Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2021

1 2 0 INTERV IEW Building on success Gary Annett of MJM Marine tells Elly Yates-Roberts how the cruise industry’s hiatus has created an opportunity for innovation W ith the cruise industry having spent the last year or so on a hiatus due to Covid-19, many businesses have spent this time reorganising their business and preparing for what lies ahead. Refurbishment and interior outfitting firm MJM Marine is no exception to this. “While the past 12 months have been challenging for both MJM and the industry as a whole, we have faced those challenges head on by continuing to invest in training and innovation,” says Gary Annett, CEO of MJM. “Amid the lockdown, we reshaped our organisation. We have been using the time to invest in the future by training staff and continuing to develop our enterprise resource planning system. The prolonged hiatus has given us time and an opportunity which we otherwise may not have had. “We also created an innovation department to investigate trends in the market and this has helped accelerate partnerships. We are looking forward to showcasing these innovations soon.” Collaboration between operators, destinations, shore excursion providers and outfitters have been integral to the success of the cruise industry for years and may be even more so following the pandemic. Recognising this, MJM has recently entered new partnerships that combine its interior expertise with hygiene-focused products that will be essential when cruising resumes. “The first is with Vyv,” says Annett. “Its range of antimicrobial light solutions continuously clean the environment in which they are installed. They offer a sense of safety and security to customers and staff at a time when people demand higher environmental wellness standards.” Vyv’s solutions use LED lighting to create environments that are inhospitable to bacteria, mould, fungi and yeast. The latest study confirms effectiveness against non-enveloped viruses, which are the most difficult class of virus to destroy. “We also started working with Ilimex to use its UV-C Air Steriliser,” says Annett. “The device uses a combination of sterilisation technologies to eliminate 99.9 per cent of airborne pathogens, including coronavirus. “These complementary technologies will assist in the overall protection of passengers. Although the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the marine industry, we believe that we are uniquely positioned to help our clients in the future delivery of both refurbishment and newbuild works.” These partnerships are just one way that MJM has been doing its bit to help ship operators safely return to service. The business has also been involved in upgrading the clinical facilities onboard its customers’ ships. “We have been working with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity