Manufacturing
The 2017 Washington Manufacturing Awards
Here is a summary of the 16 honorees.
Sustainability has two applications in manufacturing these days. Theres the meaning weve grown so accustomed to that its almost a buzzword operating in a way that makes smart use of resources without either the process or the product harming the environment. But the more traditional sense of the word is building a business that can…
Made in Washington #2: Tsue Chong Company
Noodle House: A photo gallery by Hayley Young.
Liu Duo Jiang uses a mallet to remove the rounded hooks created by noodles hanging on the drying racks at the Tsue Chong Company in Seattles Chinatown-International District. Breaking the hooks makes it easier to process, package and ship the noodles to restaurants. Founded in 1917, Tsue Chong produces about 10,000 pounds of noodle products…
Past Experience: Boeings Long History with China
Lake Union, Seattle 1916
China-born Wong Tsu, pictured in the foreground, was the first aeronautical engineer Bill Boeing hired at his fledgling airplane company. Wong, a graduate of MIT, designed the Model C bi-wing trainer, Boeings first commercial success. (The U.S. Navy bought 50.) The two-seat, open-cockpit seaplane the first all-Boeing design made its inaugural flight on November 15,…
Upgrading the Tuber Section
Lamb Westons expansion of a french fry processing plant showcases the states potato industry.
No doubt youve noticed that Washington is in the grips of a gustatory frenzy, with an entire industry growing up around the desire to provide eaters and drinkers with the latest in exotic, artisanal, handcrafted, small-batch, organic food and beverages. For sheer economic impact, though, few comestibles can top the humblest of vegetables and possibly…
Reaching Higher at Genie Industries
On its 50th anniversary, Redmonds aerial-work-platform specialist celebrates by seeking new opportunities.
As the development surge continues apace in and around Seattle, aerial booms and scissor lifts crowd every construction site and a local company quietly thrives. Redmond-based Genie Industries, named 2014s No. 1 aerial platform manufacturer by Access International magazine, is not only growing in the United States, but the maker of the ubiquitous blue and…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Legacy Award
Winner: Belshaw Adamatic Bakery Group
Legacy Award Belshaw Adamatic Bakery Group Auburn belshaw-adamatic.com When its time to make doughnuts or loaves of bread, or sheets of rolls it could well be a Belshaw Adamatic piece of equipment thats turning out the baked goods. From a 120,000-square-foot plant in Auburn, Belshaw Adamatic produces the ovens, fryers, conveyors and specialty equipment like…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Manufacturer of the Year, Large Firms
Winner: Precor
Manufacturer of the Year: Large Firms Precor Woodinville precor.com At least one brand of fitness equipment for the commercial and home markets carries a made in Washington label. Precors keeping manufacturing local has helped grow employment from 544 to 573, but neither happened without a commitment to lean principles and efficient production. Precor estimates it…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Manufacturer of the Year, Midsize Firms
Winner: Fluid Motion
Manufacturer of the Year: Midsize Firms Fluid Motion Kent rangertugs.com, cutwaterboats.com The middle of a recession wouldnt at first glance seem to be a good time to start a new pleasure-boat company. But Fluid Motion, parent of Ranger Tugs, founded in 1958 and still owned and operated by the Livingston family, decided to launch Cutwater…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Executives of the Year, Small Firms
Winner: Chad & Allison Budvarson, owners, Out of the Box Manufacturing
Manufacturing Executives of the Year: Small Firms Chad & Allison Budvarson, owners Out of the Box Manufacturing Renton obmfg.com The next generation of manufacturing leadership can be found in companies like electronics contract manufacturer Out of the Box and its owners, Chad and Allison Budvarson. Started in 2008 as the recession was taking hold, the…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Executive of the Year, Large Firms
Winner: Bill Hill, CEO
Manufacturing Executive of the Year: Large Firms Bill Hill, CEO Western Integrated Technologies Bellevue westernintech.com Western Integrated Technologies started in 1969 as Hydraulics Components Company, a small distributor of hydraulic-system components. Bill Hill and a partner bought it in 1986. Bolstered by acquisitions and a strategy to move into manufacturing, Western Integrated today designs and…
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Food/Beverage Processor of the Year
Large Firms winner: Trident Seafoods; Small Firms winner: Pretzel Perfection
Food/Beverage Processor of the Year Large Firms Trident Seafoods Seattle tridentseafoods.com In the seafood industry, sustainability doesnt only cover what or how much you catch. It also means what you do with what youve caught, and how. Trident has been making a big push to reduce waste and get more from the seafood it processes….
The 2016 Washington Manufacturing Awards: Manufacturing Services
Advanced Technical Services NW
Manufacturing Services Advanced Technical Services NW Kent atsnwinc.com Precision is critical in advanced manufacturing, whether the material being machined is metal or, as is increasingly the case in Washington, a composite material. This obsession with precision is the specialty of ATS, which operates both in-house and mobile calibration labs to test temperature uniformities in furnaces…