Following the Sibenik Mandalina Marina acquisition, one of Turkey´s biggest investors in Marina operations, Doğuş Group, has now acquired other two superyacht marinas in Croatia. Marina Dalmacija as well as Marina Borik were officially taken over by the Group at a ceremony taking place in Croatia, where the Group signed a share takeover agreement.
Marina Dalmacija in Croatia
Becoming both the shareholder, developer and operator of the marinas in Zadar, the Group acquired the shares from one of the region’s prominent businessmen Zdenko Zrilic.
Regarding the acquisition, “With our signature today, we are delighted to place Marina Dalmacija and Marina Borik under the roof of the D-Marin Group of Marinas. Our goal is to create an international chain of marinas under the D-Marin brand and extend Doğuş Group’s concept of service quality to a larger area in the Mediterranean” said Doğuş Group CEO Hüsnü Akhan. A total of €17 million worth of additional investment will be made in Marina Dalmacija, Croatia’s biggest marina, entailing modernisation, and construction of commercial and tourist facilities.
Doğuş Group first moved into the marina industry in 2003 with D-Marin Turgutreis Marina. In line with its goal of growing in the marina industry, it made D-Marin Didim operational in 2009. In the third quarter of 2010, the Group acquired Port Göcek and added it to the D-Marin Group of Marinas under the name of D-Marin Göcek. The construction of D-Marin Dalaman, in project design phase at the moment, is scheduled to start within this year.
While abroad, following its partnership agreement with Nautical Centre Prgin (NCP) in 2009, it took over the operation of Mandalina Marina in Sibenik, Croatia which has a very crucial position and potential in the Mediterranean basin. Upon the Group’s acquiring 76% of the shares of the marina and becoming the main shareholder as of September 2011, the marina started serving under the name D-Marin Mandalina.
Doğuş Group continues to develop its expertise acquired in marina investments and operations with its projects in Croatia. Marina Dalmacija acquired by Doğuş Group has a berthing capacity of 1200 in-water slips and 500 dry dock berths on land while Marina Borik has 200 in-water slips and 50 dry dock berths on land. The Group will develop and renovate the existing marinas in Zadar and will be operating the entire marina complex.
Along with these two new investments, Doğuş Marinas Group’s total berthing capacity in Croatia has exceeded the capacity of marinas in Turkey.
D-Marin flag will be flying in Croatia’s biggest marina
Doğuş Group will be making additional investment for modernisation and the construction of commercial and tourist facilities in the Marina Dalmacija marina, the highest capacity marina in the Eastern Mediterranean basin with a total of 1700 in-water slips and dry dock berths on land. In this project where the additional investment is planned to be €17 billion, the entire investment will be undertaken by Doğuş Group. Only 5 km from the Zadar International Airport, Marina Dalmacija is at an advantageous position due to this feature.
Doğuş Group CEO Hüsnü Akhan: “We are moving forward with determined strides toward our claim and goal of being a regional player.”
In a statement he made regarding the issue, Doğuş Group CEO Hüsnü Akhan has said the new investments they have undertaken in Croatia are the most concrete evidence to their strategy of becoming a global player in the region in the marina and yacht industry. “Croatia is the world’s most dynamic market in the area of marina and yacht industry. Its influence is increasing more and more in the Mediterranean basin and it is a very strong player as regards its experience and potential in this area. Our new investments in Croatia are testimony to our successes in the international arena as is the case with D-Marin in Turkey. As Doğuş Group, we are moving forward with determined strides toward our claim and goal of being a regional player” added Akhan.
Stating that they were delighted to bring Dalmacija and Borik marinas under the roof of D-Marin Group of Marinas, “Our goal is to create an international chain of marinas under the D-Marin brand and extend Doğuş Group’s concept of service quality to a larger area in the Mediterranean. Croatia is a very appropriate location for our goals. We will continue to watch for new investment opportunities in this region” said Doğuş Group CEO Hüsnü Akhan.
