Since the ’80s, Rio Center Napoli is the direct branch of the historic Bergamo-based shipyard Rio Yachts. Located in the wonderful portion of land stretching from Naples to Pozzuoli, the Rio branch has been a prestigious reference centre for the demanding fleet of boat owners of central and southern Italy for almost 30 years.
Kindness and helpfulness, which are the main hallmarks of the iconic brand, rule even within the walls of the Neapolitan headquarters where we were warmly welcomed by Maurizio Micillo, Commercial Director for Central-Southern Italy.
“ My relationship with Rio Yachts started in 1998 with Luigi Scarani and his wife Anna and continues to this day with their son Piergiorgio”, told me Maurizio, with a light Neapolitan inflection, ” My experience at Rio has been a successful path that has allowed me not only to sell boats but also to have faithful clients, all happy to own a Rio yacht. We have been here for over 20 years, we always will be there and this is very important for our customers”.
Now, as then, the shipyard takes care of his faithful customers’ needs both during the purchase stage and the post-sales phases, promoting actions of serious customer care and accurate customer assistance.
The penetration of the historic Rio boats, embodiment of the Dolce Vita, has always been massive in Southern and Central Italy and the foresight of the Scarani family has firmly supported it. The Rio branch is a miniature boat show where Maurizio welcomes boat owners from everywhere – Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Campania – providing 360-degree assistance every day of the year.
And, indeed, when I asked Maurizio how he spends his holidays, he smiled and, without hesitation, he replied proudly:
” I spend my holidays on my boat and on the phone with my clients. Boats are boats and we must be there when necessary. We are a very strong team with two strengths: competence and absolute helpfulness“.
The offices of Naples sell 15 boats a year on overage and, even during the crisis, sales seemed not to have suffered the effects. Furthermore, if we consider that the current recovery of the boating industry is involving also the south of Italy, with regions like Campania and Sicily driving the field, engineer Scarani’s figures don’t add up.
In the blue sea of the gulf of Naples, boaters sail throughout the year, from an island to another, from a breath-taking landscape to another, and, sometimes, the real showcase of the shipyard is nothing more than the enchanted sea of the gulf of Naples.
” Some years ago I took,
this time for myself, a Rio 46 Art to go on holiday with my family . While I was at anchor, a well-known Neapolitan lawyer, a friend of a friend, impressed by my boat, insisted I let him climb on board and see the boat. He wanted to buy it at all costs. Moral: on the following day, he was a happy customer while I was looking for an alternative solution for my holidays…”
On the entrance windows of the Neapolitan “showroom” stands out the blue imprint “1961-2018“, which means that she shipyard will blow out 57 candles this year. For 57 years, Rio has been building not only boats but also durable bonds with his customers; bonds that it has always treated with the typical dedication, enthusiasm and diligence which only those who dedicate themselves to their own job with passion are capable of.
” Yachting is passion, dedication and seriousness for me. In short, my job which I am very proud of. To work for Rio Yachts is like being part of a family, an unparalleled experience”, concludes Maurizio Micillo proudly.
