PORT ANGELES – Port Angeles based Platypus Marine, Inc. is in the process of constructing a new “state of the art” facility that will require at least 35 new full-time employees to operate, company president Chris Feffer said.
More jobs will be added when the building expands from two to three bays, Feffer said. At that point, the building will likely require 55 to 60 full-time employees, Feffer told the Port Angeles Business Association during a Tuesday morning presentation at Joshua’s Restaurant.
Platypus Marine is a full-service shipyard that works on a range of projects spanning recreational, commercial and government vessels, Feffer said. It both refits old vessels and builds new ones.
The company has more than 75 employees. And, for every two Platypus employees, Feffer said there is typically one subcontractor on site per day.
Those from outside the region contribute to the local economy by staying, shopping and eating locally. The crews that come with each vessel also bring business to the community, Feffer said.
To get refitting business, Platypus is competing with companies along the whole west coast. For new construction, Feffer said it competes against the entire country.
There are a few things that set Platypus apart, according to Feffer. Currently, the company has five buildings with over 110,000 feet of enclosed space spread over its 10 acres.
“That really separates us from other shipyards in the region,” Feffer said.
The company is also located off the deep water Strait of Juan de Fuca. This keeps it from being bound to tides, as other shipyards are.
However, to continue to stay competitive, the business has to adapt. For example, while fiberglass was a larger part of the business “back in the day,” Feffer said that steel and aluminum have largely taken over.
“We have to evolve to chasing other industries when one industry shuts down,” he said.
Platypus also has some drawbacks, one of them being its location.
“We’re put at a disadvantage on some projects due to travel time costs,” he said. “When we’re bidding against a shipyard in Seattle with a one-hour tow, that’s cheap. When we have a 24-hour tow to Port Angeles each way, that’s a huge cost we have to add on.”
To help convince businesses to take the leap, staff work to promote both the shipyard and the city itself, Feffer said. They need to convince people that being on the Peninsula is worth being 2½ hours away from a major city, a major airport and a variety of activities.
“We spend a lot of time highlighting the importance of what you can do out here and what else it can provide,” he said.
The company also sometimes struggles to work through permitting with Port Angeles, he said. Delays in permitting can add costly time to any expansion ventures the business undertakes.
In addition to the building it is currently constructing, Feffer said the company recently opened an office in Seattle that will be used for smaller projects.
If the company continues to expand, Feffer said he hopes to keep Platypus in Port Angeles. “[But], at the end of the day, we’re a service industry company,” he said. “We’re here to serve our customers, and we have to be able to find the best places to do our service.”
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
