Washington Business Summer 2018 | Washington Business | Page 54

doing business as employer: SAFE Boats International founded: 1997 headquarters: Bremerton website: www.safeboats.com SAFE Boats International The patented design of SAFE Boats makes them uniquely maneuverable and nearly unsinkable. From Australia to Columbia, San Francisco Bay to New York harbors, these Washington-made boats are lifesavers for first responders and those they serve. Brian Mittge the company: This privately held firm is 100 percent American-owned and operated. Its name comes from the pioneering wrap-around collar design of its virtually unsinkable aluminum boats. It employs just under 300 people at its four facilities. the backstory: SAFE Boats International (SAFE) was founded to provide a safer, better-performing platform for the Coast Guard and similar customers. After 9/11, its products were in high demand as federal agencies and local first-responders modernized their fleets. International customers look to SAFE for reliability in situations that are inherently unstable and dangerous. about the boats: The company’s patented design combination of a foam- filled collar and performance fins give their boats a unique combination of speed, maneuverability and stability through turns. They sell boats ranging from 19 to 85 feet long. what they do: SAFE designs and builds highly reliable and extremely durable vessels that help keep military, law enforcement and fire professionals safe as they carry out their duties, protect citizens and work to save lives. It has clients in more than 50 countries around the world, with 2,200 boats currently in service. Its products have logged more than 5 million cumulative operating hours without a hull failure. notable customers: SAFE’s products are in high demand by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Department of Homeland Security. Law enforcement and fire/rescue services in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and San Francisco are also avid customers. Its international customers include the navies of Chile, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan. Australian border forces, operating in some of the harshest environments on the planet, use SAFE Boats to interdict drug smuggling and human trafficking. exports: With so many international customers, SAFE is proof that trade creates jobs in the USA. “We represent the best of American industry,” said CEO Richard Schwarz. “It’s made here and exported around the world. This is a unique product that generates jobs here.” The company expects that exports will make up 30 percent of revenue this year, rising to 50 percent or more in the years ahead. quote: “Our mission is to provide the best possible platform to the men and women in uniform who are putting their lives at risk and spending their days doing the dangerous things that keep us all safe. We want to do that in a way that is meaningful and creates opportunities for our employees, supports our community, and then ultimately fulfills that goal of putting the best possible product out there for the people who deserve it.” — Richard Schwarz, CEO 54 association of washington business