The Catana group will take control of Magic Yachts
On December 11, 2019, the Catana group announced that it had signed a purchase agreement for the Magic Yachts shipyard. The company founded in Tunisia in 1999 to build the famous luxury boats of the Wally range, was taken over in 2012. Located in Bizerte, it extends over a 30,000 m² plot of land. The production buildings offer a surface area of 10,000 m² for the manufacture of boats. The agreement provides for the entry of the Catana group, through its Tunisian subsidiary Haco, with a 75% stake in Magic Yachts. It will be effective by the end of March 2020 at the latest. Francesco Campana, manager of the site, remains in the company.
Catana favours Tunisia at Canet-en-Roussillon to produce its catamarans
The announcement of the acquisition of Magic Yachts is part of the Catana Group's growing presence in Tunisia. It began with the purchase, in August 2017, of 30% of the capital of the subcontractor Haco, based in the Gulf of Tunis. In July 2019, the French catamaran manufacturer took control of the company, increasing its stake to 50%. A 16,000 m² expansion of the site was announced at that time. While the Catana group announced in spring 2019 its intention to open a 2nd factory in its fiefdom of Canet-en-Roussillon, it is now highlighting an increase in taxation, excessively long delays and local recruitment problems to justify abandoning this project, favouring the purchase of Magic Yachts.
Strong growth for Bali Catamarans
While Haco already represents 20% of the Catana group's production, the French manufacturer is counting on its new Tunisian location to absorb the strong growth in the order book, driven by the Bali brand. The group's overall turnover increased by 42% in 2018/2019, reaching 74.4 million euros. Its operating income reached 10% of its turnover, while the net income was ?9 million. Growth prospects remain strong. The order book reached ?125 million.
