PORT ANGELES — Armstrong Marine Inc., which has increased sales eightfold in the past six years, plans an expansion on the waterfront.
The aluminum-boat manufacturing firm is ready to take the next step, Cory Armstrong, vice president and production manager of Armstrong Marine, told about 30 members of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
“We’re looking to expand to a presence on the waterfront,” Armstrong said.
Having added two buildings on its landlocked 151 Octane Lane site, the company needs better access to the water.
The company has been trucking boats to the Port Angeles Harbor for testing and to show its boats to customers before they take delivery, Armstrong said.
Now Armstrong Marine is looking for a place to build its own dock on the harbor with an area for final assembly, as well as an improved seaplane facility, he said.
The company is seeking a space through both the Port of Port Angeles and private owners, Armstrong said.
There has been some past discussion between Armstrong Marine and the Port of Port Angeles regarding a waterfront location, but no specific property has been identified, Port Executive Director Jeff Robb said Tuesday.
The port is eager to work with Armstrong Marine to find a location, Robb said.
The expansion is all part of a success story for the Canadian-American brothers who began designing and building aluminum-hulled catamaran boats in Victoria in 1990.
Armstrong and his brother, Josh, moved their business from British Columbia to Port Angeles in 2001 to take advantage of the harbor’s winter weather protection and for its proximity to the Seattle area.
Sales, jobs
In 2004, the business did $1 million in boat sales, Armstrong said.
By 2010, international, military and law enforcement sales had boosted boat sales to $8 million.
Most sales are to customers in the United States, but there has been an increase in sales to Central and South America, especially for law enforcement and pilot boats, he said.
From 2004 to 2010, the company doubled its work force from 25 to 50 workers, most of whom are local hires.
“We’re able to choose from a good labor pool,” Armstrong said.
There are a lot of good workers in the area who are eager to stay in Port Angeles rather than move their families elsewhere, he said.
Jobs range from entry-level minimum-wage jobs to $40 per hour for skilled labor, he said.
Because of the specialty, custom nature of the jobs, the company prefers to train its own workers rather than depend on vocational college programs, Armstrong said.
The Armstrong fleet offerings include research vessels, ocean survey boats, military and law enforcement patrol boats, charter boats and dive boats.
Just about anything can be made to order, such as a combination fire boat, ambulance and search-and-rescue boat built for a Minnesota fire department.
Many customers simply tell the company, “We need a boat, and we need it to do this,” Armstrong said.
In the next few years, there is room for expansion into Europe and Asia, and Armstrong Marine is examining the idea of adding a line of aluminum-hull sailing catamarans, he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
