It started with a quiet meeting in Monaco. A discreet office overlooking the port, a few cups of espresso, and a family that had built its wealth not on flash, but on steel and seawater.
This was one of Italy’s old shipping dynasties—third generation, still family-led, still deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of their fleet. Dry bulk, coastal cargo, and long-haul freight. Vessels that had seen multiple cycles and survived them all. But now, the challenge was different.
“We’ve built this over decades,” the patriarch said, “but the world around us is changing. Regulations, lenders, shareholders—everyone expects structure. And we need to be ready for what’s next.”
The family’s operations were robust. The fleet was operational. Returns were healthy. But as they began taking on external capital—from co-investors, banks, and industrial partners—it became clear that informal arrangements wouldn’t cut it anymore.
They needed institutional-grade structures.
And they needed them across multiple layers.
At the top, we created a holding framework anchored in the British Virgin Islands—clean, compliant, and trusted by international lenders. This became the hub for external investors, with clearly defined rights, visibility, and ring-fenced exposure.
Beneath that, a separate holding entity in the Marshall Islands was established to accommodate jurisdictional alignment with the vessels themselves. This is where the family placed its own capital—alongside trusted co-investors.
Further down, we implemented operational layers for each ship-owning entity, tailored for dry dock assets, maintenance companies, and the active transport operations. Each vessel held in a purpose-specific SPV, isolating liabilities, and streamlining tax and chartering arrangements.
It was not a one-size-fits-all solution. It was an ecosystem—built carefully, layer by layer, to reflect not just operational needs but legacy considerations.
Because for families like this, structure isn’t just about optimization.
It’s about continuity.
It’s about preserving relationships with lenders, offering transparency to shareholders, and above all, building a platform that can carry the business into its fourth generation without relying on handshakes and history alone.
Today, the group is not only sailing strong but is actively raising capital for fleet expansion, exploring long-term charters, and quietly becoming a model for how traditional industries can evolve—without losing their soul.
Behind every successful vessel, there’s more than just a solid hull.
There’s a structure holding it steady, no matter the weather.
For more info contact Dr. Alexander Kern at [email protected]