Everett Ship Repair Opens New Drydock

Gavin Higgins, Everett Ship Repair CEO; Lisa Lefeber, Director and CEO, Port of Everett; and Jon Hie, Everett Ship Repair General Manager, participate in a May 4, 2022 ribbon cutting ceremony for ESR’s new drydock. Photo. Everett Ship Repair.

On May 4, Everett Ship Repair hosted a naming ceremony and grand opening for its newest drydock, Emerald Lifter.

The Emerald Lifter, formally known as the Zidell 220, was relocated to ESR’s Port of Everett facility in April. ESR performed maintenance and preservation before it was put into operation with its first drydocking on May 3.

ESR formally introduced the Emerald Lifter during the ribbon cutting ceremony, explaining that its name is a tribute to the Puget Sound, also known as the Emerald Sea.

The Emerald Lifter has a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons and a working deck of 220 feet by 62 feet, according to Everett Ship Repair. The company has said that it plans to use it in a complimentary role with ESR’s existing dry dock the Faithful Servant, a 430-foot by 110-foot 8,000-ton capacity dry dock, which has been in operation since 2019.

Additionally, ESR recently brought in a crane barge from sister company Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. The 150-ton link belt crane is positioned on a 180-foot by 49-foot barge and services both dry docks.

During the ceremony, ESR CEO Gavin Higgins expressed his excitement about the opportunities the new drydock brings to the facility and the impact it will have on creating jobs and adding to the shipyard’s skillset.

“We have built up our team over the last two years to approximately 80 full time staff, we look forward to the new dry dock grabbing the attention of local tradesmen as we can continue to grow our team and serve the industry in a larger capacity now with two dry docks,” he said.

Higgins also welcomed Port of Everett Director and CEO Lisa Lefeber as the honorary ribbon cutter.

“I am very happy that Everett Ship Repair is here and that they are also expanding,” Lefeber said. “This has been a critical asset for our region … keeping jobs here and keeping vessel repair here, and also supporting our local commercial fishing fleet, ferries and our Navy base.”

“We will continue to support them and make you as successful as you can be,” she added.