Il Tirreno – «500 jobs created in sixteen years»
Il Tirreno – «500 jobs created in sixteen years»
Costantino (Tisg) takes stock of the Carrara settlement «Here we train the managers of the future, 200 young people have been hired»
20th December 2023
Carrara, The Italian Sea Group reaches the milestone of 16 years of roots in the territory of Marina di Carrara. And for the founder. (Giovanni Costantino, it is time to take stock but also to plan for the future. Starting from a consideration: «My dream for next year? To continue to be who I am and to carry forward this important entrepreneurial reality». And adding to this consideration – important numbers: 500 jobs created in sixteen years, and a hotbed of young people trained and hired in Marina di Carrara (with internships paid for by the Company).
Mr Costantino, the Tisg presence is now rooted in the territory, what are the main directions of your projects?
«The first investment in this territory dates back to 2009: 16 years of investments in the territory enable the term “rooted” for our reality. In the initial phase it was a bit tormented but, over time I still don’t understand but I justify an attitude that is the result of a local culture that has evolved over time. I justify the initial difficulties as the result of a series of previous situations of broken promises. When it was understood that we were serious people, with solid projects and contents. well then the wind began to change.»
How did the Marina di Carrara Headquarters grow?
«We took over a structure that had been leaking for decades and which had 140 employees: today we employ over 600 people and we have built a positive and constructive exchange with the institutions at all levels, and with the union. The construction site was expanded in several phases, always with an environmentally friendly renovation. I also think that, with our entrepreneurial reality, we have contributed to growing the name of Carrara in the world. We are the first shipyard in Italy for boats over fifty meters, the third in the world.»
Tisg reality is closely linked to the territory, also with regards to related activities.
«Of our employees, three hundred are residents in the province of Massa-Carrara and 220 are business travelers who therefore first of all need a house in the area. In this regard, I feel like saying that property owners should take a step forward and review their current settings: in short, it is not possible to pay seven hundred euros in rent for a fifty-metre apartment with furniture from twenty years ago. This means that many choose to live for example in Massa or Sarzana.»
A strong, growing group and great attention to young people and training.
«The valorization of young people starts from a broader concept, that of respect which, I am convinced, must be one of the driving elements for an entrepreneur. Respect for one’s employees, their safety, quality of life and institutions, taxes, to be clear, must be paid and those who don’t do so steal money from taxpayers. There must also be respect and fairness towards competitors and this also means not looking for resources in their companies or in their groups. Removing a collaborator from a colleague ruins the market: this is why we have been investing in training for eight years now, also together with universities. This brought us over two hundred hires. Our internships are paid and once a young person is hired on a permanent or temporary basis, the basic salary starts from 1,550 euros. With young people, I still like to underline, we have had positive performances reaching 90 percent. Our top managers arise from within our corporate structure.»
The valorisation of young people and respect for the environment, another theme on which the development of the Tisg group is based.
«Respect for the environment is first of all respect for the rules regarding innovative and increasingly less polluting design. Suffice it to say that eighty meter ships have a lower environmental impact than that of a Porsche. The production of “green” electricity is also in line with attention and respect for the environment.»
«But I would not limit the issue of respect to environmental issues – continues the founder of TISG – in our group respect also means gender equality, there are no women’s salaries lower than men’s. There are many female professional figures and I like to define women as “magical”: they manage work, family and home. Even here in the company they often hear me repeat that a woman is worth three men and it’s because I really think so.»
What are TISG’s future plans. Will there be further expansions?
«At the moment we are fully operational, but future developments will be linked to those of the port and the breakwater. In the meantime, we are closing a challenging and important year: we are closing with 365 million in revenues and for next year we aim to close at 420 million. »
What wish do you feel you have for the city of Carrara?
«The hope of being able to continue working in synergy, public and private. Private individuals must be ready to invest and believe in their projects. »
