ITALIANO
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Hydraulic gangways, platforms, table supports, bathing ladders, telescopic cranes, windows, pilot seats ... the catalog of the Italian company Besenzoni recalls a Prévert inventory with a nautical sound. This family-run business has grown simultaneously with the expansion of pleasure boating in Italy to become one of the world leaders in high-end accessories.
In the mid-1960s, the Riva brand experienced its golden age and in its land, Sarnico, populated by a small fishing village south of Lake Iseo, many craftsmen flocked to supply the parts more sophisticated necessary for shipbuilding. The region also hosts other construction sites such as Rio, founded in 1967 by the Scarani family. It is in this environment that Giovanni Besenzoni, creates his business after starting to work at a local construction site as a windshield supplier.
The high-end accessory
His specialty quickly became the aft gangway and then the swim platform with integrated ladder which he invented in 1973. It was a real revolution for the time. It is proposed to seek the shipbuilders of the Adriatic rather than those of the Ligurian coast, where subcontractors compete fiercely to work with the large shipyards of Viareggio. His intuition is good. It was there that he met the Ferretti brothers who began to make a name for themselves in the yachting sector. The small company on Iseo Lake prospered in 1985 with the development of the first hydraulic gangways with remote control, therefore, Besenzoni has been a key supplier in the field of high-end nautical accessories since the mid-90s with the development of large Italian shipyards and Europeans as we know them today. The company focuses on all products that use hydraulics, such as telescopic cranes or pilot seats entirely designed on site. To satisfy the demand, Besenzoni moved in 1989 to a new location in Paratico, right next to Sarnico.
In 1997, Besenzoni was the first company in the sector to obtain ISO 9000: 2001 technical certification for its production process. He also won a prestigious award at the Amsterdam Equipment Show in 2003 with the "Magic" mini-crane.
Before the crisis, Besenzoni was in full swing with 200 employees. The business became world class under the guidance of Giovanni's son who took over the reins of the company. 2008 was the year of all dangers for Besenzoni, which managed to survive the crash by reducing its workforce to less than 70 employees. Twelve years later, the family brand has regained liveliness; the turnover amounts to 15 million euros and employs 100 people. Besenzoni has three main customers, namely Sunseeker, Ferretti and Cranchi, which represent over a quarter of the turnover.
Giorgio Besenzoni also redirected the business by innovating in the yacht sector. A new division called UNICA was created two years ago. It is a question of responding to the enormous demand of large construction sites that need increasingly sophisticated customized accessories that require true technological know-how perfectly managed by Besenzoni engineers.
Irreplaceable know-how
The company designs new solutions for the stern doors of ultra-complex yachts that are able to transform into a platform and be immersed for the launch of tenders. This also applies to new generation sunroofs such as those mounted on the Cranchi78, presented last month at the Düsseldorf fair. In this area of mega personalization, the Lombardy company has conquered new markets over the years, particularly in Turkey but also in China. Part of its activities concern the military sector for the supply of pilot technical seats, such as those found on board the 323-meter giant of Venice, launched in 2019. However, Besenzoni does not abandon the accessories intended for boating. The hydraulic gangway still represents its main market. However, the product has evolved over the past ten years. With the advent of the submersible platform, the hydraulic gangway also used for launching tenders was less popular. Ditto for the crane. Today is the retracting hydraulic gangway housed in a steel box that has met with great success in the segment of boats of ten meters and above.
Knowing how to anticipate requests
For the future, Besenzoni has identified several areas of development. Aluminum is gradually becoming the material of choice for lighter accessories, of particular interest to the sailing sector. Likewise, the hydraulic system that equips the gangways should soon be put in competition with fully electric solutions, which are easier to implement. "There are still some technical changes to be made, says the Besenzoni sales manager, but the electric gateway will arrive very soon!"