Fredrik Johansson and Michal Jackiewicz talk about Tillberg Design of Sweden's 500% growth in business
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This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Over the last 50 years, Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) has earned itself an enviable reputation in the cruise industry, working on some of the most prestigious projects in the market and growing from a team of just 20 to a team of around 100. This growth hasn’t gone unnoticed – the company has recently bagged a coveted Swedish Gazelle award for being one of the fastest growing companies in Sweden.
“We’re in the middle of a boom in the industry – it’s a very exciting time,” says Fredrik Johansson, who is celebrating ten years of being a partner at the company, alongside Michal Jackiewicz and Karin Falk.
“Today we’re running 20 projects concurrently,” Jackiewicz adds. “It takes a huge amount of planning, especially because we want to maintain the integrity of each project. Our clients trust us implicitly and that’s extremely important considering we’re working with competitor firms on a daily basis.”
Indeed, TDoS’s current client list reads much like a cruise travel brochure. Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Star Cruises, TUI Cruises, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line…the list goes on. Johansson says that all of these clients have a single goal: to create a differentiated onboard experience that will cut through the noise and stand out.
“There are a few other trends that I can speak of,” Johansson explains. “In particular, there’s a demand for creating diversity inside each space and breaking down boundaries. For example, we’re mixing retail with a coffee bar, dining with entertainment and so on. Creating a more informal boutique feel is also a big trend.”
Jackiewicz agrees: “Generating a sense of extravagance – whether it be via more space in cabins, through a more intimate dining experience or by adding luxury brands to a retail store – adds a huge amount of guest appeal.”
Consistently delivering unique designs that create this highly sought-after guest appeal is TDoS’s mission going forward. “While we’re growing at an unprecedented rate at the moment, we don’t want to risk diluting our output,” Johansson says. “We’d rather say no to a project than take it on and not be able to deliver. We are serious about what we do and our goal is to be the best design company in the world and the number one choice for our clients.”