Desan Kaptanoğlu Shipyard Acquires Atlas Shipyard
Desan, owned by the Kaptanoğlu Family, which has a century of experience in maritime, has taken a step into a new era by acquiring 100% of Atlas Shipyard, one of the most important shipbuilding facilities in the shipyard sector. Negotiations regarding the transfer of Atlas Shipyard, which was under Credit Europe Bank, began in January 2023 and were completed with the agreement signed on December 17, 2024. With the agreement, Desan Kaptanoğlu Shipyard increased its shareholding in Atlas Shipyard to 100%, and ownership of the shipyard was fully transferred to the Desan Kaptanoğlu Group.
With this acquisition, Desan has gained significant momentum in terms of production capacity and competitiveness. Cenk İsmail Kaptanoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Desan Kaptanoğlu Shipyard, made the following statement regarding the acquisition:
“We took over Atlas Shipyard with a strong team and working environment. I would like to thank the Özyeğin Family and Credit Europe Bank for their constructive approach throughout this process. Our goal is to carry the Atlas flag much higher together with the Kaptanoğlu brand, which has more than 100 years of maritime experience. I believe that this merger will not only support Desan’s export and growth targets but also make a significant contribution to the Turkish shipbuilding industry.”
Atlas Shipyard has significant know-how and experience, particularly in newbuilding. The shipyard is currently constructing two environmentally friendly, methanol-ready dry cargo vessels for LongShip, a Dutch company, and four shellfish fishing vessels for a Norwegian company. In addition, there is an option to build three more vessels as a continuation of these projects.
Founded in 2005 and operating in the Kocaeli Free Zone, Atlas Shipyard has an annual shipbuilding capacity of 30,000 DWT. The shipyard employs a total of 800 people, including 120 permanent staff, and has a production area of 48,000 square meters.
