Greece’s Panagiotidis family has landed its debut deal for freshly listed Icon Energy.
Icon, which floated on the Nasdaq last month, announced its first ship acquisition for $17.57m.
It did not disclose the ship, other than to describe it as a kamsarmax built in November 2007 in Japan.
A vessel fitting the description is the 81,400-dwt Bellemar (built 2007), which belongs to Greece’s Anosis Maritime.
US brokers have already identified that vessel as the object of Icon’s transaction.
Managers at Athens-based Anosis were not available for comment. A sale of the ship in question, however, would make a lot of sense.
The Bellemar is the oldest ship by far among the six vessels that the bulker player is managing.
The fleet renewal angle seems even more credible when considering that Anosis took delivery of a newbuilding two months ago — the 64,100-dwt ultramax Manina (ex-Hull No NE441) from Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co.
Icon expects to take delivery of its vessel between September and November.
Chief executive Ismini Panagiotidis said: “We are pleased to announce our first vessel acquisition since the completion of our IPO.
“With our addition … we will double the size of our fleet, consistent with our growth strategy and goal to create value for our shareholders,” added Panagiotidis, who owned 13.8% of the company after the IPO.
Icon is currently listed with a single vessel, the 77,300-dwt Alfa (built 2006).
That ship, however, was not acquired from a third party, since it was previously with private Panagiotidis family company Pavimar.
Icon is not the only Panagiotidis family company buying bulker tonnage lately.
Castor Maritime, another US-listed firm led by Ismini’s brother Petros, announced late in July its first bulker acquisition in more than two years, with a $25.5m deal for an ultramax it did not identify.
This vessel is probably the 63,500-dwt Swansea (built 2015), controlled by London-based Ashley Shipping and managed by Norbulk Shipping.
