NSIA Member Spotlights - Page 2

Lake Union Drydock Company is a full-service shipyard specializing in ship repair and in 2019 it is celebrating its 100th year of operation. 

The facilities cover more than 12 acres. Lake Union Drydock has two dry docks with capacity to lift vessels up to 6,000 tons, about 420 feet. They can also dry dock multiple vessels on the same drydock, so they are not limited to a large ship repair project.

In 1919, amidst a post-WWI economic slump, Otis Cutting and John McLean forged a partnership when together they purchased waterfront property on Lake Union and established Lake Union Drydock Company.

During Prohibition, rumrunners used fast boats to transport alcohol along “rum-lines” where they risked passage between ports in the western waters of both the USA and Canada. To address this challenge, the US Coast Guard commissioned Lake Union Drydock Company to construct fifteen, 75’ long, high-speed Patrol Boats, an effort that achieved Lake Union Drydock Company instant viability as well as accolades for the craft and quality of the vessels they built.

In 1946, Harry Jones, an attorney, and George H. Stebbins, a marine engineer, joined forces to purchase Lake Union Drydock Company, a union that would be followed by three subsequent generations.

Today, Lake Union Drydock Company vessel repairs includes; factory trawlers, longliners and catcher boats, deep sea and harbor tugs, barges, US Coast Guard ships including buoy tenders, medium and high endurance cutters and high-speed patrol craft, Washington State Ferries and regional high-speed passenger ferries, NOAA vessels, large yachts, and assorted commercial vessels.

To learn more, click here. 

For more than 50 years, the Asko Group of companies has provided a complete range of high-quality services to plate, paint, repair or recondition metal parts for marine, aerospace, electronics and industrial applications. The Asko Group / Asko Processing is headquartered in Downtown Fremont.

It started back in 1967 when Asko founders thought there was a better way of doing things. They saw a need for high quality metal finishing and the company Asko Processing Inc. was formed. In the 1980’s there was a need for a machine shop to grind the hydraulic rods that were being processed. Asko Group then purchased a hydraulic repair and machine shop and renamed it Asko Hydraulic Repair in 1989. An exciting new area of work is the ability of HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spray. Asko is constantly looking at new technologies and processes to streamline production and acquiring new equipment to better serve their customers.

The Asko Group provides metal finishing, machining, hydraulic repair, remanufacturing and fabrication services for heavy industry and machine shop suppliers. 

Long before the law required strict environmental safeguards, Asko made a commitment to protect the environment and their employees. For years, their Delta pollution control system has been removing heavy metals from their rinse water and every one of their plating technicians has been trained in the proper handling of metallic solutions.

For more information, click here.

When the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe rail line cancelled service through industrial Ballard, the local businesses that relied on the spur teamed up, bought a 50-year-old locomotive and kept rolling.

Currently, the Ballard Terminal Railroad Company operates three Class III short line terminal railroads. Founded in 1997 to operate a three-mile spur through Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, the Ballard Terminal Railroad has expanded to operate two additional lines in the Puget Sound area, including Eastside Freight Railroad from Snohomish to Woodinville, and Meeker Southern Railroad, a 5 mi (8.0 km) segment from East Puyallup to McMillin.

The Ballard operation runs from near the Fremont border all the way to meet the BNSF track at Shilshole. The three miles of old track are not rated for passenger trains but are wholly adequate for its industrial cargo. For example, the Railroad delivers cars containing cement, fly ash, stucco and mortar to Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel two to three times per week, typically at night.

The Ballard Terminal Railroad owns its tracks outright but has a 30-year lease on the land underneath, which belongs to the city of Seattle. Most of the railroad was originally part of the Great Northern Railway's main line, moved to the west when the Lake Washington Ship Canal was built.

Ocean Beauty began in 1910 as a storefront on the Seattle waterfront called the Washington Fish and Oyster Company. In the 1930’s the company first ventured out to Alaska and got involved in the seafood industry there, and by 1954 the company had expanded its Alaska locations and became the first seafood company to portion and vacuum pack seafood steak and fillets in Alaska.

The Port of Seattle’s Maritime Division and its facilities serve a diverse mix of year round and seasonal activities. May through September, Smith Cove Cruise Terminal and Bell Harbor Cruise Terminal serve as homeport for cruise ships headed to Alaska. October through May, Fishermen's Terminal and Terminal 91, serve as homeport for the North Pacific Fishing Fleet and factory trawlers.

The Maritime Division also operates the Maritime Industrial Center and leases Terminal 86, a fully automated grain terminal, along with other industrial properties connected with these maritime activities and businesses.

Founded in 1911, the Port of Seattle is a special-purpose municipal corporation serving the citizens of King County; its mission is to create good jobs here and across the state by advancing trade and commerce, promoting manufacturing and maritime growth, and stimulating economic development.

The Port’s vision is to add 100,000 jobs through economic growth led by the Port, for a total of 300,000 Port-related jobs in the region, while reducing its environmental footprint.

The Port of Seattle is a leader in moving people and cargo across the country and around the world. With facilities and property ranging in scope from a half-acre park to one of the largest airports and container terminals on the West Coast, they maximize the public assets in their portfolio with an eye toward best uses and environmental sustainability.

For more information, click here.

D. A. Burns has grown to become a leading Northwest carpet, specialty rug, upholstery, stone and tile cleaning firm, as well as a specialist in custom carpet fabrication, accent edge treatments and expert rug repair and reweaving.

Since 1935, residential and business clients have trusted D. A. Burns & Sons with the care and cleaning of their valued furnishings.

In 1930, an Akron, Ohio, tire manufacturing plant fell victim to the Depression and closed its doors.  Acting upon the suggestion of one of his sons, the now unemployed manager at this plant, David A. Burns, Sr., moved his family to Seattle to find new employment opportunities.

The Burns family’s interest in professional cleaning came purely by accident. While managing a Seattle apartment building, a pail of wall cleaning solution was spilled on a wool area rug by Mr. and Mrs. Burns, Sr.  They quickly absorbed as much of the soapy spill as they could.  A next day inspection of the rug revealed a clean spot where the cleaning solution had been spilled.  Both Dave Sr. and Dave Jr., who was employed as a custodian in a downtown office building, decided to apply this experience on a full-time business basis.

Today, D. A. Burns is recognized as an industry leader and is highly recommended by design professionals who rely on their expertise for the cleaning of installed carpet, Oriental and area rugs, upholstered furniture, stone and tile as well as the fabrication of custom carpet designs, edge treatments and rug repair and reweaving. Their cleaning procedures are selected for their superior cleaning ability and low impact on our indoor and outdoor environments.

For more information, click here.

Bowman Refrigeration was started by Dave Bowman in 1984 to perform service work and startups as a contractor to Sabroe Denmark, a company he had developed a relationship with while installing and servicing their systems on Alaska fishing vessels.  In 1987 the company hired its first employees and began doing installations.

The company has remained heavily involved in the Alaska fishing industry, also branching out into other sectors of the maritime industry and land-based operations as well.

The company is well versed in all aspects of industrial refrigeration across a broad spectrum of applications including cold storage, process chilling, and process freezing (immersion, blast, contact).

Bowman’s HVAC experience began with service of existing systems on vessels belonging to several local cruise lines.  Becoming the area’s only Carrier Marine Dealer took the company headfirst into Marine HVAC and with each passing year it occupies a larger portion of  sales. They have provided service, new systems and major upgrades on a number of tugboats, private and government research vessels, military ships and ferries.

For more information, click here.