Co Down firm announces £120m of new work to fit out cruise ships

A Co Down-based firm has announced it has secured 150 million dollars (£120 million) of new work to fit out cruise ships.

MJM Marine, an outfitting firm based in Newry, said the increase in business across a range of global clients, including the world’s largest cruise companies, will enable it to create more than 100 new jobs.

The new positions will take the firm’s workforce to about 300 people.

The announcement was made on Friday on board the Celebrity Apex, which was docked in Belfast.

It is part of Celebrity Cruises, a brand in the Royal Caribbean Group and one of MJM Marine’s trade partners.

MJM said its order book includes seven of the world’s leading brands, with delivery in locations including Singapore, across Europe and to the Bahamas.

Gary Annett, chief executive of MJM Marine, described a “really exciting growth trajectory” and new opportunities across the business.

“The new roles are predominantly based at our headquarters in Newry and range from operations and project management to commercial and other business support roles,” he said.

“This represents a multimillion-pound GVA (gross value add) to the local economy in salary contribution and significantly more in value to the local and national supply chain.

“There are more than 500 cruise ships active at the moment with regular refit and upgrade schedules. We have visibility of the future requirements, so we are confident of a buoyant long-term project pipeline.”

Naoimh McConville, group managing director at Rathbane Group, MJM Marine’s parent company, added: “We are thrilled to announce the next phase of growth for MJM Marine. We are committed to strengthening our operations by investing for the future to make a positive impact for our people and planet.”

She said the firm will be launching an extensive recruitment drive.

“Our people are the force behind driving innovation and delivering industry firsts, which is the platform for our strong culture and performance,” she said.

“We take pride in our record for securing repeat business and the development of collaborative client relationships, with brands who entrust us time and again with their refit work.”