UPDATE – 1/3/22: We hired a fiberglass tech to join our boat building crew! It’s a Christmas miracle!

Ever since we started building boats in 1986, we have focused on craftsmanship, quality, and doing right by our employees. Our team has always been small-but-mighty, with low employee turnover because we invest in our people, and believe in treating them well because we believe they are worth it in the long haul.

However, once in a blue moon, we have an opening to bring on another boat builder on our team. And that blue moon is happening… NOW.

Why we are hiring now

To be clear, nobody has left the team — in fact, everyone is doing such a great job that we are selling boats far faster than we can make them! In the past couple of years, Gig Harbor Boat Works has been “discovered” across the country and around the world — and our reputation for quality, coupled with the impact of the pandemic, has increased demand for our boats to the highest level we’ve ever seen.

In a typical year, when December rolls around we’re getting down to the end of our waitlist, building our last few orders, and crossing our fingers that come January boatshow season people will come out of the woodwork wanting to buy boats again. And then they always come back, we get a ton of orders in the winter and spring, turn them out hard and fast through the summer, and then we take a moment to breathe in the late fall and do it all again the next year.

2021 has *not* been a typical year. (Which should not come as news to anyone who’s been paying attention to world events.) I know everyone is tired of the word “unprecedented” these days (and can something just please be normal?), but there’s no other way to put it. Demand for our boats *has* been unprecedented, and even though our production team has been working heroically to keep up, we still have a year-long waitlist. IN DECEMBER.

Our plan to grow

Our plan is to increase our pace of production by hiring another fiberglass laminator to join our team, on a swing shift so that we can keep the glass shop going for more hours in a day. But finding experienced laminators who can do open-mold lamination and build to our quality standards is a tall order, and they are hard to find. So we are willing to invest in training the right person, with the right set of skills, who wants to build a great career working for a growing company with a great reputation.

Here’s what it takes:

• Experience with (or willingness to learn) fiberglass open-mold lamination process, including: gelcoat, layup, trimming and finishing, operating spray and chopper gun.
• Mechanical aptitude, comfortable working with tools, and interested in learning to use new ones.
• Works independently and efficiently, must be a self-starter who can be self-sufficient enough to see a project through on schedule.
• Good hand-eye coordination and attention to detail.
• Ability to frequently lift weights of up to 60 pounds.
• Availability to work 40 hours/week on a swing shift (say 2pm – 10 pm), M-F.
• Skills in woodworking and inventory management are a plus, but not essential.

All that to say, you don’t have to walk in the door a fiberglass Jedi. We already have a Luke Skywalker who was trained by Obi Wan Kenobi… now we just to find the next-generation Jedi… a padawan to train in the ways of the Force. (Stop me before I strain the metaphor.)

Build beautiful boats — and a great career

It’s true that hiring is TOUGH in this economy, since literally everyone is hiring right now. But we believe we have something very cool and unique to offer in this opportunity — not the least of which is competitive pay (plus benefits including medical/dental/vision, and a 401k plan to boot).

And honestly, what better way to make a living than building beautiful boats, and putting something just downright *good* into the world?

We believe the right person is out there, it’s just a matter of reaching them. If that sounds like you — great! Head over to Indeed.com and drop us an application (or just send a message to the boatshop if you’d like to know more). If that doesn’t sound like you, but you know someone who might be a fit, please share this post with them and help us spread the word! This is a great opportunity to start a rewarding career with a strong, home-grown company. The sky is the limit.