Tucked inside an industrial building on Tacoma’s working waterfront, Silverback Marine is building a growing mix of aluminum workboats: from landing craft and fireboats to pump-out vessels and electric patrol boats.
The Tacoma builder has steadily expanded its production capabilities while carving out a niche in rugged aluminum platforms designed for government, commercial, and industrial operators.
During a recent yard tour led by business development manager Kyle Gracey, Silverback is preparing for another major transition: a move into a new facility being developed by the Port of Tacoma.
“We’re getting a new facility built by the Port here, hopefully soon,” Gracey said.
The new site will be located near Motor Power Equipment and Trident Seafoods on the Tacoma waterfront, allowing Silverback to remain close to its current operations while gaining improved infrastructure and more room for production.
The existing facility, which Silverback moved into in 2022, helped the company significantly increase capacity. The team has grown into the space quickly.
“You grow into the space you have,” Gracey said.
Silverback currently employs about 20 people, with a team that includes designers and engineers with experience from established Pacific Northwest builders. Gracey said the company has invested heavily in design capabilities as it works to refine both performance and aesthetics.
“We’re design-forward,” he said. “We want to build a better-looking product and a better product.”
Inside the Tacoma yard, boats in various stages of construction highlighted the breadth of Silverback’s portfolio.
One of the most notable projects underway is a fully electric patrol vessel being built for Communities for a Healthy Bay, a Tacoma-based environmental advocacy group focused on protecting local waterways. The vessel will feature twin battery systems and electric propulsion supplied by Photon Marine.
The vessel represents the beginning of Silverback’s new e-Apache line of electric workboats.
Electric propulsion has become a growing part of Silverback’s business, largely through its partnership with Photon Marine. Gracey believes Silverback may have delivered more electric workboats than any other U.S. builder.
“I think we have built the most electric workboats in the States,” he said.
Still, Gracey remains pragmatic about the sector’s long-term trajectory, noting fuel prices may be a key factor influencing adoption.
“If diesel stays at six bucks a gallon, that shapes everything,” he said.
Additional electric projects in the yard included a pump-out boat for Port of Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands and multiple electric utility vessels destined for commercial operators.
Silverback’s traditional aluminum workboat business remains equally active.
The company recently completed a compact truckable tug equipped with azimuth drives for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Measuring just under 26’, the tug is designed to move small barges supporting dredging operations. Gracey said the vessel stands out because of its maneuverability and towing capability.
“The cool thing about that boat was it had azimuth drives,” Gracey said. “It’s much more like a tractor tug than a pushboat, and it can tow.”
The yard also had several fire and law enforcement vessels in build, including a small fireboat headed to New Jersey, a landing craft for the Oklahoma City Fire Department dive team, and a larger landing craft for a Pacific Northwest tribal law enforcement agency.
Silverback’s Grizzly platform also continues to evolve. Originally developed as a 21’ riverboat, the design has grown into a versatile 24’ platform serving industrial and municipal customers.
One new Grizzly under construction will go to the Port of Tacoma for maintenance and security operations, including pier inspections and emergency personnel transport.
Gracey said the vessel addresses a capability gap exposed during recent disruptions at the port.
“There was a scare from a port security standpoint,” he said. “They didn’t really have a boat fast enough or big enough to move people when needed.”
Silverback’s production model emphasizes flexibility. Smaller vessels are trailer-launched, while larger builds are craned into the water.
Gracey noted that Silverback’s trajectory points upward. The builder is steadily moving into larger and more complex projects, including 33’ fireboats and compact tug platforms, while maintaining a strong foothold in aluminum utility craft.
“There’s always something going on,” Gracey told WorkBoat. “Anytime you’re in town, feel free to drop in. It’ll be a new landscape.”
