Putting the art in partnership

The legendary Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi, once said “individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work”. What is true to sport is often true to other areas of life, and the moving parts of a refit project are no exception, where any shortfall can easily expose the project to unwanted risk. 

One of the most visual areas of the project is the interior work. The space that will come most closely in contact with the owner and must reflect not only the individual’s needs but also their personality. Our dedicated interiors department in MB92 Barcelona are interior specialists and have unrivalled experience in meeting these exacting requirements. They work alongside some of the industry’s leading names to realise the client’s vision and so a trusted partnership is essential to consistently deliver success. 

MB92 Barcelona have enjoyed a close working relationship with Vedder for over 10 years and so we took the opportunity to speak to our interiors team and Gustav Pingist, Vedder’s BCN Project Co-ordinator with over 25 years’ experience in the industry, to discover what it is that makes this partnership work, and how this is transferred to the client. 

Gustav Pingist, Vedder Project Co-ordinator 

Excuse the pun but we are all in the same boat. Both MB92 and Vedder want the same result for the client – to be wowed by something unique that exceeds expectations. For me, the partnership we enjoy is based upon knowledge, understanding and honesty. The interiors team all come from an interior design background which is so beneficial to me and the project. They understand the process and, because of their focus on interior works, can effectively act as the perfect project spokesperson, bringing the best out of all involved parties.  

Quite often on interior projects, most of the work is done off-site, so for large periods it can appear to the client that not much is happening. The more visible part of the project in the client’s eyes is when we come to install the finished pieces onboard towards the end of the process. I have worked on the client side so know that this can sometimes provoke frustration with a client who is probably having numerous other high-pressure works happening onboard at the same time. The MB92 team are able to communicate this to the client and explain the work behind the scenes.  

This ability to effectively convey calmness is so valuable in such a high-pressure environment as any escalation of unnecessary stress can lead to a domino effect that may jeopardise the success of the project, and then nobody leaves happy. 

MB92 Barcelona Interiors Team

We work in a very particular area of the project and so having someone who speaks our language, who understands interior works, is such a benefit. We have worked with Vedder and, more concretely, with Gustav for many years so we understand each other, what we need to get the work done and so enjoy a very streamlined and efficient flow of communication.  

In other areas of the project, engineering factors could constrain what is or is not possible. An owner may want more speed, but this could prejudice the smoothness of the ride. With interiors, an owner’s scope is only limited by their imagination. This is where it is so important to avoid any ambiguity when defining the scope and the possibilities to deliver this for the client. By having a transparent and honest relationship with a provider means you may not hear what you want but a minor inconvenience now is better than an expensive disappointment later.  

Finally, as always in refit, the real value of experience comes to the fore when challenges present themselves. As Project Managers, our role is to always have a solution, to give options. Therefore, having someone on hand who is able to provide agile responses to proposals is a real added value for us and the client. 

At MB92, we work closely with a global network of partners to provide the very best service either at one of our shipyards or anywhere our clients require.  

For further information or to discuss your ideas for that next refit period, please contact our team.