Calzedonia Group acquires Cantiere del Pardo

Calzedonia Group and Wise Equity fund announce the signing of a binding contract for the acquisition of Cantiere del Pardo. Decisive to conclude the operation was the meeting with the historical managers of the shipyard, Fabio Planamente and Gigi Servidati, who will maintain a minority stake in the company, thus guaranteeing continuity in the management and strategic vision of the group.

The acquisition was strongly endorsed by the Calzedonia Group which thus expands its activities in the field of Italian excellence.

After all, Cantiere del Pardo is a real institution in this regard. Established in 1973, the shipyard has a history of great success and international recognition. With over five thousand boats launched and iconic brands like Grand Soleil, Pardo Yachts and VanDutch, Cantiere del Pardo is recognized as one of the best manufacturers of luxury yachts in the world.

The partnership established with Wise Equity in 2020 has significantly contributed to the growth of Cantiere del Pardo, both in revenues and in corporate structure.

In particular, the Pardo Yachts line of motor boats, conceived internally and developed with the collaboration of prestigious design studios, was extraordinarily winning, registering a sales forecast of over 150 yachts in the last year.

“ We are proud to have accompanied the CdP management team in the exciting growth path that the company has had in recent years.  CdP is a fantastic example of excellence in a sector where our country holds a leadership role – stated Michele Semenzato, Founding Partner of Wise Equity – Under the leadership of Servidati and Planamente, the company has evolved profoundly compared to the one we had invested in. The name Cantiere del Pardo and the brands it represents have definitively established themselves in the Olympus of  the  most prestigious brands in the boating industry; the managerial structure has grown and been significantly strengthened; the model range has been considerably extended and the production capacity has doubled.”

“Over the years, Calzedonia has shown that it knows how to grow constantly – commented Sandro Veronesi, founder and chairman of the Calzedonia Group – Starting as a one product company, it has developed into a group active in many markets with many recognizable brands. Recent successes such as Intimissimi Uomo, Falconeri, Signorvino and Atelier Emè have joined long-established companies like Calzedonia, Intimissimi and Tezenis.

New challenges are now Antonio Marras and Cantiere del Pardo. The common factors are Italian love for the product, together with strong investments in production, distribution and communication.

I am convinced that Cantiere del Pardo, which is already an excellence in its sector, will also find great opportunities for growth by sharing the resources, knowledge and people of our Group.”

The same enthusiasm is shared by Marco Carletto, CEO of the Calzedonia Group: ” We are starting this new entrepreneurial adventure with enthusiasm and passion. We are convinced that starting from the basis of excellence already present in CdP, in its workers and in its managers, we will be able to contribute significantly to consolidating this Italian success story. I want to thank all the people, including our colleagues in Calzedonia, who contributed to the preparation of this deal.”

“ The acquisition of Cantiere del Pardo by the Calzedonia group represents for all of us a source of pride and satisfaction and above all a stimulus to pursue with renewed enthusiasm the growth path launched in collaboration with the Wise Equity – added Gigi Servidati, President of Cantiere del Pardo – The entrepreneurial experience and organizational skills of the Group Calzedonia will be fundamental to face with confidence and awareness the challenge of a full realization of the strategic objectives of expanding the range, optimizing organizational processes and internationalization projects on which we have been working for years to increasingly affirm Cantiere del Pardo as a reality of absolute excellence in one of the most important sectors of Made in Italy. A heartfelt thanks goes to all the colleagues and workers of the Cantiere del Pardo who have made this incredible journey possible.”

“A new chapter in the long history of Cantiere del Pardo and its successes opens with the acquisition by the Calzedonia Group – said Fabio Planamente, CEO of Cantiere del Pardo – We are very honored that such an important and prestigious Italian company in the world has decided to invest in our shipyard. Thanks to the precious contribution made by the Wise Equity in the growth path of the shipyard, we are now even more motivated and convinced to face the next challenges and all new projects, being able to count on a strong Italian group with proven entrepreneurial skills, which will lead Cantiere del Pardo and its brands to establish themselves more and more in the boating world scene as excellence of Made in Italy.”

Looking at the future, Cantiere del Pardo aims at pursuing international growth and the development of new models, with even greater attention to quality and excellence of service both for the distribution network as well as the end customer. The shipyard will continue to invest in sustainability, innovation and research and development, starting from its advanced production sites and its unparalleled human resources.

The deal will be completed by October 2023 and represents and important milestone for both companies. The advisors of Calzedonia Group were Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A., as financial advisor, Studio Legale Cinti & Associati  for legal matters, KPMG for financial, accounting and tax due diligence.

On the other hand, Wise Equity was supported in the transaction by Cassiopea Partners as financial advisor, Simmons & Simmons for legal matters and Spada & Partners for accounting/tax matters.