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ASISTENCIA LAS 24 HS. AL (54-221) 4636998 / 4315373 / 4112257 / 4110810 / 40643104

HISTORY AND TRADITION

Our history dates back to 1882, when the Overseas Captain DOMINGO TORI ─great-grandfather of the president of the firm─ arrived in Argentina commanding a 22-metre length tugboat called “SALADO”, coming from Genoa, Italy.
He began by towing barges from the Uruguayan coast to the mouth of “PUERTO DE ENSENADA” (Ensenada Port), carrying sand and stone for the construction of the future “PUERTO LA PLATA” (La Plata Port). When the construction was finished and the Port was fitted out, he was enabled to work as a pilot, being in charge of piloting the first vessel which entered “Puerto La Plata”.

He settled in the city of Ensenada, Isla Santiago, and boosted with his work his emerging Port, instilling to his descendants a desire for growth and progress and a deep vocation for the shipping activity.
In 1916, JOSÉ BACCHIEGA ─ grandfather of the owner of the firm and son in law of the Captain DOMINGO TORI─ purchased the tugboat “EUGENIA G”, which operated in the local Port. By 1918, he associated with ISIDORO and MARIANO GIAMMONA, who had imported the diesel tugboat “IDEAL” from Germany in 1912. Some years later, ISIDRO and CIRIANO MARCHIONI, who owned two steam tugboats “DOÑA CARMEN M” and “ISABEL”, joined this partnership forming a new one: “BACCHIEGA, GIAMMONA Y MARCHIONI”, which purchased the tugboat “IDEA” in 1933. This new partnership worked uninterruptedly until 1943, when it was acquired in its entirety by DOMINGO BACCHIEGA and LUCIANO F. BERTOLDI, who were brothers in law, the former being the father of the firm current president. They acted under the corporate name “DOMINGO BACCHIEGA Y LUCIANO F. BERTOLDI”, who had also acquired the tugboat “ANDES” in 1933.

In 1936, they acquired shareholdings in the sand barges “JUAN DE GARAY” and “ARGENTINO JN”, and a year later, in 1937, they obtained the shared use and exploitation of the 3,000 tons platform ship “IBIS N1”.
With the already mentioned fleet, a new partnership originated; “ARENERA LA PLATENSE Ltd”, which operated with a fleet of eight vessels and two owned terminals, selling and commercializing aggregates in “Puerto La Plata” and “Dique N1 Ensenada”. Moreover, in 1950, DOMINGO BACCHIEGA put his own tugboat “DOMINGO TORI” at the partnership’s disposal, which was used in river and port operations.

In 1954, the firm “DOMINGO BACCHIEGA Y LUCIANO F. BERTOLDI” acquired the vessel “ENSENADENSE N 2”, which operated with other two chartered, “Don Angel” and “Don Santiago”, in Colón, Entre Ríos, San Nicolás and/or Puerto La Plata.
In the year 1955, the vessel “ARGENTINA” was acquired, being for many years the biggest and fastest of its kind.
It was in 1961 when BACCHIEGA and BERTOLDI restructured their judicial positions, that they formed the partnerships “LA PLATA REMOLQUES Ltd”, dealing with towing and port services, and “COMPAÑÍA FLUVIAL DEL SUD Ltd”, dealing with the exploitation, transportation and commercialization of aggregates.
Since then, both firms have become the main and only local owners, working with different growth and accomplishment strategies. This was how LA PLATA REMOLQUES Ltd started a process of strengthening, first in 1968 with the acquisition of the supply vessel “PITÁGORAS”, and then in 1970 with the complete transformation of the tugboats “IDEAL” and “ISABEL”.

In 1984 there was a turning point in the history of the firm when its experience as ship owners was shown in the incorporation of two new units: “DOMINGO B” and “LUCIANO B”, which have the greatest power of their kind.
Later, in 1993, a new tugboat, “JOSÉ B”, of similar characteristics and built by workers of the firm, was added to the former two, operating as usual in “Puerto La Plata”.
In 1998 there was an interruption in the familiar tradition when the firm Smit Interacional acquired a portion of the capital stock of “LA PLATA REMOLQUES Ltd”. However, this legal relationship ended in the year 2006.