Having completing 38 projects in 2018, Gary Annett explains why 2019 will be even better
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Spring/Summer 2019 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
2018 was a milestone year for international outfitting firm MJM Marine. “2018 was exceptional,” says Gary Annett, CEO of the firm. “The Azamara Pursuit was well documented, but we actually completed 38 projects across the year. These projects took us from Belfast to China, Cadiz to Grand Bahamas and Singapore to Canada, with varying scale and scope. We finished the year on NCL Jewel, with a 12-day dry dock in Singapore involving 400 people; and a 20 day dry dock for Oceania Cruises, a new client for MJM Marine, during which we refitted the public spaces on the Oceania Insignia.”
2019 is shaping up in a similar vein, beginning with a complete rebrand. “We concluded that our brand and image should focus on our core strengths and our primary marketplace within the marine industry and that the company will officially trade as MJM Marine,” Annett explains. “We have been growing significantly, recruiting 60 new employees in 2018 and this will continue for our planned 2019 expansion. But what will underpin our growth will be the partnership we enjoy with our clients and suppliers.”
MJM Marine can list the world’s top cruise companies among its clients and is proud of the strength of these relationships. “The Azamara Pursuit project put MJM Marine firmly on the map as a world leader in marine interior outfitting and highlighted the extent of our capabilities and our service delivery. For this project we managed the end to end delivery – a first for a refit company. As a result, we are finding that clients are coming to us much earlier in the planning process to procure our services. Additionally, we are securing multi-ship deals with many of our clients which again makes the planning process easier. At the end of the day, input from all parties at the earliest possible stage of the planning and design process will ensure seamless delivery.”
For MJM Marine, every client, every project and every dry dock is different so there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. “MJM Marine’s expertise is in delivering turnkey solutions in all areas of a ship – cabins, public areas, external spaces, right through to shipyard management. Every project is unique depending on client requirements but the one consistent is, that we will deliver,” Annett says.
Sandwiched between design and delivery is production and installation which is driven by a lean system of works. “Our team is fully trained in lean manufacturing principles which cover everything from production planning, to logistics and labour reporting. It is a system which works exceptionally well for us and give our clients great confidence in us,” said Annett.
With the growth of the cruise industry, unprecedented numbers of newbuilds ordered and a demanding refit schedule, MJM Marine is in a very strong position.
“At the end of the day our success boils down to our core values: reliability and service excellence; craftsmanship and quality; a can-do attitude; teamwork and collaboration; and investment in our people,” Annett says. “By incorporating these values into everything we do, we have built strong partnerships with our clients, excellent loyalty and dedication from our employees and a positive outlook for the future.”
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