Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2021

1 1 4 INTERV IEW A new era Trimline’s new directors Ross Welham and Nick Farrell tell Rebecca Gibson how they are building on the firm’s reputation for delivering stellar ship outfitting projects to drive future success F ounded in 1965, UK-based company Trimline is renowned worldwide for its award-winning marine interior outfitting projects. In early 2021, former owners Gary and Mike Oliver stepped down after 30 years at the helm, making way for new directors Ross Welham and Nick Farrell. Welham, who has been with Trimline for 13 years and most recently served as chief operating officer, introduced technology specialist Farrell to the business in 2020. Despite the significant challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, they have now formulated a strong business plan to ensure Trimline’s continued success long into the future. Initially, Welham and Farrell sought to ensure the business could remain operational in the wake of the global cruise industry shutdown. “The industry has been hurt and cruise projects have been particularly impacted during the pandemic,” says Welham. “However, our varied portfolio has allowed us to focus more on our ferry refits and maintenance work over the past six months, which has helped to keep the business moving forwards. This quieter time has also created a unique opportunity for Trimline to identify ways to improve our client offering and to bring in people with the skill set to achieve this.” The main aim, says Farrell, is to maintain Trimline’s “great reputation for quality of workmanship, honesty and integrity”, while also exploring how to enhance various areas of the business. “We’re evaluating how we can better analyse and re-use information we’ve gained during previous refits to help with future projects,” he notes. “It also involves looking closely at how we can better collaborate with our clients’ project managers to ensure everyone has all the information they need when they need it most.” “ We’re still the same company with the same beliefs and desire to produce high- quality work” Ross Welham