Keith Whittemore News

Vigor expanded its growing portfolio of international sales with the delivery of two, 19m all-weather pilot boats to The Port of Duqm Company (PDC), SAOC, Sultanate of Oman. The Port has been undergoing a major multiphase expansion and the new pilot boats will play a key role in ensuring the safety of vessels calling on the port. “This is an important delivery for us,” said Keith Whittemore, Vigor Executive Vice President of Business Development. “PDC is a world class, state-of-the-art Port with a major commitment to quality and safety. Designed by Camarc Design, Ltd., UK, and built at Vigor’s Ballard facility (formerly Kvichak Marine), the vessels not only function as pilot boats but also as search and rescue and oil spill recovery vessels.

Vigor will unveil its new 142’ Freezer Longliner designed specifically for North Pacific fishing at this year's Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, Wash. Based on an existing design by Marco Marine, the 142’ x 33.6’ x 14’ vessel has a fish hold capacity of 14,070 cu ft and a bait hold capacity of 1,900 cu ft. “A new class of longliners is a central need for the recapitalization of the North Pacific fishing fleet, but to get these vessels built fishermen need to know they can depend on the design—and it better be affordable,” explained Keith Whittemore, Vigor Executive VP of Business Development.

Vigor recently delivered an 88’ x 25’ x 14’ fireboat to the San Francisco Fire Department. The yet to be named vessel is the first fireboat to join San Francisco’s fleet in 61 years. Designed by Jensen Maritime and built at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard, the unique vessel is not only a firefighting tool but also a mobile pumping station powerhouse, the shipbuilder said. It’s capable of pumping millions of gallons of water directly from the Bay into the City’s Auxiliary Water System – a feature that will keep fire hoses flowing in the event an earthquake damages San Francisco’s water mains.

Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…

Vigor’s Seattle shipyard recently delivered a 95’ x 38’ x 16’, 3,000 hp ATB Twin Screw Tug, Dale R Lindsey, to Harley Marine Services Inc. Designed by Elliot Bay Design Group for primary operation in Alaska, the ATB tug utilizes an Articouple FRM-43M coupler system to pair with the 20,000 barrel oil barge, Petro Mariner. It features a raised aluminum pilothouse for optimal visibility built by Kvichak. Dale R Lindsey is the 11th vessel built by Vigor for its long-time customer, Harley Marine.

Kvichak, a Vigor company, delivered a fourth, 45-foot Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) to its longtime customer, the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The Kvichak RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M), purpose built for the U.S. Coast Guard. To date, 174 RB-Ms have been delivered to the Coast Guard. The vessel was designed by Kvichak in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance, including tactical handling and specialized mission capabilities, the shipbuilder said.

For nearly two decades, Frank Foti has led Vigor’s transformation from a single, struggling shipyard to a thriving, increasingly diversified industrial company with 2,500 employees, 12 locations and approximately $700 million in annual revenue. According to Vigor, Foti often describes his motivation in three words: “Industrial Jobs Matter.” Committed to improving long-term, family-wage job opportunities workers and their families and communities, Foti and his management team have, over time, has worked to strategically expand and diversify the company, investing in training facilities and infrastructure along the way. Also according to Vigor…

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Company, was recently awarded a contract to design and build a 48’ all-aluminum foil assisted research catamaran for the King County Environmental Laboratory. The vessel will operate in Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca and adjoining inland waterways. The vessel will be conducting water sampling research along with marine buoy calibration, maintenance and retrieval, tours and shoreline surveys, dive and ROV operations. This will be the thirteenth foil assisted catamaran Kvichak has built since 2000.

Merger positions combined company to play a dominant role in recapitalization of North Pacific fishing fleet and emerging Arctic oil gas operations. Kvichak Marine Industries and Vigor Industrial today announced the companies are merging to unite their strengths in the design and fabrication of aluminum workboats, shipbuilding, and boat building. Under the terms of the merger, Kvichak will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor. Kvichak’s current owners (Jim Meckley, Brian Thomas and Keith Whittemore) will join Vigor as shareholders and as members of the leadership team. “My partners and I are very excited to be joining Vigor. Sharing best ideas and practices across companies will make us even more competitive and create a more stable business base for our workers…

Kvichak Marine Industries Inc. responds quickly to new customer requirements, works with potential customers to develop complete specifications, and ultimately delivers the best suited product for the mission. Kvichak builds a variety of vessels for multiple Federal agencies as well as state and local municipalities. To effectively maintain Kvichak’s reputation as a world-class boat builder, Kvichak currently has four divisions, Headquarters/Seattle Facility, Response Boat Medium Division, KMI Leasing Company, LLC, Kvichak/Marco Pollution Control, and Flashmark Tech cutting facility.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. recently expanded its Seattle facility by erecting a 130’ x 50’ sectional enclosure on its waterfront property. This new addition creates enough space for Kvichak, an all-aluminum boat builder, to accommodate a maximum vessel size of 120 by 40 ft. for repairs or retrofits. “We decided to expand our existing facility into our backyard,” explained Kvichak’s Keith Whittemore. The enclosure is fully lighted, powered and heated. The 130 ft. length is made up of three sections – one 50 ft. and two 40 ft. lengths. Each section is mounted on wheels and tracks for ease of opening and closing to suit various vessel sizes. Weather collars are installed where the sections overlap to prevent rain, wind and snow from entering the workspace.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. announces the opening of its East Coast Support Office with the appointment of Carl F. Wegener as Regional Manager. Wegener was formally the Sales & Marketing Manager at Austal USA in Mobile, AL. Keith Whittemore of Kvichak comments, “With the success of Kvichak’s business over the last few years in the Gulf, Great Lakes and Eastern Seaboard, it only makes sense to have a support office in the East to represent and support our projects and Carl Wegener was the perfect match for this expansion.”

Kvichak Marine recently delivered the Georgia, a 75 x 21 ft. all-aluminum pilot boat, to the SPA, of Savannah, Georgia. Powered by twin Cummins KTA-38 M2 engines rated for 1350 BHP each and Hamilton 651 waterjets as the propulsors, the chosen combination provides for excellent maneuverability and a top speed of ~28 knots. To date, the Georgia is the largest Camarc-designed and Kvichak-built pilot boat operating for U.S. Pilot Associations. The boat is larger, with three comfortable staterooms aft and will provide unsurpassed safety and ride in all conditions. "The Georgia is absolutely in a class by herself," said Keith Whittemore, Kvichak's V.P.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. acquired MARCO Pollution Control, a leader in the design and manufacturing of oil spill recovery equipment. With this newly added division Kvichak will expand its product offering for its existing line of all-aluminum vessels used in the spill recovery industry – many of which utilize the MARCO Filterbelt module as the primary recovery platform. “We saw this purchase as a perfect fit for Kvichak,” said company president, Keith Whittemore. “This purchase enhances our product line by providing owners and operators with a one-stop shopping source for the complete recovery package. Kvichak’s first goal following…