Posidonia: how it all began
Once upon a time, there were three pioneers, Enrico Ardito, Giuseppe Ardito, and Cesare Livraghi, who, before World War II, started recycling spare parts under the name 'Neptunia'.
In the 1960s, Posidonia expanded its business by designing, building, and installing mooring buoys for Italian and international offshore oil terminals and platforms, thus beginning collaborations with world-renowned clients such as Shell and Eni.
As second-hand anchors, chains, and moorings were used, a 500-ton pull test was set up for retesting.
In 1973, Ettore Ardito, son of Giuseppe Ardito and grandson of Enrico Ardito, joined the company and worked alongside Cesare Livraghi to move the company forward.
In 1980, Neptunia took a decisive step: it ceased reselling second-hand equipment to launch its own production of High Holding Power (HHP) anchors. This leap in quality was born from the meeting between Ettore Ardito and engineer Arie Ouwehand, a key figure in the development of the renowned POOL® anchors. This partnership led to the licensed production of HV® anchors in Italy: a perfect blend of Dutch engineering rigor and Posidonia’s manufacturing excellence, capable of meeting the most stringent quality standards of international classification societies.
It marked the beginning of a strategic collaboration and a technical dialogue that has evolved over decades and remains a fundamental pillar of our business today.
From Neptunia to Posidonia
In 1984, with the entry of new partners such as Giuseppe Ruzzin, who had been with Neptunia since the 1950s, and Fausto Peirano, along with the Ardito family, Neptunia became Posidonia - a new company focused on producing Made in Italy products.
At the time, the market for chains was still strong but required new ideas. Therefore, in 1990, Posidonia was one of the first companies to explore the Chinese and Indian markets. It concluded its first joint venture with a Chinese chain factory, offering immediate shipping at the lowest price in Europe.
Posidonia was also an early adopter of open market policies, interacting with major European and international names. In 1996, it was one of the first companies to be approved by all naval registries for its Emergency Towing System, in compliance with the new IMO regulations.
In the early 2000s, Giacomo Ardito, Serena Ardito, and Emiliano Seggi joined the company, taking the place of Ettore Ardito and Giuseppe Ruzzin, who became honorary presidents.
This new generation led the company towards customization of anchors and deck materials.
