Doğuş Group of Turkey Becomes Shareholder and Joint Developer/Joint Operator of New Destination Marina
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA and SIBENIK, CROATIA (July 24, 2009): Doğuş Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Turkey, has joined Island Global Yachting (IGY) andNautical Center Prgin (NCP) as a development partner in the expansion and renovation of the Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club. The agreement was announced during a special signing ceremony attended by executives from each company and the President of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesić.
As part of this agreement, Doğuş will be both an equity partner and will oversee construction, with its company Doğuş Construction, for the project under an IGY-Doğuş Development Joint Venture, and as such will be designated as the Design & Build Contractor for the marina enhancement and upland facilities. This project and alliance will include the development of the upland portion of this nautical lifestyle destination — currently slated to encompass a yacht club, residential developments, resort accommodations, world-class shopping, dining and nightlife.
In February 2009, IGY and NCP announced plans to add 65 megayacht berths to the existing 350 wet-slip/50 dry-dock marina, transforming it into the new Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club – Croatia’s first dedicated megayacht marina. The new megayacht facilities will complement NCP’s existing shipyard and charter services companies at the property. Mandalina Marina remains fully-operational during the development and renovation and is already welcoming megayachts for the 2009 Season.
The signature “marina village” at the Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club is currently in the planning stages and will be further developed by Doğuş, IGY and NCP over the coming months. The project’s architecture is slated to combine a contemporary Mediterranean style with public open spaces and gardens to provide an attractive setting for a bal anced resort development. Buildings will be intertwined with cascading waterways while their juxtaposition will blend to create an architec tural statement of visionary design and quality. All the upland elements will be situated topographically to take advantage of the natural elevated land, and, more importantly, to provide ceremonial focal entry points to the development.
“We are pleased to align with the Doğuş Group, as we continue the development of the new Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club,” said Andrew Farkas, founder and chairman of IGY. “This agreement creates a very strong partnership comprising the foremost Croatian maritime brand, a leading regional conglomerate with a strong maritime brand in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the world’s premier marina developer and operator. Doğuş’ financial strength, as well as their tremendous expertise in construction and success with projects of a similar nature, make them an ideal partner alongside IGY and NCP in the Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club.”
“We are equally excited about this partnership and the economic benefits that it will bring to our community,” added Goran Prgin, president of NCP Group. “We welcome the Doğuş Group to Croatia and look forward to working with them to continue to position Dalmatia as the Mediterranean’s top megayacht destination.”
“The Doğuş Group is pleased to enter the Croatian market with such an exciting project and such tremendous partners,” said Ferit Sahenk, chairman of Doğuş Group. “We are actively engaged in similar projects in Turkey and are certain that with the involvement of IGY, NCP and Doğuş, the new Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club will become a showcase destination for the region.”
The Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club is one of the most complete, full-service nautical destinations in the region and encompasses not only the marina, but the NCP Shipyard with 24-hour assistance and technical services, NCP Charter with more than 60 vessels and the NCP Sailing School. Additionally, the facility offers nearby fueling and on-site grocery for provisioning. The marina is situated in the scenic coastal town of Sibenik on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. Chosen as the “world’s number one sailing destination” by National Geographicmagazine, the site is noted especially for its UNESCO protected cathedral and two national parks – the waterfalls of Krka and the Kornati archipelago. For additional information on the Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club, please click to www.igy-mandalina.com.
ABOUT DOGUS GROUP
Established in 1951, Doğuş Group has taken its place among the leading business conglomerates of Turkey and, in keeping with its corporate vision, conducts itself as a leader in the region. Doğuş Group is active in seven core businesses: financial services, automotive, construction, media, tourism, real estate, energy. Operating with 103 companies and around 20,000 employees, serving more than eight million customers Doğuş Group focuses on engendering customer loyalty and building brand value with its high technology infrastructure. Doğuş Group always provides its services based upon the principles of customer satisfaction and trust. As a result of this approach, the Group has created reputable brands with global standards and has been representing our country worldwide. Its name is a source of attraction for the international investors who are interested in Turkey. The Group has contributed to this process by creating a synergy with global giants including the following: General Electric in finance and real estate, Volkswagen AG and TÜVSÜD in automotive, Alstom and Marubeni in construction, MSNBC, CNBC and Conde Nast in media and Hyatt International Ltd., Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide Inc., HMS International Hotel GmbH (Maritim) and Aldiana GmbH in tourism. For more information, please visit www.dogusgrubu.com.tr.
ABOUT NAUTICAL CENTER PRGIN
NCP Group is a collection of companies specializing in the nautical industry and is considered one of the leaders in the Mediterranean marine industry. Founded in 1995, as the first yacht charter company in Croatia, today, NCP has the most exclusive charter fleet in the region. NCP developed Mandalina Marina, which became the first megayacht destination in Croatia, and NCP Shipyard, which is recognized as a respected partner in the construction and refit of yachts up to 100m in length. NCP’s most recent project is the Adriatic Boat Show – this international nautical fair of new and used vessels puts emphasis on presenting Croatia as a megayacht and boat building destination. For more information, please click to www.ncp.hr.
ABOUT ISLAND GLOBAL YACHTING
From the islands of the Caribbean to the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf and other beautiful yachting destinations around the world, IGY is redefining the very idea of luxury marina experiences. Founded in 2005, IGY focuses on acquiring, controlling and/or servicing luxury-yacht marinas and the surrounding upland real estate properties. Island Global Yachting marinas operate under the signature Yacht Haven Grande collection and the IGY series brands, as well as several private labels. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, IGY also has offices in New York, NY; St. Thomas, USVI; Barcelona, Spain; and Dubai, UAE. IGY is an affiliate of Island Capital Group LLC, a real estate merchant banking firm led and founded by Andrew Farkas, former chairman of Insignia Financial Group. For more information, please visit www.igymarinas.com.
