By
Laura Hyde |
Marine interior outfitter Trimline has undergone quite a transformation since new owners Nick Farrell and Ross Welham took over the business in March 2021.
One very obvious and physical change is that the business has moved to new premises, located just off the M27 between Portsmouth and Southampton. “Everything is now in one place – from joinery and workshops to warehousing and administration – and it’s amazing what a difference it has made to have everyone together on the same site,” says Farrell. “It’s a really collaborative environment; everyone knows what’s going on with every project, which is hugely beneficial for us and our customers as it improves efficiency and communication. We’ve also got much more space, which is allowing us to grow our design, engineering and technical teams, offering an improved service to customers which will be sustainable for the next 30 years and beyond.”
Farrell, a technology specialist, has also helped develop TAPP, an in-house business management application which amalgamates all Trimline’s operational data. “There are massive advantages to using this system in terms of transparency, for both the team and our customers,” he explains. “Everything for a refit project, from the quotes and scopes of work, through to stock, ordering, drawings, materials and onsite progress can all be accessed in one place.”
Trimline has also updated its branding to reflect its new era. “After three years, Ross and I felt like now was the right time to bring Trimline’s branding more into line with how we feel about our modern and innovative company, and make it our own, while still honouring the achievements made in the previous three decades under the helm of former owners Gary and Mike Oliver.” says Farrell. “The timing also coincided with moving into the new premises - we wanted to add a little character by making the branding bolder and more colourful, and to reflect that in the style of our new offices.”
Making numerous changes while ensuring the company remains relevant and true to its foundations is a fine balance, but Farrell feels that he and Welham have achieved this goal.
“We’ve invested heavily in new technical roles over the last few years,” says Farrell, “In order to support our project managers, and ensure the plans we make prior to beginning an outfitting project are as robust as possible. Our main goals are consistency and quality, and we put maximum effort into ensuring those two things.”
Trimline is also doing its utmost to reduce its environmental impact. “We’re constantly looking at little ways we can improve internally – one recent example is the sourcing of recycled and recyclable wrapping tape,” says Farrell. “We use miles of tape during each project, both in packaging material and in protecting the space on-board ships. This new tape is both more cost-effective and kinder to the environment than the previous product.”
Trimline has completed five casino conversions for Royal Caribbean International
Trimline is busy and getting busier. In the last 12 months, the UK-based company has completed five casino conversion projects for Royal Caribbean International, which were all carried out while the ships were in service and with minimal impact to passengers. The company is just gearing up to begin a fourth restaurant rebranding for Seabourn, which also must be completed while the ship is in service, along with a number of multi-million-pound refits this summer.
“Moving forward, our focus is on large-scale repeat projects,” says Farrell. “We enjoy replicating the same venues on multiple ships – this work was constrained during the Covid pandemic, but those types of projects are picking up again. Trimline is not in the business of ‘quick wins’ – our objective is always to be a long-term trusted partner for our clients; we learn how we each work, and we tailor our systems to suit. We’re excited to see what the future holds!”
This article was first published in the 2024 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe for FREE to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox.