The Italian press has reported that Cantieri di Pisa in Tuscany has been acquired by Enrico Gennasio, president and owner of the Alfagomma group, a leading international manufacturer of hydraulic and industrial fluid systems with over 4,000 employees and a turnover of more than €500 million in 2020. The announcement appears to end a checkered recent history for the historic shipyard. 
Photo: Merijn de Waard / SuperYacht TimesGennasio bought the shipyard with his brother Guido through holding companies for an undisclosed sum from U-boat Investment, which had acquired the brand through auction from Mondomarine in 2018 but never resumed production. When Tankoa Yachts failed to follow up on a letter of intent to buy the yard, the way was opened the way for other interested parties. In order to ensure a future for Cantieri di Pisa and its remaining employees, Navicelli di Pisa, the municipal company that manages the area and the channel connecting the shipyard to the sea, responded by reducing the annual site fees and extending the concession rights. 
“Pushing me to make the acquisition was the fact that I have been a passionate boater since I was a boy and I have a love of all things technical,” says Gennasio. “It’s no coincidence that Alfagomma also has a marine division that supplies naval shipyards. I would like to apply what we are already doing in the military and merchant sectors to yachting and Cantieri di Pisa. I also want to update the design and introduce a more industrialised and technological approach, without losing sight of the brand’s heritage.”