Page 10: of Marine News Magazine (June 2024)

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Insights

Richard

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Schwarz

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SAFE Boats International hen Richard Schwarz joined SAFE Boats While many U.S. shipbuilders have struggled to crack out

International as chief ? nancial of? cer of the U.S. market, SAFE Boats—which has delivered ap- in 2015, he brought to the company a proximately 2,600 boats over the last 27 years—has found healthy dose of experience in defense and success building vessels for end users overseas. “A substantial aerospace manufacturing, primarily gained component to the business is and has been international,

W on the ? nancial side of the business. About 2.5 years later, both through foreign military sales contracts to the U.S. he transitioned to become chief executive of? cer of the Pa- Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, State Department, as well as ci? c Northwest boatbuilder, which constructs aluminum direct sales to international customers. We have boats in ser- vessels for a diverse set of customers. vice in about 70 different countries,” Schwarz said.

“The mix changes from month to month, year to year, SAFE’s current orderbook includes an assortment of but the primary areas where our customers sit are state vessel types—from search and rescue boats, to patrol, law and local law enforcement, ? rst responders—towns, cit- enforcement and ? re boats—ranging from 19 to 85 feet in ies, counties, states, everything from sheriffs to ? re depart- length. Its Bremerton, Wash. facility can handle vessels up ments to resource and wildlife agencies,” Schwarz said. to 65 feet long, and anything longer, such as the 85-foot “There’s also a U.S. federal government component to the Mark VI patrol boats currently in production for Ukraine, business—a lot of programs for the U.S. Coast Guard, are built at SAFE’s Tacoma facility.

U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, as well as a To date, two of the eight boats in SAFE’s current Mark variety of different agencies and branches of the military.” VI program have been completed, and Schwarz said he 10 | MN June 2024