Merger approved at La Spezia

Speter SpA, the main multipurpose terminal operating in La Spezia will merge with Contship Italia’s La Spezia Container Terminal, after an agreement was reached recently between the directors of the respective terminals. Currently operating on Garibaldi pier, Calata Paita, Malaspina and Artom piers, Speter has handled break bulk and containers since 1968, mainly loading and unloading forest and mineral products. The company has reached positive results which foster growing expectations in general cargo field and in break bulks. On the box side, the general trend shows a growing share of goods now being containerised. Speter holds a concession of about 1.4 km of quay and 120,000 sq. m of yard space in the Port of La Spezia including covered warehouses in excess of 15,000 sq m. The positive results of recent years reflect the programme of investments by both organizations, in, among other things, handling equipment – such as two recently purchased 100-tonne mobile cranes. The Contship Group, via LSCT, acquired 45% of Speter in 2010 and thus has contributed with investment and experience. In 2013 Speter handled in excess of 630,000 tonnes and 127,000 teu. “There are important synergies to be achieved and to strengthen the competitiveness of La Spezia port in a period reflecting strong concentration on the handling demand side,” said Cecilia Eckelmann Battistello, president of the Contship Italia Group.