Back to business
Azimut Benetti is restarting production with a commitment to helping Italy get back on its feet.
27 May 2020
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Buoyed by excellent sales in spite of the unprecedented challenges faced globally, the Azimut Benetti Group are looking to launch the Azimut Magellano 25 Metri and Benetti Oasis 40 Metri.
“We are fortunate in that we are not only a strong company, but we also have substantial credibility at an international level. We want to draw on this as we play our part in upholding the precious Made in Italy values and demonstrating that our country is on the road to recovery,” said Azimut Benetti Group Vice President Giovanna Vitelli after the company restarted production.
Azimut Benetti has returned immediately to full-time capacity, with increased shifts to make up for the lost weeks of production. Ten days into an easing of lockdown conditions, as Italy cautiously makes its way forward, Azimut Benetti Group management shared how they were able to adapt to the challenging situation of the past months.
“We never stopped,” explained Marco Valle, CEO of Azimut Yachts. “In fact, during lockdown, our international standing held us in good stead, allowing us to close contracts amounting to 30 million euro in orders, which was helped in no small way by being proactive in geographic areas not yet affected by the pandemic.”
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“This enabled us to continue with our exports, which is, of course, a key lever for Italy’s economy. At Azimut Yachts, we also ran 17 interactive online courses on subjects ranging from technical to marketing and sales, and these involved 236 people throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.”
Franco Fusignani, CEO at Benetti, expressed similar satisfaction: “It hasn’t been easy, but we managed to keep business going with no serious setbacks.
“Thanks to our facilities being located in different regions of Italy, we were even able to continue with production of April and May deliveries and, at the same time, ensure maximum protection levels for our workers through the adoption of all the safety procedures. We didn’t have any COVID-19 cases at all.
“Our refitting company Lusben closed a number of contracts to take the total number of boats being managed to 46, as well as providing accommodation and support to captains and crews in Livorno. On top of this, we ran 15 training webinars for leading brokerage houses around the world.”
Their commitment to the digital landscape made the development of the Azimut Yachts Virtual Lounge, an innovative new digital platform, possible in record time. Launched in the first week of May as a hub for technical, inspirational and training materials, it will also host the inaugural Azimut Yacht e-Boat Show from 27 to 30 May, featuring live chat sessions and one-to-one video appointments with sales and technical specialists from the shipyard.
The return to full capacity has been aided by a six-week process behind the scenes to ensure the safety of all employees, working closely with union representatives who have described it as “an innovative and forward-thinking example that sets the bar for other companies.”
As Italy looks toward an unusual and uncertain year, there are positive signs with the launch of the much-anticipated Magellano 25 Metri and Benetti Oasis 40 Metri, completed in record time despite the challenges of the past few months.
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