SEQUIM — It takes a big sling to lift a big boat.
It will take 12 slings made out of four layers of 10-inch-wide nylon flat webbing to rig the Port of Port Townsend’s new $3 million, 30-ton variable-width Travelift that arrives in May.
While the hoist is traveling all the way from Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the slings are coming from Sequim, where Olympic Synthetic Products has been manufacturing flat web slings, round slings and all manner of rigging slings since 1972.
Todd Negus has been president and owner of OSP since 1995, when he took over the company from his father-in-law, John Glover. His son, Jordan Negus, works beside him as vice president.
OSP’s 26 full-time employees assemble the company’s entire output in 15,000 square feet of manufacturing space just south of U.S. Highway 101. Almost none of the work is automated.
Slings are hand cut, sewn on industrial straight-needle 7 class sewing machines and packed by hand for shipment.
The work can be labor-intensive. It takes three men to create the protective keel pad that encloses each of Port Townsend’s Travelift slings: one to sew the pad made out of 3/8-inch-thick heavy duty rubber and two to lift and hold the 145-pound behemoth as it’s fed through an industrial sewing machine.
Flat or lifting slings made out of webbing are incredibly strong and versatile. Round slings in the shape of a loop are covered by a double polyester jacket that protects whatever is being lifted from the polyester string inside.
About 35 percent of OSP’s business is with the marine sector, but its slings are found anywhere heavy-duty rigging is needed: windmills, construction, shipping, logging and manufacturing.
In addition to the Port of Port Townsend, OSP Slings can be found in the boat yards at the Port of Port Angeles, Platypus Marine, and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.
“They don’t say ‘no,’ they just figure out how to get things done,” said Marty Marchant, marine trades manager at the Port of Port Angeles. “It’s very convenient to have them so close, too.”
Todd Negus said he tried to source as many components as possible that are manufactured in the United States, but that had become more difficult as the domestic textile industry continued to shrink.
“There were about eight manufacturers when I started, and now there are three,” he said.
The polyester string OSP uses in its round slings comes from China. Because of the steep tariffs on Chinese goods, the price has almost doubled from 90 cents to $1.70 a pound. Todd Negus said he had enough polyester string to last another couple of months, but after that, he doesn’t know what will happen.
“There’s a lot of angst in our industry right now,” he said. “We need to wait it out and see what happens.”
The sling industry is very competitive. OSP’s closest rivals are located in Seattle, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But the company also faces pressure from manufacturers in states like Texas, where the tax burden is much lower than in Washington.
Proposals in this year’s legislative session to increase the state’s Business & Occupation tax would further impact his ability to be competitive, Todd Negus said.
OSP grosses about $6.5 million a year. It pays its employees above minimum wage and health benefits.
In 2020, Travelift certified OSP to make lift slings for all of its boat hoists, which range from 25 to 1,500 tons. OSP also manufactures slings for retailers that are sold under names like WestRockand Cascade Rigging.
OSP adheres to American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Web Sling & Tie Down Association product standards for everything from load limits to the number of stitches per length of web.
“It’s all in the name of safety,” Jordan Negus said.
Every overhead lifting sling has a design factor of 5:1 — meaning it can withstand five times as much force as the working load limit before it will fail. OSP uses on-site proof-load testing — which is usually twice the working load limit — to ensure its slings meet regulations.
OSP’s attention to detail and adherence to rules have served it well with its customers, Todd Negus said.
“It’s not always the cheapest, but the safest” that count, he said.
The biggest threats to slings are ultraviolet light and cuts or tears that can weaken load capacity, creating a safety hazard. Either are usually a sign the sling needs to be completely replaced. They are rarely returned to OSP to be resewn.
“Repairs are few and far between,” Jordan Negus said.
OSP will finish the Port of Port Townsend’s order this week and load all 4,500 pounds of sling lifts and pads onto a flatbed trailer for the 30-mile trip to the boat yard. While they won’t personally do the rigging, Todd Negus said he and Jordan plan to see the new Travelift when it makes its debut with their company’s bright yellow lift slings.
“We will definitely be there,” Todd Negus said.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
