SANMAR, Turkey’s leading shipbuilder in terms of exports, is moving to acquire one of its competitors. SANMAR, one of the world’s largest tugboat manufacturers and a company whose vessels have been named by members of royal families, is set to take over shares in Boğaziçi Shipyard.
Kerim Ülker – Patrons Dünyası
SANMAR, Turkey’s leading shipbuilder in terms of exports, is moving to acquire one of its competitors. SANMAR, one of the world’s largest tugboat manufacturers and a company whose vessels have been named by members of royal families, is set to take over shares in Boğaziçi Shipyard.
SANMAR is one of the major players in Turkish maritime industry and is regarded as one of the world’s most prominent tugboat builders. The company recently delivered two tugboats to Italian operator Rimorchitori Napoletani at a ceremony held in Naples. Continuing its growth strategy through acquisitions, SANMAR is now incorporating one of its key competitors into its structure.
In 2021, SANMAR completed its third acquisition by adding Arkadaş Denizcilik to its group. Now, the company is acquiring shares in Boğaziçi Denizcilik, a shipbuilder that produces tugboats for operators around the world.
One of the World’s Most Innovative Maritime Companies
Founded in Istanbul in 1976 by Gökçen Seven and Orhan Gürün, SANMAR’s history is marked by milestones that have shaped not only Turkish but also global maritime industry. In 1978, SANMAR began operating tugboats at the oil terminal of state energy company BOTAŞ. In 1989, it introduced Turkey’s first privately owned tugboat, followed in 1992 by the country’s first private port tugboat operations.
SANMAR entered into cooperation with renowned designer Robert Allan in 1995. In 2011, the company established Tuzla Shipyard and relocated its headquarters there. In 2014, SANMAR delivered the world’s first LNG-fuelled tugboats, and in 2015 commissioned its Altınova Shipyard. The company continued its technological leadership by building the world’s first remotely controlled commercial vessel in 2017 and the world’s first hydromechanical hybrid (AVD) tugboat in 2019.
Named by the Queen of Denmark
To date, SANMAR has exported more than 300 vessels to countries across the globe, from Canada to Chile. In September, the company delivered Denmark’s first fully electric tugboat, Svitzer Ingrid. The vessel was named by Queen Mary of Denmark.
Export Champion
In July this year, SANMAR Denizcilik was awarded first place in the Ship, Yacht and Services Sector at the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s “Export Champions of 2024” awards ceremony. The company had also ranked third in the same sector in 2023.
Production on 33,000 Square Metres
Boğaziçi Denizcilik, in which SANMAR is becoming the main shareholder, was founded in 1992 by Ali Acarer. Between 1992 and 2005, the company built cargo vessels of various sizes, before shifting its focus to tugboat construction for globally renowned operators.
Following the passing of founder Ali Acarer in 2017, the company has been managed by his son, Bilgehan Acarer. Boğaziçi Shipyard has been operating in Yalova-Altınova since 2020. With two separate shipbuilding sites, the shipyard conducts production on a total area of 33,000 square metres.
Source: patronlardunyasi.com
