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Fratelli d'Amico Armatori was founded in the early 30s by Massimino Ciro d'Amico and his son and today's President Giuseppe.
At this stage the fleet is only a back up to the main activity of the timber trading activity. Soon, with the advent of the first steel built steam ships, the fleet will increase and the “Peppino Palomba” is the first one of this type to join the fleet, followed by additional 3,000 tonnes. In the meantime gradually Giuseppe is joined by his 6 brothers. During Second World War the fleet, except for two ships, went lostbut at the end of the conflict in 1947, under the Marshall Plan, two Liberty Type carriers are assigned to the Company. With the order of two new 5,000 dwt motor vessels built in Marghera and the commencement of a regular line from the Central Mediterranean to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt the shipping activity gets a definite boost.
In the following years additional Liberty Type carriers are bought and the fleet reaches the number of 20 units. In the early 50s the seven d'Amico brothers agree a separation and two independent Companies are founded: Ciro, Salvatore and Antonio start “d'Amico Società di Navigazione” and Giuseppe, Oronzo, Vittorio, Carlo join forces in “Fratelli d'Amico Armatori” and they challenge the maritime transportation's evolution by ordering the first two “supertankers” to be built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Trieste.
Giuseppe's ability to foresee the future needs of the telecommunication industry will enable him to study and realize the cable layer “Salernum” which is built by Navalmeccanica Shipyard in Castellamare di Stabia. During the 50s and the 60s, also supported by governmental incentives, 8 reefers and 6 bulk carriers are built at Italcantieri and Cantieri del Tirreno. Unfortunately the big crisis of the 70s and 80s sees a reduction of the fleet allowing the Company to survive prudentially monitoring the market opportunities which will lead in the early 90s to the acquisition of the it's first double hull Aframax tanker, the “Mare Dorico”, previously owned by the state company Almare, later followed by two sister vessels the “Scorpius” and the “Leonis”.
The Aframax sector has been further developed with a program of seven modern last generation ships, two of which of LRII Type, all built in Japan at Mitsui Engineering Shipyards, delivered between 2003 and 2009. Furthermore In October 2009 the first of four Suezmax New Buildings built at Samsung Heavy Industry, m/t Mare Doricum, was delivered to the Company. Her sister vessels will follow in 2011 and 2012 bringing the total fleet to 12 vessels.
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