International Marine Management (IMM) has acquired the Atlantic Refit Center (ARC) in La Rochelle, France, expanding its operations with effect from June 1 2026.
The acquisition will expand IMM’s capabilities to Europe. Prior to the acquisition, IMM had 130 in-house employees, and bases in Puerto Rico, St Maarten, Guadeloupe and Grenada, serving the yachting industry in the Caribbean.
The ARC shipyard benefits from direct, 24/7 access through the only deep-sea port on the French Atlantic coast and is a dedicated superyacht refit and repair facility for vessels up to 150 metres in length.
With 11 metres of draft and a fully secured ISPS-compliant area, ARC features two dry docks (176m and 107m), a 250-ton travel lift, cranes up to 150 tons, 300 metres of afloat repair docks and 2,000sqm of hard-standing space, providing the infrastructure required for complex, large-scale refit and conversion projects.
Unique client experience
“Returning to Europe is a defining step for IMM,” says Norina Edelman, CEO of IMM.
“Marrying the strength of ARC’s existing infrastructure with IMM’s spirit and values will create a unique client experience in terms of flexibility, quality and transparency.
“We are excited to operate a European shipyard that will allow us to give every client a bespoke experience.”
IMM’s founder and COO Fabrice Maitre, has more than four decades of experience in yacht refit and repair and has handled refits on numerous yachts including MY Octopus, MY Skat, and MY Kogo.
“In many ways, this expansion is a full-circle moment,” said Fabrice.
“France is where my career began, and the Tatoosh refit in La Rochelle was a significant step in both my career and superyacht refit generally.
“Establishing IMM’s presence here, with such a capable facility, allows us to bring our experience, standards, and approach back to a market we know deeply.”
Extensive network of contractors
IMM’s global director, Víctor Pérez, continued: “The Atlantic Refit Center is a facility I know well, as several major refits have been carried out there in recent years.
“The two dry docks, together with the vast surrounding space, make the setup far more ‘tailor-made’ than other shipyards on the market.
“At ARC, the entire shipyard is prepared and optimised for each client and refit project.”
And he added that an extensive network of local contractors together with easy connectivity to Central Europe make ARC particularly attractive to yacht owners and operators.
The yard is especially appealing for yachts over 5,000 tonnes, for which haul-out options are limited.
Stephane Marcelli, co-founder and outgoing president of ARC, will remain involved in operations to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am thrilled to see ARC passing into such capable hands,” said Stephane.
“Fabrice and IMM’s return to La Rochelle marks an exciting new chapter for the yard as a superyacht refit hub.”
And he concluded that the integration of ARC into the IMM group brings additional expertise and momentum to the French Atlantic superyacht sector.
