Foss Maritime closes Seattle shipyard

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(SEATTLE) — Foss Maritime announced with “deep regret” on Saturday that its Seattle shipyard, located in North Queen Anne, has been permanently closed as of Oct. 30. The closure does not affect any other area of Foss’s operations, the company said.

“The difficult decision is a result of Foss Maritime’s regular evaluation of business lines and follows the company’s diligent effort to improve the viability of the Seattle shipyard over many years,” Foss said in a news release.

“While the closure of the Seattle shipyard is a strategic decision for the future of Foss, it is not a decision we have taken lightly,” said Will Roberts, president of Foss Maritime. “We have employees and families who have been with us for decades; our priority is assisting them in this transition.”

Shipyard employees will continue to receive salary, benefits and an average of overtime wages through the end of the year, the company said, though “with no work requirement as operations have ceased.”

Moving forward, Foss said it will utilize other Pacific Northwest shipyard operations to meet its fleet maintenance and repair needs.

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Foss Maritime photo
By Professional Mariner Staff