It has been a year since we talked with MJM Marine, the family-owned, world-class outfitters that ensure people can travel the waves in style. Its innovative, bespoke and turnkey solutions are supported by comprehensive in-house manufacturing facilities and a complete project management service.
When we last spoke with MJM Marine we learned how the firm was founded as a joinery sub-contractor, eventually moving into the manufacturing and marine outfitting sectors, growing to become a leading presence in the sector.
MJM Marine has come a long way since then.
“It has been a significant year of growth for us,” says Gary Annett, MJM Marine’s CEO. “Last time we spoke we were in a positive position, planning to grow the business as our pipeline was starting to expand. This year, in terms of growth, we have almost finished the last of our year’s projects.”
The Limits of the Possible
Over the course of that year of growth, MJM Marine has taken on a variety of projects from reasonably straightforward drydock work to new experiences on first-in-class projects that test the limits of what is possible.
“We have built a couple of unique projects based within the ship,” Annett says. “We have built a dining experience that we have developed from concept to prototype and eventually installing it on board so that we can see passengers enjoy a new interactive dining experience. We have even built an entire lighthouse on the upper decks of one ship, as a play area for kids.”
It is this sheer diversity of work that keeps Annett so passionate about his job.
“The variety of projects never ceases to amaze me, seeing who dreams up what,” Annett says. “Creating all these new things keeps the business fresh in its approach.”
MJM Marine is able to adapt to these new concepts thanks to the flexibility it has nurtured among its team over the years.
“It is about agility,” Annett tells us. “We do not generally produce projects that need thousands of a single component. We are built around the bespoke nature of what we do, with the agility to react to new design concepts. Having a very flexible team with multiple skill sets allows us to do that. It is in our DNA.”
Agility in practice comes from centring innovation, moving with the times, with the ideas MJM’s customers want to see realised, and in what MJM Marine itself can make possible.
“Innovation comes up regularly. It is important for the organisation to keep up with the new things coming into design, utilising scanning, 3D drawing and other innovative new ways to manage projects,” Annett says. “It is not all about technology. It is about the right combination of leadership skills and experience levels. We get that blended into the organisation with skills drawn from different industries. We ask how we can bring together the right mindsets and people with the same core values.”
A Global Talent Pool
While MJM Marine’s business is centralised in Newry, it is a global organisation with a presence in multiple countries and access to all of those talent pools in every part of the world.
“It also means we can elongate our working day to travel along the time zones,” Annett says.
Even as MJM Marine’s reach expands, acquiring the highest calibre of talent remains a persistent challenge.
As Annett points out, “Last time we talked about growing our staff and expertise. That has always been a challenge. There has never been a time when it was easy to recruit, but in the last few years lifestyles have changed so much. We need staff who will be project-focused through long difficult days and have the ability to jump on a plane at short notice.”
MJM Marine has a recruitment process in place that attracts younger, less experienced people and takes them up through the business, showcasing all aspects of the company to them.
“We are training people as they come in, exposing them to what we do as quickly as possible,” Annett says.
This means hands-on experience in the most literal sense.
“We get them on a boat as soon as possible,” he says. “A huge amount of the work on these projects goes into preparation and logistics, but when you see all those components come together on a very tight timescale in difficult circumstances around the world, it really brings home what we do.”
At the same time as bringing in new talent, MJM Marine has also invested in growing its leadership team.
“Over the last seven months we have grown the team in a way that allows us to lead the business into difficult areas where we want to see growth, while also driving other parts of the business that need new direction,” Annett explains. “It is about bringing industry experience into the organisation.”
As Annett points out, when we last spoke to him he was planning the future growth of the company. When we ask about the future now, the same thing is true.
“It is going to be much more about what we project manage and oversee on behalf of our customers than about the pure manufacturing elements,” he informs us. “Customers have taken us into interactions where we manage multiple venues on multiple ships, showing just what can be achieved in outfitting projects.”
While the scale, scope and nature of MJM’s work might change, one thing remains consistent.
“Our focus remains 100% marine, but we use the term ‘Marine’ loosely. It covers ferries and vessels, and the growth in the cruise industry is absorbing all our capacity and then some,” Annett says. “We are working with the top sailing organisations in the world. We are a global outfitter and we are constantly finding new ways to do that. If we look at our projects now, they are more than fit out. They are complex project development operations with logistics and commercial elements. We need to be flexible around changing budgets and dates from customers as well, realising their vision even without all the necessary information. But whatever the challenge, we can find ways to deliver the product.”
