A new partner enters the 51 percent shareholding of historic Viareggio-based manufacturer Vismara to develop new products and launch into world markets. With an idea borrowed from the fashion world, making “pret a porter” boats.
As an 80-footer (24-meter), destined to be talked about for innovative solutions, touches the water in the dockyard of the hyper-technological Viareggio shipyard, the historic brand of Italian nautical Vismara, 30 years in business just celebrated, embarks on new adventure With new capital and a new financial partner. Objective, to conquer new international markets through the technological excellence and cutting-edge design of its boats. But above all, there is an idea behind this all-Italian partnership, to launch the “pret a porter” of boating.
The holding company “Cose belle d’Italia,” born a few months from a rib of the Milan-based financial company Europa Investimenti, acquires 51 percent of the Viareggio-based manufacturer. Founder Alessandro Vismara remains at 49 percent and retains the position of managing director of Vismara SpA, with total responsibility for management and development. “Cose belle d’Italia,” which has also just acquired other small businesses of Italian creative excellence such as Alberto del Biondi, a design in fashion company, and the classical music magazine Amadeus, intends to enhance the niche brands it partners with, giving it, in its goals, an international scope.
The Vismara brand, known for its custom or very small series models, has a fascinating project in the drawer, to put side by side with this activity that in fashion jargon can be called “tailoring” the Development of “pret a porter” boats, that is, boats that from one common platform (hull/deck/equipment) can be customized according to customer requirements, in nautical jargon an evolution of the so-called semi-custom.
A business model, that of “pret a porter,” well known to the fashion world, which has made the fortune of the great fashion brands transformed from exclusive artisanal workshops into large industries of clothes and accessories with large turnovers, yet maintaining a precise identity and high product quality. This is the bet on which the new partnership between founder Alessandro Vismara, whom everyone in the business calls the Architect, and the holding company “Cose belle d’Italia,” which wants to relaunch Italian craftsmanship excellence in the world, led by Stefano Bennati, a sailor by passion with a solid resume in the world of finance, is based.
Vismara’s new course is to launch two/three models a year and could already be born in 2015 with the “pret a porter” production of a new 50-footer (15 meters in length overall). Without forgetting, however, tailoring production, Vismara’s workhorse. On the shipyard’s tables is an innovative new 54-footer designed by two big names in sailing design, the French Finot-Conq, and in the shed work is being done on SuperNikka, a 62-footer for owner Roberto Lacorte, patron of the 151-mile regatta. One of the most anticipated boats of the upcoming sailing season.
