Navigating History

Ignazio Messina took the helm of the family business, courageously launching the first liner services to North Africa, exclusively with Italian-flagged vessels.

The company was officially founded and, bolstered by the success of its routes, obtained the postal guidon for Libya, expanding the fleet towards new and wealthier markets, and secured a fixed berth at Ponte Eritrea, establishing a strategic base and a tangible symbol of its growing power in the port of Genoa.

The fleet expanded, and routes extended beyond the Mediterranean, opening regular services to the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, and East Africa, with pioneering determination.

In the mid-1930s, Ignazio Messina went beyond cargo transport, building an integrated logistics network in Africa that included agencies, warehouses, and land transport, thereby generating development and prosperity.

At the peak of its strength, with 17 owned ships and a displacement of over 47,000 tons, the Company faced its toughest test: World War II, fighting tenaciously to preserve the fleet.

Although the fleet was almost entirely lost, Ignazio’s vision remained firm: the Company was reborn, aiming to reclaim historic routes and serve the entire African continent.

After overcoming another severe crisis with honour, Ignazio Messina made a crucial strategic decision: to sell the CAMED shipyards in Pietra Ligure to concentrate all energy on shipowning and navigation lines.

With a rebuilt fleet, the Company returned to prosperity. Ignazio’s sons, Gianfranco, Giorgio, and Paolo, join the company under their father’s guidance, bringing new energy to propel the Group forward.

With a vision ahead of its time, Ignazio Messina converted the fleet to ro/ro container transport, inaugurating the first such service from Italy and maintaining lines to Africa even during the Suez Canal closure.

The company became a joint-stock company (S.p.A.) and moved its port terminal to La Spezia.

The company faced the loss of its founder, Ignazio Messina.

The third generation of the Messina family—Andrea Gais, Massimo, Ignazio, Stefano, and Emanuele Messina—gradually joined the company, assuming a demanding legacy and ensuring management continuity grounded in solid values.

In a bold move, the Messina family brought the operational heart back to Genoa, securing the Nino Ronco pier concession and creating an advanced terminal that meets the highest safety and environmental standards. It was the first terminal in Europe to receive RINA classification for safety and environment and ISPS Security Code approval.

To celebrate 80 years of history, the Messina family donated to Genoa Renzo Piano’s Biosphere (known as “La Bolla”), dedicated to Grandfather Ignazio: a symbol of beauty and nature in the Old Port, where their ships once docked.

With a visionary investment exceeding $300 million, the Company ordered the construction of four new ro/ro container ships, the largest ever designed worldwide. We took delivery of the new “Precious” Jolly ships—Diamante, Perla, Cristallo, and Quarzo—between December 2011 and February 2013.

In partnership with Terminal San Giorgio (A.T.I.), Ignazio Messina & C. won the bid for the former Multipurpose Terminal areas, obtaining the concession for Molo Canepa, part of Calata Bengasi, and the adjacent regions.

Ignazio Messina & C. signed a contract in Genoa with Korean shipyard STX to construct four additional ro/ro container ships, representing a total investment exceeding $300 million. The Jolly Titanio and its three sister ships—Jolly Cobalto, Jolly Vanadio, and Jolly Palladio—joined the fleet in record time by May 2015.

Messina Terminal opened its intermodal services to third parties.

Marinvest, the Italian holding of the MSC Group, acquired a 49% stake in the company.

Ignazio Messina & C. celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Ignazio Messina & C. celebrates its 100th anniversary and begins a phase of change and repositioning on the market through the purchase of container ships with a significant increase in market capacity.

With the strategic acquisition of Terminal San Giorgio, the Group strengthened its leadership in the port of Genoa, realising its vision of a single, powerful, multipurpose gateway specialised to serve every route.

The company projects its legacy into the future through a profound rebranding.
An organic “brand bible” and a new digital ecosystem emerge, including the parent company’s website and dedicated websites for each Business Unit, to communicate its strategic vision with a unified, strong voice.