Giulio Schenone, patron of the Medov Group, has announced the acquisition of 50% of Prosper, a historic maritime agency based in Genoa founded in 1955 and owned by the Castelbarco Albani family for seventy years.
“The entry into Prosper represents an important step in the group’s growth path,” stated Schenone. “We share with the Castelbarco family and with Stelio Taraschi,” he added, “an industrial vision based on tradition, reliability, and the value of expertise. By combining our experiences, we aim to further strengthen our presence in the maritime sector, creating new business opportunities for clients, partners, and local communities. This project opens significant perspectives for the future of the Medov Group, which is looking towards increasingly solid and ambitious goals.”
In recent weeks, the number one of Medov, in an interview given to SHIPPING ITALY on the occasion of the group’s rebranding and reorganization, had anticipated “other acquisitions concerning family-owned businesses. We aim to grow organically,” he had said, “but also through acquisitions and aggregations of other realities like ours. There is too much fragmentation in the maritime agency and broker sector, this risks making companies easy prey for the current Inchcape or for large foreign investors interested in entering Italy.”
A note now explains that the operation with Prosper “marks the beginning of a new phase in the company’s history and initiates a shared project that unites the multi-sector experience of Medov Group, the territorial roots of Prosper, and the shipping know-how of the subsidiary Erixmar, led by president Stelio Taraschi.”
Prosper is a reference in the port of Genoa for international shipowners and P&I Clubs thanks to integrated services that include complete assistance to ships in port, technical and commercial coordination of operations, 24/7 operational support, and specialized activities such as the handling of high-value vehicles and prototypes, in addition to the management of maritime claims with the support of legal and technical experts.
“The start of this new chapter is a source of great satisfaction for us. The entry of Medov Group will offer Prosper new opportunities for growth and development, allowing us to further strengthen our positioning in the sector and face market challenges with even more energy,” stated Laura Castelbarco, president of Prosper. “I am certain that the collaboration will lead to the creation of strategic synergies of great value, capable of generating concrete benefits for all the companies involved.”
Following the operation, the governance of Prosper will combine continuity and renewal: Laura Castelbarco will remain president, while Giulio Schenone will join the Board of Directors. The operational management will be entrusted to the new CEOs Gianfranco Gazzolo (managing owner of Prosper) and Luigi Derchi (general manager of Medov Shipping Services).
For Schenone “the entry into Prosper represents an important step in the group’s growth path. We share with the Castelbarco family and with Stelio Taraschi an industrial vision founded on tradition, reliability, and the value of expertise. By combining our experiences we intend to further strengthen our presence in the shipping sector, creating new development opportunities for clients, partners, and territories. This project opens significant perspectives for the future of Medov Group.”
