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Baleària celebrates its 25-year history as the leading shipping company in Spain

January 20 from 2023 - 10: 02

Baleària Today, at its Fitur stand, it celebrated the beginning of the campaign of its 25 years of history and activity in the maritime transport of passengers and goods sector. The shipping company has brought together more than 400 public and private representatives in a commemorative act in which it has reviewed its trajectory since its creation in 1998 until it became today the leading company in maritime passenger mobility in Spain. The maritime company celebrates a quarter of a century this 2023, being, in addition, the reference shipping company in sustainability and innovation, with a fleet of more than 30 ships and presence in six countries: Spain, Morocco, Algeria, France, the United States and the Bahamas. Since it started operating Baleària it has transported 55 million passengers, 13 million vehicles and 80 million linear meters of cargo.

The journalist Marta González Novo has conducted a meeting in which the history of the company has been recounted through various videos and an interview with the president and sole shareholder, Adolfo Utor, who 25 years ago led, together with a group of workers from the extinct shipping company Flebasa, the creation of the company based in Dénia.

Utor has explained that the creation of Baleària it was “an act of pure survival, with the aim of saving the activity, jobs and social and commercial interests”. Over time, the shipping company "achieved its transcendent purpose, shared by the entire organization", which in the words of its president consists of "building new ships, opening new maritime lines and improving transport services to contribute to the development and progress of the territories".

The founder of Baleària has also explained the keys to the company's success: “The adversities of the beginnings propelled a company culture where austerity, commitment and teamwork took root. In addition, we have never diversified our activity and we have reinvested more than 90% of our results to facilitate our growth”. However, the main factor, from Utor's point of view, has been trust: “When we started we only had the trust capital of our interest groups. A confidence that we have worked day by day, which feeds our image and reputation, and which today is our main asset”.

Likewise, the president has highlighted in terms of the future that "it is not enough to be the leading shipping company in Spain", since it aspires to become "a global shipping company, with a business model that thinks locally". "We want to be a world benchmark in sustainability and customer service, being a maritime company capable of contributing with its work to the achievement of the SDGs", he stressed.

In this first act to celebrate 25 years of activity, Baleària has been accompanied by numerous representatives of its interest groups, such as travel agencies, suppliers, port authorities, financial institutions and the sector, as well as the public administration. In this sense, the shipping company was accompanied by the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant; the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig; the Minister for Mobility and Housing of the Balearic Government, José Marí Ribas; the general director of the Merchant Navy, Benito Nuñez; the president of the Consell de Mallorca, Catalina Cladera; the president of the Consell d'Eivissa, Vicent Marí, the president of the Consell de Formentera, Ana Juan; the president of the Provincial Council of Alicante, Carlos Mazón; senator in the Congress of Deputies, José Vicente Marí Bosó; and the mayor of Eivissa, Rafa Ruiz; among others.

Ximo Puig has highlighted that Balèaria is essential for the Valencian Community and Spain, and has congratulated the shipping company for uniting sensibilities: “It is a relevant company, a local operator with anchorage in the territory. The relationship between the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands has been strengthened thanks to Baleària”.

For her part, Minister Diana Morant pointed out that the shipping company was born as a company for the future, which "has managed to change our country". In addition, she has stressed that it has been "fundamental to structuring the territory" and has pointed it out as an "example of how the economy has a positive impact if it is done ethically."

25 years program

Baleària plans to carry out various events throughout 2023 in the different territories in which it operates, among which a central commemoration event at its headquarters in Dénia will stand out. "This year more than ever we want to be close to all the people who have helped us get here, whether they are passengers, carriers, suppliers, administrations, travel agencies... Without their complicity and trust our journey would not have been possible", has pointed out Adolfo Utor.

The shipping company wants to value its trajectory by giving a voice to the people who have participated in its history through different written and audiovisual materials that will be released throughout the year. In addition, through the Baleària Foundation, cultural events will be organized such as a music festival in Dénia, and traveling exhibitions of painting and photography linked to the 25th anniversary of the shipping company or a commemorative sculpture in the maritime station from Denia. The details of all the acts can be consulted at https://www.balearia.com/es/25-aniversario.

Likewise, Baleària has unveiled the corporate image that it has designed to commemorate the anniversary of its creation, and which will be present at all these corporate events, as well as in commercial actions. It is a versatile and integrating logo, where the union of 2 and 5 stands out, creating a wave that transports the sea and represents navigation and the union of territories and people.

Gastronomy of the territories

At the end of the event, a cocktail was served where several chefs from the Balearic Chefs(in) association served dishes inspired by the territories where Baleària operates. Ariadna Salvador (L'Obrador Ninumá, Mallorca) has shown her colorful and imaginative gastronomy with the dishes Ba 'lé yarho, Rumbo verde and Medi terraneum. Jordi Cantó, chef from Sa Clastra (Mallorca), has prepared three very different dishes based on those of the Balearic Islands, the Caribbean and the Straits. Iñigo Rodríguez, chef at the Hotel Pachá (Eivissa) has proposed 3 simple dishes, reinventing the flavors of each recipe.

Baleària: 25 years uniting territories and connecting people

In June 1998, Adolfo Utor led the creation of Baleària along with other former employees of the Flebasa shipping company. In just a quarter of a century, the shipping company has grown to operate 25 routes in six countries and a workforce of 1.800 employees.

Since its inception, Baleària has opted for innovation and revolutionized the maritime sector by incorporating the first high-speed ship that connected the Balearic Islands with the peninsula. The shipping company continued to incorporate fast ferries while opening new lines in the Balearic Islands and Ceuta, beginning its internationalization with the Algeciras-Tangier route and creating the Baleària Foundation as a way of contributing to the social and cultural development of the territories. The expansion of these first years culminated in the merger by absorption of the shipping division of the Matutes group and the acquisition of Buquebús España.

Subsequently, a new stage began under the concept of experiential travel, focused on comfort and entertainment on board, thanks to four state-of-the-art ferries, more sustainable and with greater cargo capacity. In the following years, a new strategic axis gained strength: the establishment in foreign markets as a way to grow the business project, in the Caribbean and on different routes in North Africa (Morocco and Algeria).

With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a road map, the green course of the shipping company and the commitment to the eco-efficiency of its fleet began to mark its journeys more clearly. Thus, she has been a pioneer worldwide in natural gas navigation and plans to have the first electric ferry in Spain coinciding with her 25th anniversary, in addition to working on projects related to renewable energy. Baleària is a company with a local character, committed to the development of the territories and the well-being of citizens, a champion of sustainability at sea and driven by an innovative spirit.

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