Category Archives: Manufacturing

Port mulling $75k real estate marketing study

SAFE Boats remains an anchor tenant at the port
SAFE Boats remains an anchor industrial tenant at the port

The Port of Bremerton is considering paying a consulting firm $75,000 to study how the district can best market its sprawling industrial property to potential tenants.

According to a memo prepared by CEO Jim Rothlin, the goal of the analysis would be to identify the port’s strengths and generate a list of businesses that could benefit from locating there.

“While the Port has many amenities to offer prospective tenants at the Industrial Park, it is critical that we find a way to stand apart from many other location options available to them,” Rothlin wrote in the memo.

Rothlin is recommending a contract with real estate consulting firm Heartland LLC. of Seattle.

The bulk of the $75,000 price tag would be covered by a $49,500 grant the port recently obtained from the state Department of Commerce. The port would pick up the remaining $25,500.

The port commission will vote on the contract during its next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bremerton National Airport.

You can read Rothlin’s memo below and find the port commission agenda here.

2016-06-28_Agenda_Packet

SAFE Boats unveils ‘multi-mission’ vessel

safe.boatsSAFE Boats International announced a new model in its lineup of commercially-available”interceptor” vessels.

The Port of Bremerton-based manufacturer unveiled the 35-foot “Multi-Mission Interceptor” Wednesday at the Multi-Agency Craft Conference in Baltimore, according to a news release.

“We are excited to launch the Multi-Mission Interceptor, one of the most versatile and highest performing models in our already great portfolio”, SAFE Boats CEO Dennis Morris said in the release.

The aluminum vessel boasts a maximum speed of more than 55 knots, and is capable of tight maneuvers and open-ocean crossings. A unique mounting system allows the rear deck to be reconfigured quickly.

SAFE Boats recently celebrated a milestone with the completion of its 2,000th hull and the delivery of its first coastal interceptor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Coyote Woodshop opens Winslow showroom

Coyote Woodshop has built a business around giving new life to old trees. 

The Bainbridge Island shop turns reclaimed wood from the island into lumber and high-end furniture at its headquarters on Day Road.

This spring, customers will also be able to find Coyote Woodshop’s work downtown.

Coyote Woodshop has opened a pop-up showroom at 563 Madison Avenue N., just north of Wyatt Way. The store will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in March and April.

The shop will also participate in First Friday Art Walks and be available to show furniture by appointment.

For information, email info@coyotewoodshop.com or call 206-855-3401, or check out the Facebook page. 

SAFE Boats builds vessels for Bahamas Police

safe.boats.bahamas

Two boats tested in Sinclair Inlet are now patrolling sunnier seas.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force has accepted delivery of a pair of 41-foot, center console interceptor vessels manufactured by Bremerton’s SAFE Boats International, according to a news release.

The boats will primarily be used to combat drug smuggling and human trafficking in water surrounding the archipelago. Special features include a thermal imaging camera and multi-function display screens for the crew.

The offshore interceptor vessels can achieve speeds of more than 50 knots, even in rough water. Bahamas police have four of the boats in service.

SAFE Boats recently landed a $48 million U.S. Customs contract to build 52 Coastal Interceptor Vessels. The company will begin delivering those vessels this year, according to the release.

SAFE Boats’ small boat manufacturing center is located in the Port of Bremerton’s Olympic View Industrial Park, near Bremerton National Airport.

Click here for more maritime industry posts.

SAFE Boats building river patrol vessel for Colombia

safe.boats.riverine
The new riverine interceptor vessel (courtesy SAFE Boats)

Bremerton’s SAFE Boats International has been chosen to build a line of speedy river patrol vessels for the ColI mbian military.

The Colombian Navy/Coast Guard awarded a contract to the manufacturer for the new 30-foot boat, designated as the Type-F Riverine Interceptor Vessel.

“The vessel will perform missions of offensive patrolling, combat drug trafficking, piracy, arms and explosives smuggling and can conduct vessel-to-vessel boarding operations to guarantee the security of commercial shipping lines within Colombia,” according to a news release.safe.logo

The interceptor can carry a crew of up to 10. The boat is powered by twin Yamaha outboards and is capable of reaching 37 knots.

It features a retractable canopy, and front and rear machine gun mounts.

SAFE Boats has completed the first riverine interceptor, which will be delivered this month. The company expects to build as many as two-dozen of the boats for Colombia in coming years.

The Colombian military already has more than 20 SAFE Boats in service, including 41-foot coastal interceptor vessels and 38-foot coastal cabin patrol vessels.

“We have worked very close with the Colombian military to understand just how aggressive and remote their missions can be and to develop a boat that will significantly enhance their patrol and interdiction capabilities on the large rivers of Colombia,” John Hotz, director of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in the release.

SAFE Boats builds its smaller aluminum vessels at a facility in the Port of Bremerton’s Olympic View Industrial Park. A larger line of Navy patrol boats is being built in Tacoma.

Navy orders more patrol boats from SAFE Boats

mkiv

The U.S. Navy has ordered two more Mk VI patrol boats from SAFE Boats International.

The order represents a $17.8 million modification to an existing contract awarded to SAFE Boats last year for a second installment of Mk VI vessels. All told, SAFE Boats will build 12 of the patrol boats for the Navy.

The aluminum boat builder is manufacturing the 85-foot, jet-powered boats at the Port of Tacoma. SAFE Boats is headquartered in Bremerton and builds smaller vessels at Olympic View Industrial Park. 

The award comes on the heals of a $48 million U.S. Customs contract for interceptor vessels announced in early July.

$12 million for Vet Industrial

SAFE Boats isn’t the only Bremerton-based company to land a large defense job this month.

Vet Industrial of Bremerton was awarded a nearly $12 million contract to build a remote switching unit building and associated site work at Gray’s Army Airfield, Joint Base Lewis McChord. The project is expected to be completed by August 2016. 

The company, with headquarters on Charleston Beach Road, was one of two to bid. Funding will come from the 2015 fiscal year military construction budget. It’s a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that has been performing general contracting services for federal and state government agencies since 2006.

Want to know when fresh content is posted to the Minding Your Business blog? Sign up for email alerts.

(Courtesy photo)

SAFE Boats lands $48M U.S. Customs contract

Bremerton-based SAFE Boats International will build up to 52 Coastal Interceptor Vehicles under a new contract for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

SAFE.interceptor
Coastal Interceptor Vehicle (Courtesy image)

The contract is valued at more than $48 million, according to a news release. 

The 41-foot Coastal Interceptors designed to chase down suspect boats, and serve as a platform for officers to perform searches and seizures.

The vessels are highly maneuverable and can reach speeds of more than 54 knots over open ocean.

“We are gratified to be selected and entrusted with this program by the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection”, SAFE Boats President Dennis Morris said in the release. “We understand how critical their mission is and believe that the SAFE Boats CIV will insure effective mission execution for years to come.”

SafeBoats03_12483660_ver1.0_640_480
Dennis Morris (MEEGAN REID /KITSAP SUN)

The interceptors are similar to a center-console vessels SAFE Boats has already produced for the Royal Bahamian Police, Colombian Navy and private owners.

With the addition of the Customs contract, SAFE Boats is now working on three projects for the federal government, including a series of small, “Over-the-Horizon” vessels for the Coast Guard, and larger Mk VI patrol boats for the Navy, which are being produced in Tacoma.

With the award of CIV, SAFE Boats is now delivering 3 major US Federal programs including the USCG Over-the-Horizon (OTH) and the US Navy Mk VI High Speed Patrol Boat.

SAFE Boats employs about 190 workers at its Port of Bremerton manufacturing facility, where it recently renewed its lease.

Port of Bremerton lands clean energy startup

The Port of Bremerton has inked a lease agreement with a clean energy company it hopes will power future job growth in Kitsap County.

The tenant is SuperCritical Technologies Inc.,  a 3-year-old startup organized with the modest goal of revolutionizing the energy sector.

“It’s a massive market,” SuperCritical CEO Craig Husa said during a presentation to the port commission Tuesday night. “We’ve got great technology that disrupts that massive market.”

The startup has developed power plants that harness supercritical Co2, rather than traditional steam, to power turbines and generate electricity.

A key advantage of the technology is it’s compact. SuperCritical claims it can produce a 5-megawatt plant small enough to fit in a  40-foot shipping container.

The company’s systems can be used to convert waste heat at industrial facilities into electricity, which can help offset the facility’s power needs.

For now, SuperCritical is a scrappy startup with a tiny team. Its leaders see unlimited potential for growth.

“This is one of the reason’s we’re excited to be here at the Port of Bremerton,” Husa said. “We’ve got great space, we’ve got potential to grow, there’s a potential labor force that’s strong in the area, we’ve got access to shipping… it’s really is an awesome place for us to be.”

All of this was music to the ears of port officials.

“This is something we could see growing really big,” port CEO Jim Rothlin said. “… we talk about trying to find what’s going to be our niche here. This could possibly be our niche… nowhere else has this kind of thing.”

SuperCritical is starting small at the port. The company has agreed to lease a 6,000-square-foot building in Olympic View Industrial Park for $2,880 a month. The initial term is for two years, with the option for 10 two-year extensions.

The port is obligated to install a security fence in January 2016 and upgrade the building’s electrical system. The cost of those improvements is estimated at $53,000.

The full lease agreement is embedded below.

We’ll have a full story on SuperCritical technologies soon. In the meantime, you can read a Puget Sound Business Journal Q&A with company officials here. 

SuperCritical Lease

Mora Iced Creamery opening new factory

Mora Iced Creamery owner Jerry Perez in the new production facility that is under construction in Poulsbo on Friday, March 27, 2015. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)
Mora Iced Creamery owner Jerry Perez in the new production facility. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)

Update: Apparently the ribbon cutting ceremony is invite-only. Apologies to anyone who put it on their calendar. 

After 10 years in business, Mora Iced Creamery is ready to go big.

The small-batch, artisnal ice cream maker will debut a new Poulsbo factory on Saturday.

At 10,000-square-feet, the facility isn’t huge. It is, however, a significant step in the evolution of the company.

Mora plans to begin offering franchises this summer, with the aim of creating 40 to 50 new locations over the next five years. The Viking Avenue factory will help Mora keep up with demand from new shops, while supplying wholesale to grocery stores and restaurants.

Mora’s original Bainbridge Island production facility could only meet the needs of the three shops in Poulsbo, Kingston and Winslow.

The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal recently wrote about Mora’s expansion plans. You can find that story here.

SAFE Boats delivering patrol vessels to Tunisia

Tunisia 65 PR

Two boats built in Bremerton will soon be roving off the Mediterranean coast of Africa.

SAFE Boats International recently announced the completion of a pair of 65-foot patrol boats for the Tunisian Navy. One boat already arrived in Tunisia. A second is being delivered.

According to a news release, the boats feature dual 1,600 horse-power diesel engines, shock absorbing seating, climate controlled cabins and navigation equipment. They can reach speeds in excess of 40 knots (nearly 50 mph).

The boats will help the Tunisian Navy conduct search-and-rescue missions and extended offshore patrols.

SAFE Boats’ products already make up a healthy portion of Tunisia’s fleet. The company has previously delivered 20 vessels to the Tunisian Navy, ranging from 25 to 44 feet long.

“We are extremely honored to be a continuing part of the Tunisian Navy and providing products that allow their personnel to accomplish the challenging missions they face.”, SAFE Boats CEO Dennis Morris said in the release.

The 65 foot boats are among the largest vessels SAFE Boats has built at its Port of Bremerton facility. The boats were fabricated in temporary hangars outside the main plant.