Cross Sound Machine: Made in Bremerton, used worldwide

What do PSNS, the San Francisco ferry and the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico all have in common? Answer: They all use parts and tools made by Cross Sound Machine located at 1475 NE Dawn Road, Suite 5, in Bremerton.

By TERRYL ASLA
tasla@soundpublishing.com

BREMERTON — What do PSNS, the San Francisco ferry and the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico all have in common?

Answer: They all use parts and tools made by Cross Sound Machine located at 1475 NE Dawn Road, Suite 5, in Bremerton.

“If it’s made out of metal and you can give me a plan, we can make it,” company president Richard Irvin said.

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A third-generation machinist, he and his wife Laurie grew up in Poulsbo, went to North Kitsap High School, and now live and have their business in Bremerton.

For years, Richard worked in the family business in Seattle. “But we knew there would be a good base [of business] here,” Laurie said.

But they couldn’t convince the other family members. So, in 2006, they decided to open the business on their own.

Several clients stayed with them, including Kvichak, a Vigor company; Sharp Mixers; and Dreyfus grain terminals.

And then came the Great Recession.

“It’s terrible to say this,” Laurie said, “but the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico probably saved the company. We were building parts for oil skimmers. Before the spill, we were building one a month. After the spill, we were making and shipping at least two a day and cost was no object.”

Other projects include building the aluminum service cover-rib frames that, when covered with plastic, become “submarine garages” at PSNS to keep workers and equipment out of the weather and frustrate enemy spy satellites. The hangars are in use at U.S. Navy bases on both coasts and in Hawaii.

Cross Sound also refurbishes sand-blast nozzles for PSNS “because we can do them for about one-third of the cost they were paying, because we’re local,” Richard said.

They also do work for large government contractors like Oceaneering and General Dynamics.

“When they’re busy, we’re busy,” Richard said.

Locally, Cross Sound Machine has made replacement parts for the Space Needle’s aging elevators. In fact, they have manufactured elevator parts for Fujitech, Otis, Schindler, and Thyssen.

At the moment, they are welding the aluminum skeletons that will become the rudders on a new San Francisco Transit high-speed ferry. From their shop, the rudder skeletons will go to Oregon where they will be dipped in a mold and covered with a plastic material similar to that used for skateboard wheels.

And, moving back in time from modern tech to 18th century tech, they just built a part for the tall ship Lady Washington and are in the process of finishing two Napoleonic-era bronze cannons for a private customer.

 

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