Company History
The company’s origins date back as far as 1918 when it was called General Company of Commerce and Industry of Greece, but later focused on producing and trading flour under the name of Attica Flour Mills SA.. In 1992 the company changed hands and was renamed to Attica Enterprises S.A., subsequently changed to Attica Enterprises Holding S.A. and has since changed to Attica Group.
2006
February: Attica sells its 12.33% stake in Hellenic Seaways acquired a year earlier.
Blue Star Ferries receives the ‘Superbrand’ award recognized as a leading brand in Greece in the ‘Tourism Services’ industry.
March: Blue Star Ferries’ passenger-only catamaran SeaJet 2 is sold. The sale of the vessel is part of the Company’s policy to focus on the operation of fast, modern conventional car-passenger vessels.
April: Superfast VII, Superfast VIII and Superfast IX, serving on the Rostock, Germany – Hanko, Finland route in the Baltic Sea are sold to AS Tallink Grupp. The sold vessels will retain their names and continue sailing under the Superfast livery until the end of 2007 at the latest, following an agreement with AS Tallink Grupp.
Attica Group maintains its presence in the Baltic Sea with the operation of its two RoRo vessels, which trade between Rostock, Germany and Uusikaupunki, Finland.
July: Attica’s subsidiary, Blue Star Maritime S.A. acquires the total assets of DANE Sea Line for a total of Euro 19.9mln. The assets included car-passenger ferry Diagoras which is deployed to the Dodecanese Islands’ routes in August.
August: Attica enters into an agreement to sell to Veolia Transport its ice-class vessel Superfast X trading between Scotland and Belgium for a total cash consideration of Euro 112mln. The delivery of Superfast X and final payment is to take place at the beginning of 2007.
November: Attica enters into an agreement with Fret Cetam of France for the chartering of RoRo Nordia until October 2008. RoRo Nordia was deployed on the Uusikaupunki, Finland – Rostock, Germany route together with RoRo Marin. As of the beginning of 2007, RoRo Marin is to be redeployed from the Baltic Sea to serve the needs of the Group in the Greece-Italy routes in the Adriatic Sea and in the domestic market.
Blue Star Ferries is voted “Passenger Line of the Year” at Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards.
December: Attica Group announces the deployment of Blue Star 1 of its subsidiary Blue Star Ferries to the Scotland-Belgium service as of the end of January 2007. Blue Star 1 is to replace Superfast X which was sold earlier in the year, and is to be delivered to her new owners in February 2007.
2007
February: Attica Group increases its stake in Minoan Lines to 22.25%
June: Attica sells its total participation in Minoan Lines S.A.
August: Attica proceeded in the assignment of new offices and new responsibilities to its Board Members. On behalf of its subsidiaries Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries, Attica Group donated the amount of Euro 150,000 to the Special Relief Fund for the benefit of the victims of the recent fires in Greece.
September: Attica Group announces the purchase of two RoRo ships, built in 1998 and 1999.
Attica Group, pursuant to the Law 3556/2007, the Decision 1/434/03.07.2007 and the Circular nr. 33 of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, announced that Marfin Investment Group Holdings S.A., which is closely associated to the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Andreas Vgenopoulos, bought shares of the Company as follows:
a) on 20.2.2008 bought 19,295 shares with total net value of Euro 106,292.29 b) on 21.2.2008 bought 10,518 shares with total net value of Euro 57,938.79
2008
September: Zeebrugge-Rosyth route discontinued on 13 September. The service will be restarted in Spring 2009 by Norfolkline.
2009
March: On the 12th Superfast XII inaugurates the Piraeus - Heraklion route.
December:Brittany Ferries have entered into a contract to buy the Superfast V from the Attica Group at sum of €81.50 million, with delivery in February 2010. It is not yet know what she will be named or what route she will service.
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