Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

1 5 9 ‘new normal’ and doing what we can to reclaim the office culture to ensure they feel valued, supported and connected in just the same way as in the past. We’re immensely grateful for their sacrifices and want them to achieve a good work/ life balance, so we’re giving them time, space and flexibility when they need it.” In addition, Bourne Group has invested in a new office and production facility. “Our current headquarters was built in 1939 and isn’t particularly well-suited for housing our design, sales, manufacturing and installation teams and operations,” says McNulty. “In December, we’ll move into a purpose-built production facility with energy-efficient systems and an open-plan office space that will facilitate better communication and collaboration. It will reinvigorate our employees and revitalise the business by making it easier to work productively.” Now that countries are reopening borders and permitting cruise calls, Bourne Group has already embarked on projects with multiple cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Ponant, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. “Business has been very busy since cruise ships started to resume service and many operators are reactivating paused projects,” says McNulty. “Not only are we refreshing existing signage that has deteriorated with lack of maintenance, but we’re also producing new Covid-related signage and our standard safety signage too.” Despite the hardships of the pandemic, McNulty forecasts an upcoming “explosion” of business. “People are eager to explore and cruises offer unique travel experiences, so as more ships return to service every week, I’m increasingly bullish on the future of the cruise industry,” he says. “Pre-pandemic, 90 per cent of our business was cruise- related, so the global shutdown was extremely challenging and we had to reduce our workforce, but our remaining employees have worked relentlessly to continue delivering projects that exceed client expectations. We’ve successfully reinvented our business and diversified our client base, which has left us better- positioned to support cruise operators with their signage needs.” CFR “ Our priority has been to continually learn and adapt to ensure we can anticipate and meet clients’ needs”