PORT TOWNSEND — Bolstering the marine trades in Port Townsend can help bring more money into the community and keep young people living here as they age, according to Pete Langley, president of the Port Townsend Marine Trades Association.
Speaking to The Chamber of Jefferson County on Friday, Langley — who’s also the owner of the Port Townsend Foundry, a marine metalwork shop — said he’d like to see local schools get more involved with local maritime businesses to show young people there’s a well-paid living to be made locally.
“I think it’s important that kids are developed into these programs,” Langley said. “They need to get out and see the businesses that are here and that can pay a living wage.”
Langley said Port Townsend and Jefferson County are already a hub of maritime work, but he added that talent often leaves the community for larger markets.
Growing the so-called “blue economy” is going to require striking a balance between providing services to smaller wooden boats, which have traditionally been serviced in Port Townsend and larger commercial vessels seeking regular repairs.
“There is an opportunity for us to continue to cater to that environment,” Langley said. “I hope we can do that while continuing to cater for our other side.”
In addition to being the president of the Marine Trades Association, Langley and his wife Cathy own and operate the Port Townsend Foundry, a shop that is a resurrection of a business first started in 1883 and located in what is now Pope Marine Park.
“In its heyday, they had about 250 men a day working,” Langley said. “In 1889, they built two passenger steam lines and most of the castings for the buildings downtown.”
Langley started his business 100 years later out of the back of a flatbed truck in 1983, and the business has grown over 40 years and is now located on Otto Street near Glen Cove. The Foundry has done projects for customers not just locally but across the country and even internationally, Langley said, helping to make Port Townsend well-known within the maritime trades.
Langley said he recently had a customer come from England to personally pick up a product because it was cheaper than shipping the piece itself.
Port Townsend has been able to keep a number of marine trades that many other communities have lost, Langley said, and many businesses were able to continue operating during the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city is also a popular location for ship repair because of the climate and amenities Port Townsend offers for visitors.
“Some captains may not live here, but they can come here and get these services, and while they’re here, they can get good entertainment and good value,” Langley said.
One of the issues facing the maritime industry locally was housing, Langley said, as the cost of living in the community continues to rise.
“Housing is a big factor,” Langley said. “Housing needs to be considered a priority from every agency.”
The City of Port Townsend revised its zoning codes in the spring to help accommodate denser housing and the Port of Port Townsend has looked into ways housing might be provided at the port.
“I’m positive about the marine trades growth,” Langley said. “As long as we have port staff that’s open and willing to discuss these issues, we’ll do well.”
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at psegall@peninsuladailynews.com.
