Catana Group made official on February 20, 2023 a majority stake in Portuguese shipyard Composite Solutions.The French catamaran specialist is taking over 50.01% of the capital, while the group of its leader the financial Poncin is acquiring 39.99% and the 10% remains with the family of the founders, who created the company specializing in composite in 2014. Olivier Poncin, president of the Catana Group, explains the strategy behind this acquisition.
With the takeover of Composite Solutions, you are announcing the arrival of a new motorboat division. What exactly is it about?
We already have two models of motor catamarans of 40 and 43 feet, the Bali Catspace MY and Bali 4.3 MY. They are cousins of the sailboat range and remain typical sailboats, which does not completely correspond to the expectations of the motor customers. We had low industrial ambitions, of around 15 boats per year, or 7 to 8% of the business. From now on, we are going to create a division dedicated solely to motorboats, with a network and a dedicated brand, different design offices and architects. We want to become a full-fledged player in the motorboat industry.
Why choose a new plant in Portugal?
It's not about the cost. Producing far from the headquarters in France has a cost and the difference in labor costs is not enough to justify it. Last year, we were looking for 100 people for our plant in Tunisia, 100 in Marans and 100 in Canet-en-Roussillon. We found 100% in Tunisia, 75% in Marans and 50% in Canet. We can't find the staff for sailing, so creating the motorboat division in France was impossible.
In addition, we set up in the northern region of Portugal with personnel trained in these trades, and finding a location directly by the sea, like this, in France would be impossible.
What are the plans for the plant on site?
Today, there are 50 people. The current factory is 6,000 m2. We have already submitted a permit to expand and build a modern factory. This allows us to integrate all the progress to build the most ecological possible, which is easier to implement on a new factory than on an existing tool as we have it in Marans.
We give ourselves the elements and the assets to perform by making real motor boats.
