147 Shores Group helped pioneer IMO-approved materials suitable for outdoor cruise furniture “If we hadn’t had that, we wouldn’t be here today. Half of our business now is hotel work, and they appreciate the cruise-quality materials we bring. The hotel industry doesn’t normally use these materials and although they’re a little more expensive, they’re so much better. Clients really notice the difference.” Coming through the other side of the pandemic has also changed the make-up of the cruise industry, says Sadolin. “There are a lot of new people in the industry now, because many of the experienced ones retired or moved into other industries during the pandemic,” she explains. “So, we’ve become more of a mentor now, helping the younger generation learn what’s onboard the ships, because they don’t always have that knowledge yet. At the same time, it’s become increasingly complex to work on major cruise ship projects, so you really need to know the system to navigate it effectively.” Materials have also transformed since the early days when almost nothing outdoor-approved existed. “Today there are hundreds of IMO-approved materials available, and designers can create almost anything they imagine, indoors or out,” says Sadolin. “I was involved in introducing some of that myself, like the quick-dry foam we found around 15 years ago, which the whole industry then adopted. If I think about how far we’ve come, it’s gone from nearly zero to about 90.” Among Shores Group’s largest recent projects is its work on MSC Cruises’ private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, which started in 2018 and was delivered in two phases. An even bigger opportunity has opened with the cruise company’s new Sandy Cay destination. “It might be the biggest project we’ve ever done, depending on how much we’re able to be involved,” says Sadolin. In addition, the company is preparing to launch a new fabric-focused website this autumn and focusing on building long-term relationships. “We’re launching a new website that makes it much easier to order, with a far bigger range of fabrics than before,” says Sadolin. “We want it to be the place where designers can search every IMOapproved fabric in the world. We’re also going back to what we do best: being the main, repeat supplier for certain cruise lines, rather than chasing every small order that comes up.”
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