The Nordic Tug Lineup

NORDIC TUGS 32 NORDIC TUGS 37 NORDIC TUGS 52 Neil Rabinowitz photos Nordic Tugs started out in 1980 with a single 26-footer.The company has experienced a rapid acceleration in growth and now buildsfour models,the 32,37,42 and 52.Something about the Nordic Tugs’polished workboat style and plush interiors obviously res- onates with boaters,not to mention these boats can handle Mother Nature’s worst and have the range to make extended voyages. At the time of our tour there were 15 Nordic Tugs in production,and the company is addingroom for more (and larger) boats.In addition to adding 7,500 square feet to its lamination shop,the company is building a new 30,000-square-foot building at its location in Burlington,Washington. Sea Magazine will be among thefirst to test this new hull when it splashes down.

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On the Horizon

Nordic feels that post-deliverysupport has been a major factor in keeping new boat owners happy. Thecompany has one person dedicatedto after-sales service, and that per- son can call upon any other employ- ee to help solve virtually any prob- lem a Nordic Tug owner might run into.Nordic’s main markets have beenthe Pacific Northwest and theNortheastern U.S., said Nordic Sales Manager Bob Shamek. “We’ve notyet tapped the overseas market, and we feel that Europe will become a good market for our product.”Fuel efficiency at displacementspeeds has always been high onNordic’s list of “must produce” fea- tures, and this fact has led to the first tunnel-hull 32-footer, nowunder construction in the plant. Normally, tunnel hulls are built to allow a reduced vessel draft for skip- pers who want to cruise in shallower waters. In Nordic’s case, however,it wants to be able to increase prop diameter to create more efficiency. If the shaft down angle is also reduced, additional efficiency willbe added. ing on its existing property and is plan-ning to add another 7,500 square feetto its lamination shop. When it firstmoved to Burlington it employed 25 production tradesmen. Nordic now employs 150, and there were 110 on shift at the time of our tour. A total of 15 Nordic Tugs were under con- struction at that time. Except for stain- less railings, Nordic produces all required hull, deck and cabin parts in-house.“The problem with our currentbuilding is that we don’t have the height in our existing plant to build out larger boats,” said Nordic Vice President of Production Paul Johnson. “We have to take our larger hulls out-side to fit the upper works and then move them back inside for finishing. The new building will make the oper- ation much more efficient.”Nordic, like many other busi-nesses these days, finds it difficult to get experienced new employees, so it takes steps to make sure it retains the employees it has. “We pay premium wages, have agood benefit plan, including 401K matching and a four-day workweek,” Johnson said. “Our average employ- ee has been with Nordic for five years.”“We also try to make sure thatemployees can take the time they need to do a good job,” Johnson said. “Thisleads to a high level of job satisfac- tion and good quality.” Every Nordic Tug is sea trialed, and when the sea trial team puts a new vessel through her paces on the water a production employee gets a chance to go along for the ride.
90 SEA / JUNE 2007