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Title

Car Shipping, Viamar Transport International INC. is worldwide cargo shipping company.

Description

Viamar Scilla Transport International Inc. was founded in the fall of 1976, in Toronto Canada by a young Italian immigrant named Joe Fortugno, who decided to risk everything he had and bought his first truck. He had a vision of serving the local household moving and local transport requirements of Toronto's growing Italian community. The company was then known as Scilla Transport Ltd.

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VIAMAR SCILLA TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL INC. 87 BRYDON DRIVE TORONTO ONTARIO M9W 4N8 CANADA 416-747-9774 1-800-277-7570 Fax: 416-747-1955 E-mail:

Additional Information

1976-from humble beginnings to a leader in overseas shipping Viamar Scilla Transport International Inc. was founded in the fall of 1976, in Toronto Canada by a young Italian immigrant named Joe Fortugno, who decided to risk everything he had and bought his first truck. He had a vision of serving the local household moving and local transport requirements of Toronto's growing Italian community. The company was then known as Scilla Transport Ltd.

Business was very good in the early years, as Italian Canadian families and business owners all over southern Ontario made Scilla Transport their #1 choice when they needed something moved. It was only 2 months after he bought the first truck, that young Joe bought his second truck. By 1979, only 3 short years after he started, his company had a fleet of 18 trucks and over 50 employees.

1980's-By Land, Sea or Air, Let Viamar Scilla Take it there

In the 80's, Mr. Fortugno decided to use his popularity in the Italian community, and start an overseas shipping service, known as Viamar Scilla Transport International. Viamar Scilla specialized in shipping personal effects and automobiles from Canada to Italy, and importing ceramic tiles, clothing and olive oil from Italy to Canada. In order to handle the business efficiently, Viamar Scilla opened offices throughout Italy as well.

During the mid and late 80's, Viamar Scilla opened offices and established agencies in Latin America, Jamaica, Portugal, Greece and the U.K. Canadians of all backgrounds started using Viamar's service. People in Southern Ontario became used to seeing the T.V commercials boasting "by Land, Sea or Air, let Viamar Scilla Take it There".

1990's-Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union and West Africa connections are formed

The world changed dramatically in the 90's. And as the world changed, Viamar was among the first to establish business in the newly formed markets of Eastern Europe, Russia and West Africa. The company opened a special project and ro/ro department to ship heavy equipment and construction machinery. By the late 90's Viamar was shipping on average 4500 automobiles annually, and had co-ordinated the shipping on on over 120 major construction and mining projects.

2000's-Asia becomes a powerhouse

As Canada's economy is rich in natural resources, it became clear that the Asian countries were now becoming major trading partners. With this in mind, Viamar Scilla expanded its interest to include a specialty forestry shipping department, specializing in the shipment of logs and lumber, as well as oilfield and mining exploration equipment.

To this day, the company is still run by the Fortugno family. We are happy to have served the thousands upon thousands of customers who have supported us throughout the years. We can truly say, no matter the size, no matter the destination, Viamar Scilla is a company you can count on.

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Press Release/Media Relations

Destination: the world

An Interview with Giuseppe Fortugno, Founder and CEO of Viamar Scilla Transport International Inc., one of Canada's shipping giants

Published article: 2002-12-12

Giuseppe Fortugno, calabrian of Melia di Scilla, has two great loves: his family and his job.

This in itself is a common story; not a big newsmaker as it, would would be said in journalistic jargon.

Nevertheless this calabrian, arrived in Canada in 1971 to at 22 years, with only determination, courage and $40 in his pocketly and in a few short years was able to put on its feet a successful activity of considerable dimensions in the field of the national transports on road.

A date for all: in 1979, "Scilla Cartage", the company that had created hardly four years before, possessed a fleet of 18 trucks that transported goods in all Canada and gave jobs to over fifty dependents.

"Yes, at that point I recognized that I have achieved a great success. But without the aid of my wife Connie in the beginning, and also of my sons Giovanni and Domenico, I would have made little road ", says Giuseppe Fortugno today. And the metaphor of the road is not accidental, in as much as just on the road it is been born and the activity of Fortugno has been developed.

But the road consumes men and means, therefore in 1979, just to the maximum of the expansion, Giuseppe and Connie decided to sell "Scilla Cartagel". "It had become a stressful activity", tells Giuseppe. "For us we there were days or nights even holidays: it was always work. And then, I must say the truth: Canada began to go a bit rough to us. Therefore we decided to sell the trucking activity in order to dedicate ourselves in third party shipping activities, always in the field of transports but this time we set our sights on on the world ".

In what sense the world, Mr. Fortugno?

"In the sense that with the new society that we have created, the" Viamar Scilla ", we are in a position to ship, by land, by sea and by air, to any known locality and to transport goods of any nature and dimension. Lets not forget that in a month we have transported from Rome to Toronto your new printing press, that was not a toy It was a beast thirty meters long and three meters high that weighed over one hundred tons ".

Mr. Fortugno, you say you owe much of your success to your family, to your wife above all. Only to them? Its is an activity that demands massive investments: is it possible that the banks, as an example, have not helped you?

"Listen, in the beginning the Bank of Montreal granted a credit line to me for one hundred thousand dollars, but I have not ever used it. Of course we believe in the banking system, but I have been accustomed to make the step for how much I am long the leg.

When I arrived in Canada, after I worked briefly have worked in construction, I was able to buy my first truck and to make my first transports. In Italy, I had worked for a long period of time in this field, first in Genoa and then to Milan and therefore I knew the trade. This is how I started, but I have to recognize that I have always been surrounded by good people who had good intentions, and above all I want to thank the "Corriere Canadese": it was in this very newspaper that we ran the first advertisement that gave me the first customers. Then I want to thank the community, because it was the Italian community that preferred my company to others when it they had need to carry out a shipment or were moving overseas. To all, with my thanks of heart, I want to send my best wishes for this Christmas season. I want to also thank the parents of my wife, and my brothers-in-law, that they have two merits: they were always close to me and without them I would not have my wife Connie".

You always mention Connie comes in your speeches. How long have you known each other?

"Its a strange history. It must know that in the 1952 there was an ugly earthquake in Calabria, that it provoked many damages in my town, Melia di Scilla. The house of my parents was destroyed, so about a year later my family was assigned a popular apartment in a condominium. In that same condominium lived also the family of Connie, Concetta. And thats how we met... " The girl next door, literally. "Yes, the girl next door. We got engaged, then her family was determined to emigrate in Canada, and we separated ourselves. But about a year later I decided to leave the country also. In Italy there was no jobs. I did not want to go to Switzerland, Belgium or Germany as many others did at the time: so I decided to come also in Canada, not only because I wanted to know new places, but also because Concetta me was remained in the heart. Therefore I found a ship leaving for Halifax and after some time we married ourselves. From the wedding four childred are been born: Giovanni, he has 26 years, Domenico that has 23, Bruno of 19 and Maria, the small of house, nine. Giovanni and Domenico today work in the company and because of them I can say with pride that today in "Viamar Scilla" does not just work with its arms alone, but also brains ".

Mr. Fortugno, what was Calabria like when you left it, in 1971?

"One the most beatiful places on earth, the people were poor but proud. I had to leave for being able to work. I came from a large family: we were ten in house: my father, my mother and eight children, three males and five women. I am the oldest one. My father worked in the forest and was a peasant, he urged us to get ahead in life, to go out and make a better life for ourselves, and more than a lot he did not have himself. Therefore I decided to leave towards Canada, also why in Canada there was Connie that was waiting for to me. This Country has given me a lot, but I earned everything it has given to me. I have worked hard and I have only thought about my job and my family. Perhaps for this I have always had around me many friends who have helped me to exceed the ugly moments. Here why I say to them that if today the "Viamar Scilla" is a succeeding company of, it is on the merit is of many persons. That once again I am truly greatful to all of them ".

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