Tag Archives: manufacturing

SAFE Boats delivers first MK VI patrol boat

SAFE Boats International delivered the first of its new MK VI patrol boats to the U.S. Navy in August, according to a Navy wire story.

It’s the first of 10 patrol vessels SAFE Boats is building for the Navy. SAFE is headquartered in Bremerton but building the MK VI series in Tacoma.

The 85-foot boats will be used by the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command for coastal and river operations. The patrol boats can accommodate up to 10 crew members and eight passengers, while motoring at speeds up to 35 knots.

The first MK VI completed sea trials over the summer and will be deployed in the spring of 2015, according to the Navy. SAFE will continue deliveries through 2018.

The Navy awarded SAFE an initial $30.5 million patrol boat contract in 2012 and an additional contract earlier this year.

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Is it time to rename SKIA?

Tad Sooter

blog.skia

The Port of Bremerton needs to recruit manufacturers to the slow-growing South Kitsap Industrial Area.

But most companies outside the region have never heard of Kitsap County, let alone its southern extremities. Given the county’s lack of name recognition, port Commissioner Axel Strakeljahn believes it’s time to rebrand SKIA.

“Where is South Kitsap and what does that mean to you?” Strakeljahn said at a Tuesday night commission meeting. “It has no meaning outside our local area.”

His solution? Give the 3,500-acre industrial area a name that reflects the broader region. “Puget Sound Industrial Center” was one suggestion.

Strakeljahn said he and port CEO Jim Rothlin have informally discussed a potential name change with a number of area leaders, including representatives from Puget Sound Regional Council and Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent. The idea was well received. Continue reading →

SAFE Boats delivers icebreaker support vessel

Tad Sooter

Bremerton’s SAFE Boats International has produced a new Coast Guard support vessel specifically designed for use in arctic conditions.

The new CB-OTH-IV POLAR was recently delivered to the 420-foot icebreaker USCG Cutter Healy, according to a company news release. The support vessel is a modified version of the 26-foot Cutter Boat-Over The Horizon-IV that SAFE Boats is producing for the Coast Guard on a long-term contract.

The POLAR version features a reinforced hull, SAFE Boat’s collar floatation system, communications equipment, and launch and recovery hardware. The boat is powered by a 480-horsepower engine and water jet drive.

According to the release, the vessel will “support cutter missions in open water and operates as a critical support craft with a mission scope of law enforcement, security, search and rescue, and environmental protection of natural resources.”

“We are very pleased to continue our long history of partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard in providing them a new platform that will allow the women and men serving on forward deployed ice breakers to better accomplish their mission,“ SAFE Boats CEO Dennis Morris said in the release.

The Seattle-based Healy is primarily an arctic research vessel. It carries a 4,200-square-foot laboratory and accommodations for up to 50 scientists. The Healy can break through 4.5 feet of ice at a speed of three knots, according to its official page.

Acquisition of Bellingham company helps Poulsbo manufacturer expand

Tad Sooter

The acquisition of a Bellingham machine shop has positioned Poulsbo manufacturer Trulife to serve new industries.

Trulife, which has corporate headquarters in Ireland, bought Bellingham-based Pro CNC on Jan. 30. Pro CNC was paired with Trulife’s Poulsbo operation to create Trulife Engineered Solutions.

Trulife in Poulsbo had specialized almost exclusively in designing and manufacturing prosthetic and orthopedic devices. Pro CNC serves the commercial and aerospace sectors. The purchase of Pro CNC will allow Trulife to begin manufacturing equipment for those sectors.

“Trulife has focused on manufacturing medical devices but has been looking to diversify its product line,” Noel Murphy, executive chairman for Trulife, said in a statement.

Trulife Vice President of Operations Anna Reyes-Potts said the company is hiring machinists in both Poulsbo and Bellingham. Trulife employs about 100 people in Poulsbo. Pro CNC employs about 70 workers.

Trulife has five other manufacturing centers in the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada.

The Bellingham Herald has a story on the Pro CNC acquisition.

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