Shipping line MESSINA 99

MESSINA Shipping line

By December 31st 2001 the Company's capital amounts to Euro 29.541.335, its yearly turnover is in excess of Euro 258.000.000 and counts on a work force of more than 700 employees. The fleet consist presently of 17 own ships, plus some additional chartered ships, all specialized ro-ro container and full container. The Company owns also more than 60.000 teu and the main equipment and facilities of the Genoa Nino Ronco terminal, among which 3 portainers, 4 transtainers, 63 fork-lifts up to 42 tons capacity, 1 railway tractor, 90 vagons and some other equipment and infrastructures.

1921
Giuseppe Messina, after a good deal of experiences as shipowner, moves to Genoa and entrusts his businness to his firstborn Ignazio, who starts up operating regular lines with own Italian flag tonnage. In 1929 the new style of the Company is "Ignazio Messina & C.". The efficent services performed in North Africa gain recognition throughout the shipping world to the extent that the Line is awarded the "Mail Pennant".

1935
Messina Line approaches the Coast of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and East Africa and albeit its fleet is almost destroyed during the war, extends the links to Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt and West Africa.

1968
The businness activity is transformed from a traditional conventional shipowner into a carrier specialising in ro-ro container sevices. During the closure of the Suez Canal Messina ships are the only ones flying the Italian flag to offer a liner service to East Africa and Red Sea.

1975
A Messina ship is the first to cross the reopened Suez Canal and to start a container service to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, later on extended to India, Pakistan and South Africa.