Bryan Nichols has joined Vigor Industrial as a sales representative for the company, which builds, repairs and modernizes commercial fishing and cargo vessels, ferries and military ships at six locations in the Northwest.

Mr. Nichols had previously been sales and marketing manager at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island, Wash.

"Joining Vigor is an exciting next step for me," Mr. Nichols said. "I've been learning or selling boat building and repair all my life. I now get to team with the largest shipyards in the region to bring more projects, more jobs and a stronger maritime community to the Pacific Northwest."

At Nichols Brothers, which was family owned until 2008, Mr. Nichols led the firm in the sales, estimating and contract negotiations for more than 35 vessels. He worked with commercial customers and with the U.S. Navy, the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other government clients. He served on the board of directors of the Passenger Vessel Association and chaired that group's Western Region.

Mr. Nichols will represent Vigor and its newbuild and fabrication division, US Fab. He will be based in the company's Seattle office in the former Todd Pacific Harbor Island shipyard. He will be part of Vigor's growing sales team led by Vince Piscitello, Vigor vice president for sales, marketing and business development.

Privately-owned Vigor, which is privately owned, runs major shipbuilding and repair facilities in Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton, Everett and Port Angeles, Wash., as well as the 60-acre Swan Island shipyard center in Portland, Ore. Vigor is the prime builder of Washington State Ferries and one of three companies entrusted nationwide with the maintenance of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Vigor is also leading efforts to restore U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker capacity in the Arctic.

September 15, 2011