagonists in the Pershing 108’ as the radically innovative internal layout features areas which can be modified to suit any owners needs. Expert design can be admired throughout the vessel, working with well-established partners such as Poltrona Frau and Ernesto Meda. The Pershing 108 features a full beam master cabin, a large VIP at the bow, and two guest cabins that can accommodate 6 guests and five crew members as well as plenty of space for entertaining. The performance of Pershing 108 is fully in line with Pershing’s brand, notoriously known for its speed, and features one important innovation. For the first time ever, the shipyard has decided to fit three engines on one of its models, focussing on maintaining environmental high performance. The standard version is powered by three 1815kw MTU diesel engines, combined with the thrust applied by three Arneson surface propellers , driving her to a speed of 41 knots. Specifically, achieving extraordinary range when operating at 11 knots for 1070 nautical miles.
Pershing 74
The new Pershing 74' is a contemporary and modern restyling of the unforgettable Pershing 72', a status symbol of the brand, created by yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni, in cooperation with Ferretti Group's AYT (Advanced Yacht Technology) and the team of architects of Centro Stile Ferrettigroup. Measuring 74 feet in length and 18 feet wide, this new model can reach a maximum speed of 44 knots, while maintaining a high level of comfort. The Pershing 74 features a design characterized by light and cutting-edge technology. Its distinctive personality is immediately visible from its external profile, which is even sleeker than that of its predecessor due to the new shape of its larger side windows and elongated superstructure that includes a sundeck fitted with an electrohydraulic carbon fiber staircase that can be hidden away into the overhang. The Pershing 74' features a spacious master cabin and two guest cabins that can accommodate 6 passengers and two crew members, due to its strategic layout below-deck, which grants unmatched onboard comfort. Strong character, volumes and plenty of light are showcased throughout the craft and due to these outstanding features the Pershing 74' has become one of the leading models in the range, having all the stylistic features that make this brand unique worldwide.
Riva Venere Super
The 75’ Venere Super is a restyling of one of Riva’s most widely appreciated models. Its interiors and exteriors have been entirely renovated to offer more comfort when cruising and optimizing onboard space. The yacht is the result of the cooperation between the designers of Officina Italiana Design (the design firm that exclusively designs all Riva yachts), AYT -Advanced Yacht Technology (Ferretti Group’s research and naval design centre), and the team of architects and designers of the Centro Stile Ferrettigroup. The color of the hull is Roman Bronze and the superstructure Riva Cream. The flybridge of the new 75' Venere Super has been enriched with a hard top featuring an elegant, aerodynamic line and a comfortable, six seat sofa ensuring the owner's total ease of use. The stern opens out onto a spacious swim platform, the best solution for free time and practicing water sports. A large window fitted in the hull provides an unusual, very pleasant view of the surface of the water, ensuring more natural light for the guest cabins, especially for the full-beam Master cabin. The Riva 75 Venere Super features one master cabin and two guest cabins and can accommodate 12 passengers and 2 crew members. The latter features a study area, vanity unit with foldaway sectionpouf, LCD television and walk-in closet. Each cabin has direct access to an en-suite head, and the guest cabins have twin beds that can be pushed together to make one if necessary.
Riva 63 Virtus
The Riva 63' Virtus reinterprets the concept of an open yacht with this new model that has true Mediterranean style and design characteristics typical of the legendary Riva yachts characterized by their unmistakable elegance, class, refinement and clean lines. These qualities are found in the new Riva 63' Virtus, the newest flagship of the Riva open yachts, a model designed to endure. The exteriors feature spacious areas which enable owners to enjoy the yacht in the company of their guests, also due to two large sundecks, one at bow and one astern, under which the garage for the tender is located. The open-air entertainment element of the yacht is also extended to the helm area where the driving seat consists of a three seat sofa, enabling owners to share the pleasure of driving the yacht with their guests. The interior utilizes all available space by featuring a large salon without having to reduce the size of the galley. The Riva 63 Virtus can accommodate 10 passengers and one crew member. The master cabin is located portside astern with an en-suite head and set slightly lower maximizing headroom. The guest cabin, located port-side amidships, features bunk beds set out in an L-shape, which offer a pleasant panoramic view of the surface of the water. The VIP cabin is set at bow and also includes an en-suite head with a day head being located across.
Riva Iseo
The Riva Iseo, the perfect blend of history and innovation, is one of the newest gems to be launched by Riva. The 27 foot runabout showcases all of Riva’s elegant lines and is destined to become a must-have for those who love cruising on both lakes and sea. The design savvy model is also perfect for anyone wishing to enhance their yacht with an exclusive tender that will never go unnoticed and comes equipped with her own custom-made cartrailer, allowing for easy transportation wherever an owner wishes to go. The Iseo also meets the increasing demand for onboard infotainment, as the first boat in her class to be equipped with an entertainment system and GPS charting based on the Apple iPAD platform. This software has been specifically designed for Riva Iseo and also features a number of interesting applications, such as browsing the Riva Iseo owner manual, viewing the weather forecast and other information in addition to the pleasure of listening to live stream radio, TV or one's own playlists with high quality sound. The Iseo is available with stern drive propulsion, powered with gas or diesel engine and will also be available in a hydro jet and hybrid engine version utilizing Ferretti Group’s revolutionary ZEM (Zero Emission Mode) cruising option, which will not compromise speed, while using highpowered diesel propulsion in combination with the electric one. The Iseo can comfortably accommodate up to 6 guests.