Gouvia Marina: Small businesses and cricket club being pushed out
CORFU. The company is increasing rents, not renewing contracts, and raising its demands.
Uncertainty and unrest prevail among businesses operating in the marina, including the Cricket Federation (which may not be a business but owes its profile and main competitive existence to the cricket ground there), due to the demands and strategy being pursued by the company CVC. Long-standing contracts for buildings are not being renewed, others are facing significant rent increases, demands on boat service crews have grown, and the use of the cricket field is also at risk.
All these issues point to a regime change in the marina, though it is unclear what to attribute it to. While related websites discuss the company's decision to divest from its Greek investments, what is happening in the marina does not make it clear whether CVC is coming or going, and whether the change in behaviour and objectives concerns the next owner.
The former director, Mr. Karabatsos, has stepped down (and given recent developments, the reasons seem rather apparent, even though he has not responded to journalistic inquiries). However, the presence of the general director of all the marinas within the Group, while influential in shaping developments, does not solve the mystery. In his interactions, he is reportedly talking about restructuring all relationships and altering the overall profile of the business.
Small and medium-sized enterprises operating there are turning to the courts, with decisions expected to determine the nature of any new relationships, contracts, rents, and even compensation. As for the cricket field, information from the AO Kerkyra Football Academy, known for its collaboration with Ajax, suggests plans to make it the base for its activities—likely if and when the cricket club vacates the premises!
Related reports on CVC’s strategy note that "2025 seems to mark the end of the CVC investment fund's presence in the Greek market, as the sale of its assets proceeds at a rapid pace."
The future of these investments may be unclear, in line with the limited publicity strategy that understandably characterises such moves, but in any case, the trend toward the "de-Corfu-isation" of the marina's operations seems to be in full swing!
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
